일본인 학문 목적 한국어 학습자의 정체성과 학습 동기에 대한 내러티브 탐구

Abstract

This study aims to narratively analyze how three Japanese international students, who began learning Korean based on cultural motivation, construct their learning journeys and identities through different narrative structures. To this end, narrative interviews were conducted twice with each of the three Japanese students enrolled in the same department at the same university. The results revealed three patterns: one in which learners experienced a shift in identity from language learner to professional Korean user; another in which initial cultural interest was transformed into the self as a teacher; and a third in which bicultural identity was strengthened through self-reinforcing participation. The implications of this study are as follows. First, even learners who share the same starting point construct their narratives differently depending on their individual life contexts and interpretive frameworks. Second, identity is confirmed to be the result of practice constructed through temporal flow and social interaction. Finally, this study demonstrates that language learning is not merely the acquisition of linguistic skills but an investment in access to social resources, through which learners secure their positions within new communities, thereby highlighting its significance.