Job Discussion Forums

[Pollux]

A nice story of Korean's effort to prepare their youth for the future. However, the last paragraph is disturbing. http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/03/24/news/english.php
Any comments?

[Keith_Alan_W]

It's an interesting article. I think I'd like to work in that English village they created. Interestingly enough, I found East Germans to be the same when it comes to speaking English, more afraid of making a mistake than not getting their message across. The grouping at international meetings is simply a cultural thing, people from a lot of countries do this. Go to Shanghai or any other non-English city in the world that has a bunch of foreign English teachers in it and see wo they hang out with, usually not the locals. I agree, it is quite disturbing that the parents are intentionally deforming their children because English people have that skin thingy beneath their tongues as well and it has nothing to do with the ability to produce the "r" sound. But this is South Korea, where Transvestites with more than a little skin beneath the tongue snipped can become national superstar models and a lot of women underwent operations to add the crease mark to their eyelids. all in all, it's hardly as grotesque as boob jobs in the USA, or foot binding in old China.

[valley_girl]

Absolutely ridiculous. What about all of the Asians who grow up in English-speaking countries and who have the same pronunciation as the rest of us? Obviously, it has nothing to do with the tissue under the tongue.

I've spent a lot of time recently with my students (who are mostly Asian) on intonation, specifically syllable stress. The Korean students are learning (gradually) that "e" on the end of a word is often not pronounced and that words ending in "ch" and "sh" don't have the [I] (ee) sound after them. (Englishee) Making them aware of these things is 9/10 of the battle. Sure, I could snip their tongues, but I don't believe in shortcuts.

[Justin Trullinger]

English village, sure. Could be fun. English education is obviously not something I'm going to object to...

Elective surgery to further language goals!?! Of for *BEEP*'s sake...sick, sick, sick. Sick and wrong.

Justin

[Perpetual Traveller]

Sooooo let me get this straight, you're in favour of the surgery Justin? I'm sorry, you just didn't make your feelings on the subject very clear...

PT

[Cdaniels]

Meanwhile, American kids are getting their tongues, lips, eybrows, and belly buttons peirced. Getting your tongue loosened doesn't sound so bad, ...it might even have side benefits when the kids grow up and put their tongues to, er, a, romantic uses!
Lord, I'm sorry, that was just wrong.

[Justin Trullinger]

Yes, cdaniels, that was just wrong.


But maybe there should be a poll somewhere- do you feel handicapped in romantic situations by having the tissue under your tongue intact?

Piercings are a different story as well- personally, I come down against most surgeries, even extremely minor ones like piercings, being performed for non-essential reasons. It's a (relatively) free world, so do as you like, but I'm not a big fan.

Having your tongue altered to improve pronunciation offended me, partly due to a general opposition to unnecessary human mutilation for ANY reason, but also because the benefits sound so dubious. I know of NO responsible research indicating a link between English pronunciation and tongue formation. People of all races pronounce perfect native English when they grow up in certain countries, as another poster pointed out. So perhaps the reason that Koreans find it hard to pronounce English is not physiological, but merely because it's a foreign language? And maybe those (sick and wrong) parents would be better off investing the money in a good quality English course? Hmmm.

I have met students, however, who seem to be waiting for English to come out in an easy, single outpatient surgery, implantable chip.

Best regards,

Justin