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billybrobby
Joined: 09 Dec 2004
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 Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2006 6:13 pm Post subject: Chinese more popular than English in Korea? Say Whaaat? |
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http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/11/international/asia/11china.html
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In South Korea, an American ally that fought alongside the United States in a war against China's troops a half century ago, Chinese has reportedly outstripped English as the most popular foreign language among students.
"Chinese is as popular in Korea today as English is in China," Ms. Xu said enthusiastically. |
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Hollywoodaction
Joined: 02 Jul 2004
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| Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2006 6:32 pm Post subject: |
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"Chinese is as popular in Korea today as English is in China," Ms. Xu said enthusiastically."
That's not saying much, really. Takes a leap in logic to see this as meaning that Chinese is more popular than English in Korea. |
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ajgeddes
Joined: 28 Apr 2004
Location: Yongsan
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| Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2006 7:39 pm Post subject: |
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"Chinese has reportedly outstripped English as the most popular foreign language among students."
What kind of leap? Refering to the other sentence, you are right. But I think that line makes it very clear that it is saying it is more popular. |
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some waygug-in
Joined: 25 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2006 7:57 pm Post subject: |
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Well that's her opinion.......remember.
I think Chinese is growing in popularity as more and more hagwans and schools are starting to offer Chinese language courses, but to say it's more popular than English. 
I don't think so, but that may change in the not so distant future.
I still see 50 students studying English for every one studying Chinese,
and the places offering Chinese classes are still few and far between.
My 2 cents. |
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Swiss James
Joined: 26 Nov 2003
Location: Shanghai
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| Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2006 7:59 pm Post subject: |
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well she would say that wouldn't she, bearing in mind that
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| Ms. Xu is creating a global network of Chinese cultural centers, called Confucius Institutes |
I spoke to Ronald McDonald yesterday, he told me that only suckers go to BK in Denmark |
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Wrench
Joined: 07 Apr 2005
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| Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2006 8:10 pm Post subject: |
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| Is a name like MS. Xu Chinese?? It just sounds to much like Pro-Chinese propaganda. |
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billybrobby
Joined: 09 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2006 8:24 pm Post subject: |
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| Swiss James wrote: |
well she would say that wouldn't she, bearing in mind that
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| Ms. Xu is creating a global network of Chinese cultural centers, called Confucius Institutes |
I spoke to Ronald McDonald yesterday, he told me that only suckers go to BK in Denmark |
The section I quoted begins with the reporters words. The sentence in question does not come from Ms. Xu. It comes from the reporter.
So is the New York Times just dead wrong? Or am totally out of touch? Or does this little weasel word "reportedly" allow them to make such statements? |
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Swiss James
Joined: 26 Nov 2003
Location: Shanghai
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| Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2006 9:22 pm Post subject: |
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| I don't know, I was just name dropping cos me and the burger clown are best friends |
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Rum Jungle
Joined: 18 Nov 2005
Location: North Asia
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| Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2006 9:36 pm Post subject: |
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| Maybe it means Chinese is more "popular" meaning it's more liked as a language by Korean students (and going by the lack of enthusiasm of some of my students for English it wouldn't surprise me!) as opposed to meaning Chinese is studied more than English. That sounds very unlikely. |
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JongnoGuru
Joined: 25 May 2004
Location: peeing on your doorstep
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| Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2006 9:55 pm Post subject: |
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| Rum Jungle wrote: |
| Maybe it means Chinese is more "popular" meaning it's more liked as a language by Korean students (and going by the lack of enthusiasm of some of my students for English it wouldn't surprise me!) as opposed to meaning Chinese is studied more than English. That sounds very unlikely. |
"More liked" than English? How is that measured?
My sense is that it's just some stray comment by some stray Korean who wanted to annoy some American reporter, who doesn't live in Korea and can't be bothered to investigate the meaning or veracity of the comment. I'm just speculating as to the source and sentiments behind the assertion. But it surely wouldn't be the first time a South Korean has said something to the effect of "Nyah, nyah! The West is going down, China will rule the world, and we're on China's side!  "... Would it? |
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billybrobby
Joined: 09 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2006 11:42 pm Post subject: |
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| That's what bugs me about the article. It drops this "fact" that is totally vague and not attributed to anybody. And it uses this stupid word "reportedly." If this was wikipedia that sentence would be deleted as having no source. Of course, if this was wikipedia, it would be reported that Ms. Xu assassinated Robert Kennedy. |
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keithinkorea
Joined: 17 Mar 2004
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| Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2006 11:49 pm Post subject: |
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I have quite a few students who are learning both English and Chinese. I guess it makes a lot of sense for Koreans to learn both.
English seems to still be very popular and judging by the number of English academy against Chinese academy I'd suggest Xu is indulging in a bit of 'China is the greatest' type nonsense. |
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Hollywoodaction
Joined: 02 Jul 2004
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| Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2006 12:23 am Post subject: |
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| ajgeddes wrote: |
"Chinese has reportedly outstripped English as the most popular foreign language among students."
What kind of leap? Refering to the other sentence, you are right. But I think that line makes it very clear that it is saying it is more popular. |
Proves nothing. Reporters use the word 'reportedly' to try to distance themselves from a story because of the great possibility that it's based on false information. |
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laogaiguk
Joined: 06 Dec 2005
Location: somewhere in Korea
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| Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2006 4:00 am Post subject: |
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I go to a Chinese hagwon, and the fees there are much cheaper than an English hagwon (the amount hagwon teachers make is significantly more than the Chinese teachers.) A lot of the poorer kids who can't afford your hagwons are going to these. But, there are a lot of rich kids at my hagwon too, they go to both.
The article is crap, but I would not be surprised if Chinese is not far off English. |
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