South Korean entry-level jobseekers' English-language learning in the neoliberal job market

Open Access
- Author:
- Kim, Miso
- Graduate Program:
- Applied Linguistics
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- March 05, 2020
- Committee Members:
- Suresh Canagarajah, Dissertation Advisor/Co-Advisor
Suresh Canagarajah, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
Celeste S Kinginger, Committee Member
Matthew Edward Poehner, Committee Member
Mari Haneda, Outside Member
Robert William Schrauf, Program Head/Chair - Keywords:
- neoliberalism
South Korea
jobseekers
English-language learning
language ideology
job market
second language learning
affordances - Abstract:
- The dissertation examines South Korean entry-level white-collar jobseekers’ negotiation of neoliberal employment requirements, reasons for studying English, and use of tools and resources for English learning. Although previous studies have problematized neoliberalism and English in South Korea (J. S.-Y. Park, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2018; J. S.-Y. Park & Wee, 2015; Piller & J. Cho, 2013), relatively few studies have considered how Korean jobseekers who have to develop English skills to enhance their competitiveness in the job market negotiate the demands of neoliberalism. There is even less research on how to provide appropriate educational support for them. To this end, I designed and implemented an eight-week exploratory program that aimed at developing jobseekers’ English skills using their own tools and resources based on an ecological perspective (van Lier, 2000, 2004). The study addressed the following research questions: 1. How do the Korean jobseekers interpret and negotiate the neoliberal norms of employability in the job market? 2. For what reasons do the Korean jobseekers study for the standardized English tests and develop oral English proficiency? 3. If opportunities can be provided to study English in a flexible setting, how do the Korean jobseekers, who have had little experience speaking English, create their own ways of developing their English speaking skills to achieve their goals? Employing thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006), the study analyzed six participants’ data collected during the program, which included interviews, narratives, self-assessments, participant-provided tools and resources, worksheet responses, and video recordings of classroom interactions. The analysis showed that the influence of neoliberalism differed based on gender and age. The male participants coped with the pressure of neoliberalism by adapting themselves to meet the demands of corporations, whereas the female participants chose to leave Korea to pursue less competitive lives. The male participants developed their English skills to outperform others and demonstrate their effort, seeing English as an instrument for job-seeking. In contrast, the female participants did so to talk about topics of their own interest and move abroad, viewing English a tool for freedom. All of the participants, when given the opportunity, were able to mobilize a number of tools and resources to create their own ways of learning English. Based on these findings, I argue for the continued intersectional analysis of neoliberalism and representation of diverse learners’ negotiations of neoliberalism and English learning. I also provide pedagogical implications for expanding the boundaries of language-learning materials and creating meaningful affordances for learning.