KOREAN-MAJOR STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE KOREAN SPACING RULE

Abstract

The Korean spacing rule (띄어쓰기) is a crucial element that helps separate sentence components, ensuring clarity and coherence, and reflecting learners’ language proficiency in learners. However, it is also considered a complex rule with numerous exceptions. Accordingly, this paper investigates Korean-major students’ perceptions of applying spacing rules to the grammatical structures related to studies in the Ewha book series. Data was collected via online questionnaires from 100 third-year students majoring in Korean Language and Culture and then analysed using Excel software. It was found that although most students were aware of the importance of spacing rules and had relative understanding, only about 65% chose the correct answers in a multiple-choice test. Based on these findings, the author emphasizes the need for systematic teaching and improved student engagement with this complex rule.