Restructuring "Inequality of Children's English Education"

• In Event: Literacies of Resistance: Race, Place, and Healing

Abstract

This study explores Korean mothers’ perspectives on their children’s English education. The data were drawn from in-depth interviews with 15 Korean middle-class mothers. The study used modified grounded theory (Charmaz, 2006) as the analytic framework for the data. The study documents how the unequal distribution of resources, access, and opportunities for English education (Blommaert, 2010) in Korea reinforce the asymmetry of power relations among mothers. A key finding is how opportunity for English learning depends on structured conditions, widening the gap between those who possess capital and those who do not. Implications from this study for policy makers and educators include improving public education approaches to teaching English as well as understanding the emotional impact on Korean families.

Author

• Hee jeong Oh, Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education