| This investigation of the process of English as an additional language (EAL) development of a group of 16 Korean university students spans their experiences in Korea and Canada. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews, written questionnaires and a final focus group interview. Systematic grounded theory informed data gathering and analysis, resulting in a diagrammatic representation and narrative description of the process. Target participants who had been in Canada an average of 4 years, 5 months reported speaking more Korean (55%) than English (44%) during the week and on the weekends (62% Korean, 37% English). The most salient moderators of English language engagement were instrumental motivation, absence of choice and age at leaving Korea. Interview data indicated that, through repeated, shared experiences in context, participants shifted from language knowledge gained predominantly through English grammar study and reading in the Korean setting to language use in the Canadian context. "Acquisition" was discussed as an experience-based, personally meaningful and lasting type of language learning. |
