In this dissertation, I focused on the functions of nonverbal elements in communication and investigated researches on nonverbal expressions at foreign language education and also examined researches on nonverbal expressions conducted at Korean educat...
In this dissertation, I focused on the functions of nonverbal elements in communication and investigated researches on nonverbal expressions at foreign language education and also examined researches on nonverbal expressions conducted at Korean education. I discovered that the importance of nonverbal expressions in communication was more emphasized in Korea owing to its culture that valued courtesy in communication with others. Therefore, I aimed to study about body language among other nonverbal elements for Korean to express and understand each other during communication. I suggested the following research issues to confirm whether Korean learners understood Korean body language properly and residence or non-residence in Korea and residing period influenced Korean learners in understanding Korean body language better and conducted an experiment to confirm the research issues set in accordance with such.
First, is there a difference between native Korean speakers and Korean learners residing in Korea in understanding Korean body language?
Second, is there a difference in understanding of Korean body language according to the residing period of Korean learners in Korea?
Third, is there a difference in understanding of Korean body language according to residence or non-residence of Korean learners, from China, in Korea?
I first made an experiment tool before the experiment and selected 35 body languages which were frequently used in daily life by questioning actual native Korean speakers after arranging a list of Korean body languages suggested by relevant literatures. I made the tool with a questionnaire in online video showing the distinguishing movements of body language and performed a survey, targeting native Korean speakers, Korean learners from China, Philippines, and Vietnam residing in Korea, and those from China not having resided in Korea.
I arranged and analyzed collected questionnaires and obtained the following results. First, there was a significant difference between native Korean speakers and Korean learners residing in Korea in understanding Korean body language. The meanings of body language used in Korea could be verified by native Korean speakers tending to choose only one answer in general while Korean learners chose various answers. Most of Korean learners interpreted the movements superficially as they were shown and even applied the meanings of their countries' body language to the similar Korean body languages. And, according to an analysis on a difference between two groups by list of body languages, 28 body languages showed a significant difference. I also investigated the meanings of body language understood by native Korean speakers and foreign Korean learners by checking each individual tendency of answers to the lists showing a significant difference.
Secondly, I studied whether the residing period in Korea influenced Korean learners in understanding Korean body languages better and the result of conducting a regression analysis, which was suggested by Lee Hye Yung (2011), to predict the flow of residing period by considering it as a continuous variable, rather than using numerous other researches that required random division and analysis, showed that the residing period had a significant effect on such understanding.
Lastly, I investigated a difference between Korean learners residing in Korea and those not in understanding Korean body language. I limited the target to Chinese since body language could be influenced by mother culture due to its nature and ignored the proficiency which was difficult to measure and limited studying period so as to confirm a difference between Korean learners from China residing in Korea and those not having resided in Korea in understanding Korean body language. The result showed no significant difference between the two groups. Limiting studying period and setting residence or non-residence as a factor were for confirming a difference according to a degree of exposure to Korean-using environment, however, I confirmed that it was difficult to classify a degree of exposure only with the fact of residence or non-residence of learners since there were a great number of opportunities for people in China to contact with Korean broadcasting or culture owing to the development of media and internet at present. In other words, as long as they liked and enjoyed Korean culture, even Korean learners residing in China would be able to get a similar influence to that to those residing in Korea by being continuously exposed to Korean broadcasting and internet. Therefore, I could understand the conclusion that a difference in understanding of Korean body language was not significant according to the fact of residence or non-residence in Korea, which was different from overall understanding.
However, as I have recognized the importance of nonverbal expressions in Korean communication and found out that Korean learners still does not understand Korean body languages as time passes, I claim the necessity of explicit education on Korean body language at Korean education and believe that suggesting various approaches to Korean education for smooth communication has a great signification.
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