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Psychological effects of English
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Trinny



Joined: 01 Feb 2003

PostPosted: Wed Aug 06, 2003 1:44 am    Post subject: Psychological effects of English Reply with quote

Maybe you guys help me for my discussion class at hagwon.

What are the psychological effects of English, learning it or hypes about learning it on the Koreans? Have Koreans fallen victims to inferiority complex towards English speakers or the Koreans who speak English? Why do some Koreans bring the baggage of emotion to learning English?

This is not a troll. I am looking forward to serious replies only.
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the_beaver



Joined: 15 Jan 2003

PostPosted: Wed Aug 06, 2003 1:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Learning a new language involves learning a new culture. Subconsciously many people feel that they are abandoning (or betraying) their culture as they progress in their second language. This can manifest itself in many ways, examples being a worsening of pronunciation, less desire to use/learn the target language as well as antipathy towards the culture of the second language.

It's not a Korean phonomenon or even a phenomenon associated only with English.
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peppermint



Joined: 13 May 2003
Location: traversing the minefields of caddishness.

PostPosted: Wed Aug 06, 2003 5:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The thing is, there aren't as many psychological road blocks it seems, for a Koran person who studies Japanese or Chinese. When a Korean person is studying Chinese, their friends don't giggle when they practice.

I've noticed the same things and it kind of bothers me. I asked my students about it, and they said it's because Chinese and Japanese people look similar, so it's not as shocking. Either Korean people are extremely shallow, or my students are liars and this is one case when I hope they were lying through their teeth.

On the flipside though, a white person trying to speak Korean can get quite a reaction too. Last night I was talking with a friend at the subway station. Since I'm trying to study Korean, I asked her to speak to me in Korean, and not let me be lazy and answer in English. Well, according to her, my pronunciation is pretty good, and stuff, but I was getting a lot of slightly confused looks. ( Maybe if I had dark hair and looked more asian, it wouldn't have been as interesting?)
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ulsanchris



Joined: 19 Jun 2003
Location: take a wild guess

PostPosted: Wed Aug 06, 2003 5:26 am    Post subject: hmmm Reply with quote

I find trying to learn korean is rather discouraging due to all the koreans who laugh at me when I try to speak it.
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kiwiboy_nz_99



Joined: 05 Jul 2003
Location: ...Enlightenment...

PostPosted: Wed Aug 06, 2003 7:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Has anyone ever experienced saying something in perfect Korean ( confirmed by my good friends ) and had the Korean person either totally not understand because they think you're mangling English, or require three or four repeats because they simply aren't listening for Korean from a foreigner?
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camel96
Guest




PostPosted: Wed Aug 06, 2003 7:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Maybe it's that Juche thing -self reliance or whatever.
You've gotta figure that's it's pretty tough to be raised under a relatively rigid confucian society and then to have the same people who taught you that your country and everything it has produced is the ant's pants turn around and say "Oh by the way you have to learn this new language and adapt to this outside culture otherwise our economy and country will go down the toilet"
Sorry I think I should have added a full stop in there. Confused
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ulsanchris



Joined: 19 Jun 2003
Location: take a wild guess

PostPosted: Wed Aug 06, 2003 3:00 pm    Post subject: hmm Reply with quote

Kiwiboy i've had that happen to me so many times. I go to a restaurant with my girlfriend and I order in Korean but the waitress just turns to my girlfriend to get her to order.
What I love is when you say a word that is both korean and english (like banana) and the people have no clue what you have just said. So you say it again with a korean accent and they still have no clue and they never ever get it. grrr its frustrating.
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The Man known as The Man



Joined: 29 Mar 2003
Location: 3 cheers for Ted Haggard oh yeah!

PostPosted: Wed Aug 06, 2003 4:15 pm    Post subject: Re: Psychological effects of English Reply with quote

Trinny wrote:
Maybe you guys help me for my discussion class at hagwon.

What are the psychological effects of English, learning it or hypes about learning it on the Koreans? Have Koreans fallen victims to inferiority complex towards English speakers or the Koreans who speak English? Why do some Koreans bring the baggage of emotion to learning English?

This is not a troll. I am looking forward to serious replies only.



Are you Bernard Landry's speechwriter?


If you're a visble minority, probably not.


HTH
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Trinny



Joined: 01 Feb 2003

PostPosted: Wed Aug 06, 2003 5:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You are talking about my broken English, right?

No connection with Mr. Quebec. I have a relative married and sold off to John Manley's family, though.
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Wombat



Joined: 28 May 2003
Location: slutville

PostPosted: Wed Aug 06, 2003 5:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I agree that language is obviously very strongly tied to cultural identity. Westerners (having such a young culture) are rarely, if ever, laughed at for trying a new language. (Can you imagine? "Hey fellas, Larry's trying to lear Sanskrit! Ha ha ha ha!)

Wombat
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Gladiator



Joined: 23 May 2003
Location: Seoul

PostPosted: Wed Aug 06, 2003 7:58 pm    Post subject: Psychological effects of learning English Reply with quote

Trinny,

it's about approaching the language from totally different perspectives.

To most Koreans English represents nothing more than a necessary tool for success in Korean society and especially global trade no? An analogy with the status of latin in Europe in the middle ages is not so innapropriate.

On the other hand English from a native speaker's point of view is a culture, a way of life, a set of values and a worldview so radically different from the Korean "ipjang".

A previous poster mentioned "apathy" towards the culture of the 2nd language and I think it's fair to say that cultural foundations behind world English will always be a mystery to the majority of Koreans learning English who've never stepped outside the country.

The "psychological" issue is I think further aggravated by the nonsense and highly pressured environment in which Koreans are forced to digest English from an early age.
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Gladiator



Joined: 23 May 2003
Location: Seoul

PostPosted: Wed Aug 06, 2003 8:04 pm    Post subject: Psychlogical effects of learning English Reply with quote

Oh god, please don't slaughter me for that mispelling of inappropriate folks. Be kind to an overworked salaryman today Embarassed

And by the way all the best with your summer get-together.

Regards,
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billbile



Joined: 10 Apr 2003

PostPosted: Wed Aug 06, 2003 8:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Don't you love those students who assign themselves a 'leadership role' in your conversation class, and translate everything you say into Korean, so that others understand?

Or the students whose eyes dart around the room searching for a translator?

Even when you repeat it more slowly?

And then even more s-l-o-w-l-y?

And then write it up on the board.....
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djsmnc



Joined: 20 Jan 2003
Location: Dave's ESL Cafe

PostPosted: Wed Aug 06, 2003 8:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

kiwiboy_nz_99 wrote:
Has anyone ever experienced saying something in perfect Korean ( confirmed by my good friends ) and had the Korean person either totally not understand because they think you're mangling English, or require three or four repeats because they simply aren't listening for Korean from a foreigner?


Aiii Ssi!!! Nadu ssiro!
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posco's trumpet



Joined: 20 Apr 2003
Location: Beneath the Underdog

PostPosted: Wed Aug 06, 2003 9:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote



Last edited by posco's trumpet on Sat Dec 06, 2003 7:46 pm; edited 1 time in total
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