Practical English for Korean Secondary School Students

Abstract

• Target Learners: Korean secondary school students to prepare for study abroad• Proficiency: Intermediate-high (ACTFL)• Purpose: There has been an increase of Korean students preparing to study abroad during their preadolescence or adolescent period; however, this is a challenging time for them and helping them to develop emotionally as well as linguistically is very important. Most teenagers will be overwhelmed when they are abruptly exposed to foreign cultures, new school systems, or unfamiliar communities when they move to other countries. They may feel confused and lose their identities and confidence due to the lack of second language proficiency, which may cause serious problems in the long run. In this respect, this communicative textbook aims to help students develop listening and speaking skills through animated movies; furthermore, the sample chapter is based on episodes of experiencing cultural differences of a teenage girl named Riley who moves from a small town in Minnesota to San Francisco. The first unit includes expressions of various emotions through practicing the four language skills so that students can simulate and practice how to react and adjust themselves on their first day of school in the future. At the end of each unit, there are personalized speaking and writing sections for practical usage of the second language through authentic dialogues based on the episodes of familiar movies to teenagers. The voices, gestures, and facial expressions of the main characters in the movies will be helpful for students in an EFL context to understand the paralanguage aspects of communication.