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Abstract

In order for MBA programs in the US to prepare Korean students for international business, an international and interactive learning environment is required. This article examines the role of the interactive lecturing style in a US MBA program in influencing the oral classroom participation of five Korean students in the program. Data for this study come from formal and informal interviews and class observations over the course of one semester. Participants were three male and two female students, enrolled in one core course: business communication. The study shows that several factors informed the Korean students’ oral participation in the classroom. Their English language proficiency, individual characteristics, Korean socio-cultural values, unfamiliar educational practices, and the classroom context were all interrelated factors. While the participants had cultural similarities with other Asian students in the class, the study also shows that there were unique Korean cultural features in play. Disregarding their length of stay in the US, a common thread among the Korean participants was that they felt it more of a challenge to speak in whole-class discussions than in small-group discussions. The findings suggest pedagogical implications for promoting oral participation of Asian international students, particularly Korean students.

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