Author: Jeong, In Sook

Annotation: This study reconceptualizes errors in the use of Korean idiomatic expressions not as a deficiency of knowledge, but as a failure in the coordination of the “usage judgment” process during real-time language production. Previous studies have analyzed idiomatic expressions from semantic, pragmatic, or cultural perspectives; however, they have limitations in explaining how learners select expressions and generate errors at the moment of utterance. To address this issue, this study proposes an integrated judgment model in which semantic, pragmatic, and cultural–conceptual factors interact. It introduces the concept of “usage judgment” and conceptualizes errors as a “layered failure structure” arising from the miscoordination of multiple judgment dimensions. By shifting the unit of analysis from individual components to the judgment process itself, this study provides a theoretical framework for explaining error-generation mechanisms not adequately explained in previous research.

Keywords: Idiomatic expressions, usage judgment, layered failure, pragmatics, cultural code

Pages in journal: 76 - 81