‘English proficiency matters’: ESL learning as a vocational behavior among former korean college student-athletes on dropping out of athletic programs

ABSTRACT

This study utilizes a critical phenomenological approach and adopts concepts of linguistic hegemony and linguistic capital, to explore the life course stages of former Korean college student-athletes who dropped out of athletic programs and who faced vocational challenge but obtained successful careers in their ideal career fields through improving their English proficiency. The three primary scholarly themes include: (a) typical English level and vocational challenges due to the lack of English proficiency; (b) the journey to gain English proficiency; and (c) English proficiency as a vehicle for entering desired career fields. Although this study identified the ways in which participants found avenues through gaining linguistic capital, linguistic hegemony is deeply ingrained into the Korean social structures and into their education systems, society, and culture. Therefore, this study critiques these ongoing structural problems to promote positive social change in the future.

KEYWORDS:

• Linguistic hegemony
• linguistic capital
• adult learning
• vocational education
• career transition out of sport

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. The term dropout may carry a pejorative connotation. Thus, this study shall avoid the term dropout and state that they are former college student-athletes.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Benjamin H. Nam

Benjamin H. Nam is a Ph.D. and Assistant Professor in the School of Education at Shanghai International Studies University. His primary research areas and interests center on international and comparative higher education, East Asia and cultural studies in education, sports, and the arts, and adult learning and vocational education.

Qiong Bai

Qiong Bai is a Ph.D. Candidate and an Associate Professor in the School of Arts at Southeast University. Her primary research areas and interests center on art theories, globalization of art, and communication arts. She was a visiting scholar in the School of Art at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville during the 2018-2019 academic year.

Wonyul Bae

Wonyul Bae is a Ph.D. and Associate Professor in the Department of Sport Management at Ithaca College. His research interests include sport analytics, motives for sport participation, college student-athletes’ academic and athletic motivation, student-athletes' career transition after sport, consumption behavior in golf, and sports fandom.