Mental Suffering from Language Learning: The Causes and Effects

Learning a foreign language often brings significant stress due to various reasons such as exam pressure, communication difficulties, and peer comparison. This presentation will focus on one key source of mental strain for students: the high expectations students place on themselves and those imposed by others.
In my research (Han, 2024), I empirically investigated the gap between students’ perceived current state and their desired future as a result of the language learning. The findings showed that the wider the gap, the more likely students are to experience anxiety and depression during their language learning journey.
This talk will be divided into two parts. The first section will introduce the theoretical framework and research that shed light on mental distress in language learning. The second part will focus on a specific context where English education is fiercely competitive and stressful. Two undergraduate students from South Korea, Changyung Kim and Bolim Lee, will join online to share their experiences of learning English during their school years.

The presentation will conclude with a Q/A session, followed by refreshments and networking.

This event is supported by the Academy of Medical Sciences and the Government Department of Science Innovation and Technology (DSIT) from the International Science Partnerships Fund (ISPF).

Speakers

Dr Yeji Han, Senior Lecturer in Korean and Linguistics, York St John University

Changyung Kim, Chungnam National University College of Medicine, South Korea

Bolim Lee, Chungnam National University College of Medicine, South Korea

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