Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Ya-ta Boy]

I was reading a piece on Koreans studying abroad in today's Joong-Ang Ilbo when I came across this:

"Kim Ye-na also went to London. But she found that the English she had learned in Korea was "American style." "When I went to school, they told me stop speaking American style, and I felt like they were always looking down at us because of it."

And I always thought educated people were less biased. I guess I was wrong.

[dzeisons]

that's the way it should be!

[Wangja]

"American" English in schools (what age?) in England would not necessarily be considered the language of an educated person, especially if strewn with fake US slang ...

[kiwiboy_nz_99]

[Wangja]

Pretty much the same as Hagwons insisting upon "American" English ...

[Swiss James]

It's totally true though, you come to an English school speaking with a US accent, you'll get tonnes of abuse- it's regarded as being a bit tacky and less intelligent. Sorry folks, it took me years and meeting lots of Americans to get over that stereotype myself.

You'll also get abuse for having a scouse accent outside of Liverpool, a Brummie accent outside of Birmingham, Welsh outside of Wales, Southern accent anywhere up north, Northern accent anywhere down south....

People are always forming opinions about others based on their accent anyway, otherwise why else are there so many formal english accents on CNN?

[trigger123]

The quote doesn't specify who 'they' are (are 'they' teachers, fellow students or the general public?) so whether it is a feature of the teaching establishment in the UK is difficult to say. I doubt if it would be teachers, but if it was, then they are BAD! And I hope no-one is implying that it is the dastardly Brits with their upper class snobbishness...
Having taught ESL in the UK after working in Korea I did find it odd that all European students sounded 'English' in comparison to those who study in Korea where the preference is for North American pronunciation, spelling etc. Also, when asked, many of my Korean students state that their preference is for English pronunciation.
But on the other hand, I'm told that the bias towards the North American style in Korea is because many students wish to study in US universities and that sounding English, or Australian or Irish, would lessen their chance of being accepted? Is this true?
But like swiss james says, regional accents are such a part of English life that no matter how this girl sounded, she'd get the mickey taken... particularly if she sounded American...

[Butterfly]

I have met so many inert, silly-arse British supposed academics who do this, here (in the British council particularly), in the UK in both language schools and colleges. I absolutely fucking detest them, they are absolutely good-for-nothing, wastes of skin. Isn't it hard enough, for people to learn a language? All the efforts people make to practice, speak out loud, all the efforts to build confidence, speak to native speakers ~ only to have their efforts belittled by some good-for-nothing academic jobsworth, who tells them they aren't speaking correctly. The English language is an international language, it is not owned by the British any more. Different parts of the world can do what they will with it, as long as it's understood by others. People can adapt and attach their own culture to the language, again, so long as it is understood by others. Given that Hollywood movies disseminate the American take on the language throughout the world more frequently than the British (though it is pretty close, UK is the second largest exporter of cultural products) then it makes sense that certain parts of the world will select that as their main textbook version. It's the same fucking language, after all.

I am British and very very proud of it, but I don't need to keep reminding people, and trying to influence people, that it is the English language for my national pride to remain intact. These people are utterly pathetic.

Ya-ta bwa, can you find the article online? Does the article mention an institution?
I would like to write to them and mention the article.

[Sooke]

The American accent is the most important!! There are more Americans in the world than Brits. They're lucky they (the Brits) aren't speaking english with German accents, if you know what I mean.

Besides, didn't we beat Great Britain in the War of Independence? I mean, I don't speak British!!!

Oh yeah, I went there.

[Swiss James]

[baldrick]

[crazykiwi]

[rapier]

English is the language of England. It is the original and pure form of the language. All bastard deviations from it as found in America and elsewhere are flawed devolutions from it, that have lost their true foundation.. Its high time Koreans and others woke up to the fact.

If I wanted to learn French, I'd study in France, not the ex-colonial Congo.

[the_beaver]

[kiwiboy_nz_99]