Language learning in transition: narrative case studies of two provincial Korean high school students

What drives provincial students in Korea to choose a college in Seoul? What role does English language learning play in their choices? This study focuses on two young academic migrants to Seoul, Joon and Lynn, to explore how macrocultural phenomena shaped their psychology and contributed to their language education. Previous studies have focused on how the culture of English learning in Korea encourages study abroad. Less understood are nation-level migration trajectories and what drives this form of mobility. Participants’ narratives showed different values and opportunities assigned to different regions. ‘In-Seoul’ discourse and a sense of belonging in the imagined communities impacted their college choices and learning experiences. Both shared that their final goal of moving between regions was to expand their horizons: Joon perceived Seoul as a propitious place for his occupation, and Lynn saw it as an interim place where she could communicate freely with people from different cultural backgrounds. Joon showed voluntary alignment with the ideals sought by colleges in Seoul. Lynn negotiated her way into communities of fluent language speakers and academic pursuits within her major. This study shows how these migrants made sense of English language learning within their broader regional migration and learning experiences.