Korean Job Discussion Forums

[SPINOZA]

I went to English Plus in Seoul this evening and I was amazed at how much stuff they have that's just painfully, ridiculously British, BBC English. Be careful of this crap. Some of the people in their activities had names like Harry, Jack, Bill, Margaret, Jill. Having said that I'm not in favor of having names like Shapiro, Ungut or Pedro Mescalinho either because Korean kids just can't pronounce ANYTHING let alone stuff that just confuses them and lowers their confidence. Materials are all crap in my opinion, but that's a wider issue. Seriously, has anyone ever come across a textbook that isn't TOTAL BO__OCKS? I sure as hell haven't!

I'm English myself, so don't get me wrong, but I'm also a REALIST. Why on Earth are people publishing recent material with motorway, colour, favour, lorry, car park, public house, 'emphasise' in? Or at least, why's so much of it in Korea? It's also not essential that Korean middle schoolers know what a goat is either in my view. Stop being such knobs and just use the American. It makes it easier for everyone.

CUT THE CRAP!

We need the universal form of the language. People of other English-speaking nationalities need to know that parking lot, truck, bar, freeway or highway are more essential. I don't suggest for a second everyone talks like an American - I don't have any problems with accent and if anything it's important that students hear other accents - but in terms of vocab, get real. Color doesn't have a 'u' in and criticize has a 'z'.

[Grotto]

[keithinkorea]

[Big Mac]

There's no way I'm going to let the Americans dictate to the world the way the English language is supposed to be. They're pompous enough without giving them that.

I don't see any reason why Korean students shouldn't know that in most countries words like "colour" or "centre" are the proper spelling. In fact, I would say that British spelling IS the world standard...and that it is the Americans who are going against the grain.

Maybe in Canada we're more sensitive to this sort of American influence than you Brits are.

[sadsac]

Our teaching isn't just about language, it's also about differences within cultures. Australia, Canada and other Commonwealth countries have a distinctly British slant to their langauge and that's great, the Americans are using a bastardised version of English, why should I have to change what I know to conform to some narrow minded individuals idea that his language choice is better than mine. Let the kids learn that we are not all American, we think and act differently and our English is different.

[mindmetoo]

They dig Harry Potter. The major destinations for Koreans is Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. All these nations use a British like English with its spelling and some of the minor grammar differences. It would seem best to prepare for that version of English.

And I've known two Korean women who speak English with a British accent (one was educated in British boarding schools in Singapore) and jesus h. it's beyond sexy.

[UncleAlex]

I came across several British terms in a middle school English book last
year. For instance, "lift". I took the opportunity to explain that in North
America we use the word "elevator" instead. It's okay to introduce words
like lift, lorry, or car park provided that alternate terms are presented with
them. As for spelling, we use the British forms in Canada. It could be that
the Americans dropped the 'u' and the 'z' after winning the Revolution and
gaining independence.

[plato's republic]

OP, you call yourself English? You bloody traitor...!

[OiGirl]

What is a public house?

[Grotto]

public house

Bar, Inn, taproom, etc

[Rteacher]

"Spinoza" makes good points. The fact that he is British but still is intellectually detached enough to see the real issue here contrasts to the rest of the posts made by people apparently too blinded by nationalistic false pride (or possibly hit in the head by too many hockey pucks...) to consider the matter clearly and objectively.

Korea has traditionally had stronger cultural ties with the U.S. than it has had with British culture, reflected in the fact that unlike other Asian countries like India, Thailand, Malasia, etc. - where British culture has traditionally been more prominant than American - Korean TV stations don't broadcast hours and hours of cricket and rugby. They show American-style baseball and basketball, and even some American football...

Generally, the top universities in Korea have indicated a preference for American English. (Those who still prefer the "purity" of the Queen's English should probably remain safely within her hegemony...) That said, I think that EFL teachers in Korea should mainly try to give their students practice in American pronunciation and spelling and illustrate some key differences with British (and Canadian and Austrailian and South African, etc.) English usage . Similarly, EFL teachers in Thailand and other countries where British cultural influence has been stronger should give more practice with British spellings, etc. and note that American English differs, giving the most common examples... (Pardon any bad English usage on my part - I reserve unlimited poetic license for myself... )

[mindmetoo]

[waggo]

[SPINOZA]

[diablo3]

Why teach American English when the majority of teachers in Korea are non-American?

Then again, if that is what the students want, then the hagwon (or wherever) better look for American instructors.

It is strange non-American teachers must suddenly learn American spelling and other aspects, it is not necessary.

Hehehe, when I was a teacher, I spelt the word 'color' like'colour' and one student told me I spelt the word wrong.

Lastly, there is nothing wrong with English spelling because American spelling would not exist without English spelling. Just a case of evolution, natural or unnatural.