The Curriculum for the English Motion Verb in Korean ESL Context

Abstract

Hi-JeanThis paper focuses on instructional strategies of English motion verbs in Korean ESL contexts. Of significance is the application of the form-focused instruction to the classroom. More specifically, this study attempts to develop effective curriculum on the English come/go usage among Korean ESL learners. By adopting Harley's principles (1992, 1993) of WHAT, WHEN and HOW in the form-focused L2 instructions, this study examines whether the come/go contrast can be the area where explicit analytic L2 teaching or negative evidence can lead to great improvements (WHAT) in SLA, when is the right time for teaching (WHEN) and how it can be taught (HOW). The picture describing test carried out to twenty graduate students supports the claim that the lexical contrast come/go constitutes a problematic L2 area where positive evidence alone does not guarantee the acquisition of the correct use of them and because of this, the explicit code-focused teaching or negative evidence can have facilitative effect on the acquisition of these motion verbs. The misanalyses of the come/go system can block the entry to a frequently used subsystem of the L2 code. To help prevent long lasting confusion or fossilization, in the English motion verbs, the first step toward learning suggested here is to get Korean learners sensitized to the code differences between the L1 and L2. Also presented is the three stage instructional curriculum for the come/go use which integrates analytic instructions with the content teaching through personal experiences of students.＜Korean Bible University＞