A major aim of this study was to investigate Korean-English bilingual students’ psychological experiences and verbal expressions of shame in Korean and English. In particular, this study focused on how English as a language of Education influences the ways in which University students acknowledge and express their feelings.

A total of 41 Korean L1 students in both UK and South Korean Universities where English is used as a medium of instruction (EMI) participated in this study. The analyses included both quantitative and qualitative methods, using data from two sets of questionnaires. The Assessment of Self-Conscious Emotion (AoSCE) collected the participants’ verbal responses, whereas the Test of Self-Conscious Narrative (ToSCN) examined their behaviour and psychological reactions. Both sets of questionnaires had ten identical scenarios that potentially evoke shame as well as guilt, which are often experienced independently or concurrently. Participants completed both questionnaires online in English and Korean in a randomised order.

Using content analysis techniques, the participants’ English and Korean narratives were utilised to explore the verbal expressions of shame and guilt (Study I). Using statistical analysis techniques, the relationships between the psychological and behavioural aspects of shame were examined in comparison with guilt in the English-speaking and Korean-speaking contexts (Study II). After reviewing the findings from these two analyses, a case study on classroom behaviour was carried out based on one of the ten scenarios from the questionnaire. The data regarding this scenario were triangulated and investigated in detail, whilst considering the educational and cultural contexts of the participants (Study III).

Overall, this study provided a platform for discovering the dynamics of emotion and language in Korean-English bilinguals’ shame experiences and expressions. This research addresses a gap in the literature as it highlights the impact of the English language for non-native English-speaking students’ emotions in Higher Education, which is an under-researched topic.