The goal of this study was to investigate Korean college students’ language anxiety, WTC and attitude while they were in the sessions with native instructors and international peers in an English clinic run by a university. To accomplish the goal, the following research questions were selected for this study; 1) How do Korean college students’ language anxiety toward native instructors and international peers differ in an English clinic? (a) What is the level of their anxiety when they meet native instructors and international peers in an English clinic. (b) Are there any differences in Korean college students’ language anxiety levels in terms of their English proficiency? 2) How do Korean college students’ WTC toward native instructors and international peers differ in an English clinic? (a) What is the level of their willingness to communicate when they meet native instructors and international peers in an English clinic? (b) Do they differ in terms of their English proficiency? 3) How do Korean college students’ attitude toward native instructors and international peers differ in an English clinic? (a) How positive are their attitudes when they meet native instructors and international peers in an English clinic? (b) Are there any differences in terms of their English proficiency?
To explore the research questions, survey, in-depth interview and video-recorded data were collected. The participants were 78 Korean college students and among them six participants volunteered for the in-depth interview. Collected quantitative data was analyzed utilizing independent sample t-tests and Analysis Of Variance (ANOVA). Qualitative data, such as in-depth interview and video-recorded data, were analyzed adopting McCracken’s (1988) five step analytic process.
The results revealed that Korean college students participating in the English clinic did not show language anxiety, WTC and attitude differences toward native instructors and international peers. Their language anxiety, WTC and attitude were not different either towards native instructors and international peers by the participants’ English proficiency levels. However, there was a negative relation between the participants’ language anxiety and their English proficiency and self-perceived English proficiency. Also, there was a positive relation between the participants’ WTC and self-perceived reading, writing and grammar proficiency, and also between the participants’ attitude and self-perceived speaking, listening, reading, writing, grammar and vocabulary proficiency.
The qualitative data supported the results of quantitative data analysis showing that their language anxiety was based on the individual differences not the differences toward native instructors or international peers. However, in-depth interview participants expressed somewhat higher level of WTC toward international peers than native instructors. Moreover they expressed they could discuss more about culture with international peers than with native instructors. Those in-depth interview participants were revealed to find more common topics with international peers.
The results of this study implies that understanding college students’ language anxiety, WTC and attitude should be preceded to operate a successful English clinic program. This study results could be used as fine resources for running relevant English clinic or English-only zone programs.