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The Korean Association for the Study of English Language and Linguistics
[ Article ]
Korea Journal of English Language and Linguistics - Vol. 26, No. 0, pp.988-1010
ISSN: 1598-1398 (Print) 2586-7474 (Online)
Print publication date 31 Aug 2026
Received 16 Oct 2025 Revised 03 May 2026 Accepted 15 Jul 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15738/kjell.26..202608.988

Developing a Diagnostic Questionnaire for Learner Characteristics in Korean Secondary EFL Classrooms

Eunjung Kim ; Mun-Hong Choe
(First author) Lecturer, Department of Education Chonnam National University eunjung1202@jnu.ac.kr
(Corresponding author) Professor, Department of English Education Chonnam National University Yongbong-ro 77 Buk-gu Gwangju, Korea, Tel: +82-62-530-2435 munhong@jnu.ac.kr


© 2026 KASELL All rights reserved
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons License, which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

This study aims to develop a diagnostic questionnaire to investigate individual differences in language learning dispositions among Korean secondary school students learning English as a foreign language, with particular interest in how balanced or imbalanced skill development may result from learners’ variability in language-related preferences or competences as they interact with the given learning environment. Drawing on current theories in second language acquisition, learner characteristics were operationalized in terms of three macro-constructs: sensory-mode and functional preferences in L2 learning, sensitivities and capacities in L2 processing, and adaptive-strategic efforts for L2 development. An initial pool of items was developed through a review and adaptation of previous scales, and then interviews with students, expert panel reviews, and pilot testing were conducted to refine the questionnaire, resulting in an operative version consisting of 25 items. A pilot study was conducted with 236 middle school students. The Rasch analysis results indicated a person reliability of 0.91 and an item reliability of 0.92, demonstrating a high degree of measurement consistency. The results of confirmatory factor analysis indicated that a six-factor model comprising Listening-Pronunciation, Vocabulary-Grammar, Discourse-Pragmatics, Verbal Memory, Metalinguistic Awareness, and Developmental Effort demonstrated the best fit when treated separately, χ²(233) = 435.102, p < .001. The discussion suggests that when learner characteristics interact linearly with rigid learning environments, they can restrict input processing, consequently giving rise to imbalanced development.

Keywords:

individual differences, learner characteristics, scale development, learner traits, EFL

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