20 March 2010

The one where I have had it up to here.

I doubt there is anybody who knows English who would say that this sign was ready for public posting.  However, with that ever-present Korean attitude of  "eh, it's good enough" this sign passed muster for the National Parks Service at least without so much as an eyebrow raised, I'm certain.  Any English speaker on the street could have made this sign better without even breaking stride.  They could've called an English speaker on the phone and made this sign better.  Yet, the Koreans continue to indulge their woeful lack of experience with their would-be second language to create near gibberish that puts them and their country in a less than favorable light.  Why won't the Koreans learn English?  It isn't that they can't; it's that they refuse, though furtively.  Korea has been a consistent pool of work for thousands of us native English speakers for about three decades, maybe more for some.  It's not in our best interest to criticize the system, but there just comes a point of exasperation where the lack of progress in adopting a useful, productive, and beneficial second language can no longer be excused or explained away.  This week, I told my learners that they are no longer to say "study English."  They are to say "practice English" from now on.  My bully pulpit allows me the advantage of imposing penalties for the sin, and I hope to see measurable results by the end of the semester.  It's that change of perspective that must take place before any progress will realize itself.  They have to stop trying to master esoteric minutiae of grammar and start using the language to communicate.  Perhaps they have nothing to say to the world, I don't know.  That seems unlikely, but the world will never know what is in the hearts and minds of the Korean people until they grow out of their Confucian attitudes about language and make use of English to interact with the world community. 

1 comment:

Paul Lawley-Jones said...

Well said. I heartily agree.I think I'm going to start imposing the same commandment regarding study/practice on my students too.