Ju Seong Lee
Biographic Data
| ID | 3839419 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Ju Seong Lee |
| GIVEN NAMES | Ju Seong |
| FAMILY NAME | Lee |
| SIGNATURE | LEE J S |
| AFFILIATIONS | Education University of Hong Kong |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-3996-1303 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 32 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 139 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 32 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2017 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 7 |
From sporadic to sustained
Purpose While generative AI empowers language learning beyond the classroom, AI-mediated informal digital learning of English (AI-IDLE) speaking practice tends to be aimless and sporadic. Drawing on Activity Theory and the Social Support Framework, this study proposed and empirically validated a teacher support framework designed to resolve the systemic contradictions inherent in self-directed AI-IDLE speaking practice.Methodology Employing a mix…
Informal Digital Learning of English ( Idle ) as an Innovative Pedagogy
Mapping the Ecosystem of Resistance
Physical Exercise and EFL Learners’ Communication Competence
This study examines how physical exercise relates to EFL learners’ communication competence by fostering L2 grit, a L2 growth mindset, and willingness to communicate (L2 WTC). Using a cross-sectional survey design with exploratory factor analysis (EFA), two-way between-subjects ANOVA, and structural equation modeling (SEM) on 776 first-year Chinese EFL students (aged 18–22) with no international experience, the study revealed no significant effec…
A latent profile analysis of Informal Digital Learning of English
Critical digital literacies, agentic practices, and AI-mediated informal digital learning of English
The role of informal digital learning of Korean in KFL students’ willingness to communicate
This mixed-methods study examines how Informal Digital Learning of Korean (IDL-K) affects willingness to communicate in a second language (L2 WTC). Data were collected from 221 Korean as a Foreign Language (KFL) students (21 nationalities; mean age = 21.8 years). The quantitative analysis revealed that students who engaged in more receptive IDL-K than others reported greater L2 WTC in class, which yielded greater L2 WTC outside of class. However,…
EFL Teachers' Ecological Barriers to Integrating Informal Digital Learning of English
This study examined the ecological challenges teachers faced in integrating Informal Digital Learning of English (IDLE) among 159 in‐service Hong Kong EFL teachers from 2019 to 2024. Analysis of 470 entries revealed that 50% of the challenges stem from exo‐system factors (e.g., heavy workloads), 23% were from macro‐system factors (e.g., examination‐focused education system). Individual factors (e.g., inadequate pedagogical skills) represented 15%…
Effects of extramural English activities on willingness to communicate
Positive psychology constructs and Extramural English as predictors of primary school students’ willingness to communicate
This mixed-methods study investigates whether and to what extent positive psychology constructs (classroom enjoyment, grit, and growth mindset) and Extramural English predict primary school students’ willingness to communicate in a second language (L2 WTC) both in the classroom (a fictitious but common setting for English communication among English as an Foreign Language [EFL] students) and outside the classroom (a natural and increasingly preva…
Foreign Language Enjoyment as a mediator between Informal Digital Learning of English and willingness to communicate
Based on Fredrickson’s (2001 Fredrickson, B. L. 2001. “The Role of Positive Emotions in Positive Psychology: The Broaden-and-Build Theory of Positive Emotions.” American Psychologist 56 (3): 218–226. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.56.3.218.[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) broaden-and-build theory, this study investigates how Foreign Language Enjoyment (FLE; consisting of teacher appreciation, personal enjoyment, and…
Dynamicity of EFL learners’ willingness to communicate in an online class
This study used an idiodynamic method to investigate fluctuations in the level of willingness to communicate in a second language (L2 WTC) in an online class. Seven EFL university students took part in four online class sessions (each lasting 20 min). They rated their L2 WTC after each session while watching a video recording of their performance. Following that, stimulated recalls and semi-structured interviews were used to identify factors infl…
Informal digital learning of English and perceptions of using EIL materials
This mixed-methods study aims to examine the mediating role of attitude toward English varieties in the relationship between Informal Digital Learning of English (IDLE) and perceptions of using English as an International Language (EIL) materials in pre-service English teachers. We collected and analyzed survey data from 434 Indonesian EFL pre-service teachers, using the Jamovi programme. Survey results showed that both receptive and productive I…
Informal digital learning of English and L2 willingness to communicate
This study was conducted with two goals in mind: (1) to explore the mediating roles of L2 enjoyment as a positive emotion and L2 anxiety as a negative emotion in the relationship between Informal Digital Learning of English (IDLE) and L2 willingness to communicate (L2 WTC) in an exam-oriented EFL context, and (2) to further examine whether gender and educational stage play any role in these relationships. Participants include 1,265 Korean EFL lea…
Modeling EFL learners’ willingness to communicate
This study proposes and tests a comprehensive model (with demographics, informal digital learning of English, ideal/ought-to L2 self, L2 enjoyment, and self-perceived communication competence) of face-to-face and digital communication anxiety's relationship to willingness to communicate in a second language (L2 WTC) within in-class, out-of-class, and digital contexts. A structural equation model of survey responses from 1,269 Koreans learning Eng…
A systematic review of Informal Digital Learning of English
The making of proficient young FL speakers
The role of grit and classroom enjoyment in EFL learners’ willingness to communicate
This interdisciplinary study investigates whether, and to what extent, grit (consisting of perseverance of effort and consistency of interests) and classroom enjoyment are linked with EFL learners’ willingness to communicate in a second language (L2 WTC), the final psychological step before actual English communication. To this end, three groups of Korean EFL learners (N = 647) from five schools, who at the time of the study had no overseas exper…
The role of Informal Digital Learning of English in Korean and Swedish EFL learners’ communication behaviour
Contemporary young students in Asia and in the Nordic region are increasingly learning English outside the classroom by using technology (a.k.a. Informal Digital Learning of English [IDLE]). This comparative study examines to what extent IDLE influences Korean and Swedish students’ willingness to communicate in a second language (L2 WTC) , a critical antecedent affecting actual L2 communication behaviour. After having achieved a cross‐cultural eq…
The role of informal digital learning of English and L2 motivational self system in foreign language enjoyment
This interdisciplinary research examines how Informal Digital Learning of English ( IDLE ) and the L2 Motivational Self System (consisting of the ideal L2 self and the ought‐to L2 self ) are linked with Foreign Language Enjoyment ( FLE ). Together, these are flourishing research areas in computer‐assisted language learning, second language acquisition and positive psychology. Using a purposive sampling technique, three cohorts of English‐as‐a‐for…
Cross-cultural insights into Korean and Swedish secondary school students’ willingness to communicate in a second language
Although there have been several comparative studies of willingness to communicate in a first language (L1 WTC), there is a dearth of comparative research on L2 WTC, especially between groups with distinct cultural and educational backgrounds. This study synthesises the L2 motivational self system (ideal L2 self and ought-to L2 self) and attitudes toward English accents to see how they are linked with L2 WTC between Korean (n = 382) and Swedish (…
Affective factors, virtual intercultural experiences, and L2 willingness to communicate in in-class, out-of-class, and digital settings
This quantitative study examines whether and to what extent affective factors (i.e. motivation, self-confidence, risk-taking, L2 speaking anxiety, and grit) and virtual intercultural experiences are linked to willingness to communicate in a second language (L2 WTC) in in-class, out-of-class, and digital settings. Participants included 176 Korean undergraduate and graduate students of English as a foreign language (EFL). After adjusting for demogr…
The role of informal digital learning of English and a high-stakes English test on perceptions of English as an international language
This study investigated the relationship among informal digital learning of English (IDLE) practice, a high-stakes English test, English productive skills, and perceptions of English as an international language (EIL). Eighty-nine English as a foreign language (EFL) undergraduate students across three South Korean cities participated in the study. The participants submitted their scores in the Test of English for International Communication (TOEI…
Role of L2 Motivational Self System on Willingness to Communicate of Korean EFL University and Secondary Students
This study investigated the role of the L2 motivational self system on L2 willingness to communicate (L2 WTC) by Korean EFL university and secondary students. Drawing on a purposive sampling technique and an explanatory sequential mixed methods design, quantitative data (105 university and 112 high school students) were first collected and analyzed. Then, qualitative data (one focus group discussion with nine participants and five in-depth indivi…
Teacher as change agent
Despite the accumulated body of research on both second-language learners’ attitudes toward varieties of English and teaching English as an international language (TEIL), little research considers exactly how these attitudinal changes take place through TEIL. To address this gap, a Critical Extracurricular Project (CEP) instructional intervention was implemented for five weeks with Korean university students (N = 17) who participated in the Busan…
Affective variables and willingness to communicate of EFL learners in in-class, out-of-class, and digital contexts
The role of grit and classroom enjoyment in EFL learners’ willingness to communicate
This interdisciplinary study investigates whether, and to what extent, grit (consisting of perseverance of effort and consistency of interests) and classroom enjoyment are linked with EFL learners’ willingness to communicate in a second language (L2 WTC), the final psychological step before actual English communication. To this end, three groups of Korean EFL learners (N = 647) from five schools, who at the time of the study had no overseas exper…
Positive psychology constructs and Extramural English as predictors of primary school students’ willingness to communicate
This mixed-methods study investigates whether and to what extent positive psychology constructs (classroom enjoyment, grit, and growth mindset) and Extramural English predict primary school students’ willingness to communicate in a second language (L2 WTC) both in the classroom (a fictitious but common setting for English communication among English as an Foreign Language [EFL] students) and outside the classroom (a natural and increasingly preva…
Informal digital learning of English and L2 willingness to communicate
This study was conducted with two goals in mind: (1) to explore the mediating roles of L2 enjoyment as a positive emotion and L2 anxiety as a negative emotion in the relationship between Informal Digital Learning of English (IDLE) and L2 willingness to communicate (L2 WTC) in an exam-oriented EFL context, and (2) to further examine whether gender and educational stage play any role in these relationships. Participants include 1,265 Korean EFL lea…
Role of L2 Motivational Self System on Willingness to Communicate of Korean EFL University and Secondary Students
This study investigated the role of the L2 motivational self system on L2 willingness to communicate (L2 WTC) by Korean EFL university and secondary students. Drawing on a purposive sampling technique and an explanatory sequential mixed methods design, quantitative data (105 university and 112 high school students) were first collected and analyzed. Then, qualitative data (one focus group discussion with nine participants and five in-depth indivi…
Perceptions of English as an international language by Korean English-major and non-English-major students
This study examined perceptions of English as an International Language (EIL) by Korean English-major and non-English-major students. It also investigated factors that influenced their perceptions. The EIL Perception Scale was employed to assess two dimensions of EIL (i.e. varieties of English [VE] and strategies for multilingual/multicultural communication [SMC]) between English majors (N = 206) and non-majors (N = 172) in three separate regions…
When Idle Hands Make an English Workshop
University students’ perceptions of English as an International Language (EIL) in Taiwan and South Korea
This study investigated Taiwanese and Korean students’ perceptions of four aspects of English as an International Language (EIL): Current Status of English (CSE), Varieties of English (VE), Strategies for Multilingual/Multicultural Communication (SMC), and English Speakers’ Identity (ESI). The authors surveyed a total of 246 non-English majors at one university (N = 105) in Taiwan and at two universities (N = 141) in South Korea. Three major find…
The making of proficient young FL speakers
Foreign Language Enjoyment as a mediator between Informal Digital Learning of English and willingness to communicate
Based on Fredrickson’s (2001 Fredrickson, B. L. 2001. “The Role of Positive Emotions in Positive Psychology: The Broaden-and-Build Theory of Positive Emotions.” American Psychologist 56 (3): 218–226. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.56.3.218.[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) broaden-and-build theory, this study investigates how Foreign Language Enjoyment (FLE; consisting of teacher appreciation, personal enjoyment, and…
Critical digital literacies, agentic practices, and AI-mediated informal digital learning of English
Preservice English teachers’ perceptions of English as an international language in Indonesia and Korea
Preservice English teachers’ perceptions about English as an international language (EIL) have not been adequately examined in different cross-cultural contexts. To fill that void, a total of 590 preservice English teachers from Indonesia (n = 344) and South Korea (n = 246) completed an EIL perception questionnaire. Subsequently, an independent samples t-test was conducted to examine differences between Indonesian and Korean preservice teachers w…
The role of informal digital learning of Korean in KFL students’ willingness to communicate
This mixed-methods study examines how Informal Digital Learning of Korean (IDL-K) affects willingness to communicate in a second language (L2 WTC). Data were collected from 221 Korean as a Foreign Language (KFL) students (21 nationalities; mean age = 21.8 years). The quantitative analysis revealed that students who engaged in more receptive IDL-K than others reported greater L2 WTC in class, which yielded greater L2 WTC outside of class. However,…
Dynamicity of EFL learners’ willingness to communicate in an online class
This study used an idiodynamic method to investigate fluctuations in the level of willingness to communicate in a second language (L2 WTC) in an online class. Seven EFL university students took part in four online class sessions (each lasting 20 min). They rated their L2 WTC after each session while watching a video recording of their performance. Following that, stimulated recalls and semi-structured interviews were used to identify factors infl…
Cross-cultural insights into Korean and Swedish secondary school students’ willingness to communicate in a second language
Although there have been several comparative studies of willingness to communicate in a first language (L1 WTC), there is a dearth of comparative research on L2 WTC, especially between groups with distinct cultural and educational backgrounds. This study synthesises the L2 motivational self system (ideal L2 self and ought-to L2 self) and attitudes toward English accents to see how they are linked with L2 WTC between Korean (n = 382) and Swedish (…
EFL Teachers' Ecological Barriers to Integrating Informal Digital Learning of English
This study examined the ecological challenges teachers faced in integrating Informal Digital Learning of English (IDLE) among 159 in‐service Hong Kong EFL teachers from 2019 to 2024. Analysis of 470 entries revealed that 50% of the challenges stem from exo‐system factors (e.g., heavy workloads), 23% were from macro‐system factors (e.g., examination‐focused education system). Individual factors (e.g., inadequate pedagogical skills) represented 15%…
Hidden Challenges of Novice English Teachers in a Korean Independent School
This study aims to unravel challenges experienced by two novice English teachers in a Korean independent school, the steadily growing education sector worldwide. The author spent 13 months in the participants’ natural environment, observing and collecting data through observation field notes, interviews, questionnaires, and cultural probes. A grounded theory approach was adopted to guide the recursive data analysis and identify the themed finding…
University students’ perceptions of English as an International Language (EIL) in Taiwan and South Korea
This study investigated Taiwanese and Korean students’ perceptions of four aspects of English as an International Language (EIL): Current Status of English (CSE), Varieties of English (VE), Strategies for Multilingual/Multicultural Communication (SMC), and English Speakers’ Identity (ESI). The authors surveyed a total of 246 non-English majors at one university (N = 105) in Taiwan and at two universities (N = 141) in South Korea. Three major find…
When Idle Hands Make an English Workshop
Teacher as change agent
Despite the accumulated body of research on both second-language learners’ attitudes toward varieties of English and teaching English as an international language (TEIL), little research considers exactly how these attitudinal changes take place through TEIL. To address this gap, a Critical Extracurricular Project (CEP) instructional intervention was implemented for five weeks with Korean university students (N = 17) who participated in the Busan…
Affective variables and informal digital learning of English
This study examined the under-researched relationship between informal digital learning of English (IDLE) activities (receptive IDLE activities and productive IDLE activities), affective variables (grit, motivation, self-confidence and second language speaking anxiety) and willingness to communicate in a second language. Data (N = 183) were collected through a questionnaire from one state university in an English-as-a-foreign-language Indonesian …
Affective variables and willingness to communicate of EFL learners in in-class, out-of-class, and digital contexts
Perceptions of English as an international language by Korean English-major and non-English-major students
This study examined perceptions of English as an International Language (EIL) by Korean English-major and non-English-major students. It also investigated factors that influenced their perceptions. The EIL Perception Scale was employed to assess two dimensions of EIL (i.e. varieties of English [VE] and strategies for multilingual/multicultural communication [SMC]) between English majors (N = 206) and non-majors (N = 172) in three separate regions…
Preservice English teachers’ perceptions of English as an international language in Indonesia and Korea
Preservice English teachers’ perceptions about English as an international language (EIL) have not been adequately examined in different cross-cultural contexts. To fill that void, a total of 590 preservice English teachers from Indonesia (n = 344) and South Korea (n = 246) completed an EIL perception questionnaire. Subsequently, an independent samples t-test was conducted to examine differences between Indonesian and Korean preservice teachers w…
Affective factors, virtual intercultural experiences, and L2 willingness to communicate in in-class, out-of-class, and digital settings
This quantitative study examines whether and to what extent affective factors (i.e. motivation, self-confidence, risk-taking, L2 speaking anxiety, and grit) and virtual intercultural experiences are linked to willingness to communicate in a second language (L2 WTC) in in-class, out-of-class, and digital settings. Participants included 176 Korean undergraduate and graduate students of English as a foreign language (EFL). After adjusting for demogr…
The role of informal digital learning of English and a high-stakes English test on perceptions of English as an international language
This study investigated the relationship among informal digital learning of English (IDLE) practice, a high-stakes English test, English productive skills, and perceptions of English as an international language (EIL). Eighty-nine English as a foreign language (EFL) undergraduate students across three South Korean cities participated in the study. The participants submitted their scores in the Test of English for International Communication (TOEI…
Role of L2 Motivational Self System on Willingness to Communicate of Korean EFL University and Secondary Students
This study investigated the role of the L2 motivational self system on L2 willingness to communicate (L2 WTC) by Korean EFL university and secondary students. Drawing on a purposive sampling technique and an explanatory sequential mixed methods design, quantitative data (105 university and 112 high school students) were first collected and analyzed. Then, qualitative data (one focus group discussion with nine participants and five in-depth indivi…
The role of Informal Digital Learning of English in Korean and Swedish EFL learners’ communication behaviour
Contemporary young students in Asia and in the Nordic region are increasingly learning English outside the classroom by using technology (a.k.a. Informal Digital Learning of English [IDLE]). This comparative study examines to what extent IDLE influences Korean and Swedish students’ willingness to communicate in a second language (L2 WTC) , a critical antecedent affecting actual L2 communication behaviour. After having achieved a cross‐cultural eq…
The role of informal digital learning of English and L2 motivational self system in foreign language enjoyment
This interdisciplinary research examines how Informal Digital Learning of English ( IDLE ) and the L2 Motivational Self System (consisting of the ideal L2 self and the ought‐to L2 self ) are linked with Foreign Language Enjoyment ( FLE ). Together, these are flourishing research areas in computer‐assisted language learning, second language acquisition and positive psychology. Using a purposive sampling technique, three cohorts of English‐as‐a‐for…
Cross-cultural insights into Korean and Swedish secondary school students’ willingness to communicate in a second language
Although there have been several comparative studies of willingness to communicate in a first language (L1 WTC), there is a dearth of comparative research on L2 WTC, especially between groups with distinct cultural and educational backgrounds. This study synthesises the L2 motivational self system (ideal L2 self and ought-to L2 self) and attitudes toward English accents to see how they are linked with L2 WTC between Korean (n = 382) and Swedish (…
The role of grit and classroom enjoyment in EFL learners’ willingness to communicate
This interdisciplinary study investigates whether, and to what extent, grit (consisting of perseverance of effort and consistency of interests) and classroom enjoyment are linked with EFL learners’ willingness to communicate in a second language (L2 WTC), the final psychological step before actual English communication. To this end, three groups of Korean EFL learners (N = 647) from five schools, who at the time of the study had no overseas exper…
Modeling EFL learners’ willingness to communicate
This study proposes and tests a comprehensive model (with demographics, informal digital learning of English, ideal/ought-to L2 self, L2 enjoyment, and self-perceived communication competence) of face-to-face and digital communication anxiety's relationship to willingness to communicate in a second language (L2 WTC) within in-class, out-of-class, and digital contexts. A structural equation model of survey responses from 1,269 Koreans learning Eng…
A systematic review of Informal Digital Learning of English
The making of proficient young FL speakers
Effects of extramural English activities on willingness to communicate
Positive psychology constructs and Extramural English as predictors of primary school students’ willingness to communicate
This mixed-methods study investigates whether and to what extent positive psychology constructs (classroom enjoyment, grit, and growth mindset) and Extramural English predict primary school students’ willingness to communicate in a second language (L2 WTC) both in the classroom (a fictitious but common setting for English communication among English as an Foreign Language [EFL] students) and outside the classroom (a natural and increasingly preva…
Foreign Language Enjoyment as a mediator between Informal Digital Learning of English and willingness to communicate
Based on Fredrickson’s (2001 Fredrickson, B. L. 2001. “The Role of Positive Emotions in Positive Psychology: The Broaden-and-Build Theory of Positive Emotions.” American Psychologist 56 (3): 218–226. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.56.3.218.[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) broaden-and-build theory, this study investigates how Foreign Language Enjoyment (FLE; consisting of teacher appreciation, personal enjoyment, and…
Dynamicity of EFL learners’ willingness to communicate in an online class
This study used an idiodynamic method to investigate fluctuations in the level of willingness to communicate in a second language (L2 WTC) in an online class. Seven EFL university students took part in four online class sessions (each lasting 20 min). They rated their L2 WTC after each session while watching a video recording of their performance. Following that, stimulated recalls and semi-structured interviews were used to identify factors infl…
Informal digital learning of English and perceptions of using EIL materials
This mixed-methods study aims to examine the mediating role of attitude toward English varieties in the relationship between Informal Digital Learning of English (IDLE) and perceptions of using English as an International Language (EIL) materials in pre-service English teachers. We collected and analyzed survey data from 434 Indonesian EFL pre-service teachers, using the Jamovi programme. Survey results showed that both receptive and productive I…
Informal digital learning of English and L2 willingness to communicate
This study was conducted with two goals in mind: (1) to explore the mediating roles of L2 enjoyment as a positive emotion and L2 anxiety as a negative emotion in the relationship between Informal Digital Learning of English (IDLE) and L2 willingness to communicate (L2 WTC) in an exam-oriented EFL context, and (2) to further examine whether gender and educational stage play any role in these relationships. Participants include 1,265 Korean EFL lea…
Physical Exercise and EFL Learners’ Communication Competence
This study examines how physical exercise relates to EFL learners’ communication competence by fostering L2 grit, a L2 growth mindset, and willingness to communicate (L2 WTC). Using a cross-sectional survey design with exploratory factor analysis (EFA), two-way between-subjects ANOVA, and structural equation modeling (SEM) on 776 first-year Chinese EFL students (aged 18–22) with no international experience, the study revealed no significant effec…
Psychology (24 works) · EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning (22 works) · Mathematics education (19 works) · Pedagogy (17 works) · Second Language Learning and Teaching (15 works) · Social Psychology (15 works) · Willingness to communicate (14 works) · Computer Science (12 works) · Social Psychology (12 works) · Linguistics (8 works)