University Report: Advanced Writing and Research Skills Analysis

This report analyzes the oral communication needs of Korean students in a US business communication classroom. The study, conducted by Kim (2013), examines the challenges faced by Korean students in a US business school, specifically focusing on their classroom participation and the influe...Read More

Running head: ADVANCED WRITING AND RESEARCH SKILLS
Advanced Writing and Research Skills 1
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s note

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ADVANCED WRITING AND RESEARCH SKILLS
The study conducted by Kim (2013) aims of find out the oral communication ability and
skills of new Korean students in an American business school. In this report Kim (2013), reviews
and analyses the teaching and education methods in the United States and seeks information
about how this method or process impacts the participation of the students form Korean decent.
In this institute teaching and education is follows an interactive process. The author states ways
by which Korean students can be encouraged.
Some MBA programs in the US enroll international students; these students sit for a
English test. But the test that they take is not enough to understand their communication skills
and their ability to speak and interact in English language in the class. Education is directly
correspondent to the ability to communicate in between the student and the educator. In Korean
culture Confucian traditions are followed, like Chaemyon, which means saving face this
indicates that silence is preferred over interactions. This tradition is also common in Korean
education system. Hence, for them to participate in the class, it will take a little more than just
talking.
The author is of the view that the students can speak in English and their understanding
of the language is also good. For the purpose of study the author had conducted an interview
with five students form a business school and has also observed their behavior in the class. The
author states that the students are very attentive in the class but are not participative; they also do
not speak much in the class as the students.
The interview and the observations of the author have lead to some specific inference.
The Korean students feel it is unnecessary to talk if not spoken to it is a part of their culture that

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ADVANCED WRITING AND RESEARCH SKILLS
they have inculcated in their behavior in the classroom. Female students were more proactive
than the make ones; a certain level of anticipation in the participation of interactive class session
was noticed. This has two reasons firstly a lack of knowledge of the subject topic or secondly a
hesitation was found if the spoken English was not that fluent. It was also observed that the
students preferred in talking in small groups or have a one on one interaction with the teacher
than asking a question loudly in the class. Though these students level of knowledge in the
subject or in the language is not less.
Kim notes that it was difficult to find the reasons that students were silent during class,
but that students’ classroom participation was influenced by their beliefs about their language
ability and cultural values relating to education and classroom dynamics. Overall, the students
believed their English level was too low for classroom participation; however beliefs about
ability and actual ability may need to be considered as separate issues, as the students had a
higher level of English than they believed.
In conclusion, the author states that the student’s behavior is directly reflection of the
culture these students inherit; hence it is the duty of the management of the institution to
encourage educators or teachers to understand the requirements of these students and involve
them in activities which will make them more participative in the class.

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ADVANCED WRITING AND RESEARCH SKILLS
Reference
Kim, J 2013, 'Oral communication needs of new Korean students in a US business
communication classroom' Global Business Languages, vol. 18 no. 1, pp. 81-96.