ERIC Number: EJ1426754
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 21
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: EISSN-1539-0578
Inside the Digital "Hagwons": High-Stakes Reading Test Preparation in Korea
Reading in a Foreign Language, v36 n1 2024
High-stakes reading tests significantly influence one's future success, leading many second language learners to engage in intensive test preparation. This study examines nine TOEFL reading preparation lectures from two popular cram schools, or [foreign characters omitted] "hagwons," in Korea, with a total duration of five hours and thirty-nine minutes. Test preparation activities were analyzed using Messick's (1982) types of test preparation and Cohen's (2022) types of test-taking strategies. The findings indicate that, unlike previous studies on writing test preparation, construct-relevant content such as reading component abilities and reading strategies were predominantly taught. However, vocabulary knowledge was often instructed in isolation from context, with a focus on breadth rather than depth. Test-taking strategies, including reading strategies, test-management strategies, and test-deviousness strategies, were taught both implicitly and explicitly. The potential effects and limitations of instructions within the narrow scope of TOEFL on learners' long-term development are discussed. [Note: The page range (1-22) shown on the PDF is incorrect. The correct page range is 1-21.]
Descriptors: High Stakes Tests, Reading Tests, Teaching Methods, Test Preparation, English (Second Language), Language Tests, Second Language Learning, Test Wiseness, Reading Strategies, Reading Comprehension, Foreign Countries, Lecture Method, Second Language Instruction
National Foreign Language Resource Center at University of Hawaii. 1859 East-West Road #106, Honolulu, HI 96822. e-mail: readfl@hawaii.edu; Web site: https://nflrc.hawaii.edu/rfl/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: South Korea
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Test of English as a Foreign Language
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A