ABSTRACT
This study explores the case of international students’ classes in Korea, where most of these students are the children of foreign workers. In particular, the study examines how their education can be improved with reference to practices in the classroom and support systems in Korea. For this purpose, classroom observations and interviews with teachers as well as language instructors or assistants were conducted at S Elementary School in Gyeonggi province. The results show that teachers were mindful of the students’ disadvantages related to language and cultural literacy. Language instructors mediated between the teachers and the students by aiding their communications, providing sociocultural connections between the communities that the students belong to and the school's weak language support system. While teachers and language instructors are crucial sources of education for these students, I argue that a stable and long-term support system for international students requires a shift in viewpoint, from a “they” to “we” perspective.
