Abstract

This study examines how the macro-level globalization discourses and processes can penetrate into daily lives of local people and community through the example of early English language education practices in South Korea. The globalization in Korea, propagandized through the government-driven globalization campaign in the mid 1990s, highlights the importance of English language as an inevitable component to survive in the global society. In addition, as English has gained increasing popularity as linguistic capital in the global market, commercial English education services have grown into a billion-dollar education market in Korea. In this process, parents’ educational planning and investment, particularly in English language education, are considered more critical than ever to prepare their children for socio-economic achievements in the unpredictable future. Through the voices of mothers regarding their investment and expectations for their children’s English education, this study investigates how they make sense of and respond to the fast changing socioeconomic and cultural dynamics of the society. Furthermore, the study discusses how educational individualism and stratification have been deepened in the process of current educational practices in the society.