A Review of the Literature on Multicultural Families in Korea

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to review the literature on three aspects of the experiences of multicultural families in Korea, specifically: the policy supports for theses families; language learner identity formation; and approaches to their children’s language education, including Korean, heritage languages, and English. First, one of the most noticeable characteristics of multicultural families in Korea―normally composed of a Korean male from a rural area and a foreign female from a developing country―is that they are generally in a marginalized position with very low income. Second, literature on language learner identity suggests that language learners negotiate multiple aspects of identity according to the situation, and their identity is not fixed, but changes continually. However, little research on this issue has been conducted in the EFL context. Third, the review of language education in multilingual families reveals that they focus more on Korean than on heritage languages or English. They often view the use of a heritage language as an obstruction to Korean language development and cannot afford to pay attention to their children’s English education. Suggestions for future research are also provided.