Learning English at home: Young children’s use of English Educational Media in South Korea

In recent years, interest in parent-guided English education for young children has been steadily rising in South Korea. The use of various types of media as a tool for English education at home has also been attracting increased notice. Based on past research findings regarding the impact of socioeconomic variables on the overall attainment of English education, the present study examined the use of English educational media at home by family capital in South Korea. A total of 1,802 cases from the third wave data of the Panel Study on Korean Children (PSKC) were used for analysis. The average age of the children was 26.25 months. Descriptive statistical analysis and logistic regression analysis were conducted. For financial capital, monthly income level did not have a significant effect on the use of English educational media at home. For human capital, mother’s education level and age significantly affected the use of English educational media such as books and audio & CDs; father’s education level and age had an effect on the use of video & DVDs for English education. For social capital, the rate of using English books and audio & CDs at home was higher in suburban regions than in urban regions. This study is meaningful in that it examines the use of English educational media at home among young children, which has been rarely studied.