Exploring Intercultural Competence of South Korean English Language Teachers for North Korean Refugee Students

Abstract

The objective of this research is to gain a deeper insight into the cultural awareness and intercultural competence (IC) of South Korean (SK) English Language (EL) teachers for North Korean refugee (NKR) students. This study employs a qualitative methodology to explore two research questions: how the SK EL teachers of NKR students perceive culture, and how they understand and practice IC. Six teachers from four private alternative schools volunteered to participate in the study. The data were collected through individual face-to-face interviews, artifacts, documents, and researcher memos. Seven principal themes emerged from the overall data: 1) Culture is multidimensional and complex, 2) Culture plays a variety of roles in our lives, 3) Differences and similarities between cultures result in various emotions, 4) Defining IC, 5) Showing diversity in attitudes towards other cultures, 6) Showing understanding of IC in diverse ways, 7) Initiating diverse actions of IC, each of which was also comprised of several sub-themes. The first three themes address the first research question, which sought to first understand teachers’ perceptions of culture. The last four broad themes that emerged from the teacher data serve to respond to the second research question, which sought to understand more about how the teachers defined, perceived and/or practiced IC. Five conclusions have emerged from the findings: 1) SK teachers showed their IC as being curious about and having a favorable regard for other cultures, 2) SK teachers expressed IC as understanding of positionality and cultural imbalance, 3) First-hand experience fosters the development of IC, 4) Reflection and action come together in developing IC, 5) SK teachers expressed their IC as flexibility and understanding with regard to cultural ambiguities. In line with the conclusions, this study highlights the need for teachers, school leaders, and education policy makers to consider the importance of IC development across contexts in SK. This study suggests a number of implications emerging from the findings that are relevant to policy, practice, and future research initiatives.