The impact of English language learning on the acquisition of native language among Korean children.

Abstract

The current study intended to explore how English learning affects young Korean learners’ acquisition of their L1. Three groups of young learners different in terms of English learning context participated in the study: EFL, Immersion, and ESL. In order to investigate the possible effects of L2 learning on L1 acquisition among Korean children, their acquisition of phonological processes, lexico-grammatical knowledge, and reading comprehension at discourse level were examined. The results showed that the impact of L2 learning varied across the areas of L1 acquisition, with the most clear-cut difference among groups in lexico-grammatical knowledge. The EFL and immersion children were found largely comparable in their L1 phonological development and reading comprehension. The findings from this study partly supported, but raised questions at the same time about, claims made in previous studies, implying that the impact of L2 learning on L1 acquisition could vary depending on specific contexts of L2 learning to which learners are exposed and the linguistic similarities between the two languages involved.