UNPACKING KAZAKHSTANI UNIVERSITY STUDENTS' CHALLENGES, INVESTMENT AND LANGUAGE LEARNING STRATEGY USE FOR LEARNING KOREAN: A QUALITATIVE INQUIRY

Abstract

By representing a multilingual and multicultural world, a rising number of empirical studies have explored individuals' motivations toward learning languages other than English (LOTE). Nevertheless, Central Asia, unique for its multilingual context, remains an under-researched region in the LOTE motivation research field. Therefore, the present qualitative research sought to bridge this glaring lacuna by uncovering the experiences of a number of undergraduate Kazakhstani students learning Korean as a foreign language in Kazakhstan. More specifically, the study examined the motivational factors that influenced the participants to invest in Korean language learning as L4 or L5, the problems they encountered while learning Korean, and the strategic learning efforts they used to achieve ultimate goals. This study was underpinned by Darvin and Norton's (2015) model of investment and Oxford’s (1990) classification of LLSs, deploying two qualitative research methods: narrative writing and semi-structured interviews. The participants had three primary reasons for investing their time and efforts in learning Korean: cultural, economic/academic, and personal advantages. Also, they highlighted the linguistic and cultural similarities between Kazakhstan and South Korea. Furthermore, many participants claimed that they were motivated to speak Korean for instrumental reasons, namely better career prospects and access to further education. The study also identified the participants' two main challenges while learning Korean: linguistic difficulties and poor quality of Korean language teaching at university. More specifically, the significant linguistic challenges concerning learning Korean pertained to speech comprehension, differentiation of similar vowels and diphthongs, and a lack of vocabulary repertoire. Also, some participants criticized the teaching practices of some instructors, including ambiguous methodology and guidance and the excessive amount of home tasks. Pedagogical implications and recommendations for further research are proposed, including improving the quality of teaching foreign languages at Kazakhstani universities and capturing the voices of individuals learning LOTEs in conflict-affected contexts.