Exploring Authentic Texts in Korean EFL Classrooms: A Topic Modeling Approach to English Newspaper-Based Research

This study investigates research trends in the use of English newspapers as instructional materials in Korean EFL education through Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modeling. A corpus of 27 journal article abstracts was constructed through a systematic search and screening process, and analyzed using LDA to uncover underlying thematic structures. The topic modeling analysis identified five distinct themes: (1) reading instruction and engagement with English-language materials, (2) self-directed and strategy-based learning, (3) output-oriented instruction through writing and English clubs, (4) experimental studies on instructional effectiveness, and (5) project-based learning in primary-level English education. The inter-topic distance map revealed that Topics 1-3 form a pedagogical core focused on classroom engagement and skill integration, while Topics 4 and 5 represent more peripheral yet specialized domains. These findings suggest that English newspapers serve diverse instructional functions, supporting both cognitive-linguistic development and learner motivation. Methodologically, the study demonstrates the utility of LDA topic modeling in synthesizing fragmented research and identifying latent patterns not easily captured by traditional reviews. Pedagogically, it offers insights for integrating authentic materials into EFL instruction across educational contexts.