고려대학교

초록/요약

It is generally believed that children have lower affective filters than adults when they learn a second language. This belief has led Korean parents to be callous to their children's adjustment problems in learning a second language because many Korean parents prefer an environment without Korean speakers in an English-speaking environment. However, evidence from studies in bilingual and other areas shows that children may be more vulnerable to anxiety and stress in an environment where they were deprived of first language use. Although children's anxiety may last for a relatively short period of time, their anxiety seems to be more serious. This paper delves into the issue of young Korean children's affective filters in a second language environment. This paper provides various examples of adjustment problems that young second language learners, including Korean early study-abroad children, experienced in second language environments. Anecdotal cases from many studies show that children also have high affective filters, and probably much higher than adults, especially in the environment where they do not have first language support. Therefore, it is recommended that Korean early study-abroad children be put in an environment with first language peers in order to lower their affective filters.