Welcome to HickoryRecord.com. Skip directly to: our Keyword Search, Section Navigation, Content.

HickoryRecord.com - Hickory Daily Record

HomeNewsEntertainmentSportsLifestylesOpinionCommunityWeather Online Tools Jobs | Real Estate | Shopping | Classified

American words part of Korean language

GUEST COMMENTARY

By PHILIP BYRD

Published: July 16, 2009

The U.S. relationship with South Korea and the aggression of North Korea often are in the news. Here's a look at that far part of the globe from a Hickory resident.

Second of Three Parts

SEOUL, South Korea — The United States receives a variety of reactions throughout the world, some of them positive, but many of them negative. I think the image of the United States in Korea has stayed mainly positive, and there are still many ways that the two countries are very close, culturally and politically.

Movies, music and especially the English language all have a strong influence in Korean culture. Even reading the local signs around the city shows there are many English words that have become part of the Korean language.

I suppose an official term for this is called "Konglish," when something is written in Korean but is a literal translation of the sounds of an English word. There are many of these kinds of words, especially coming from things that are a large part of American culture.

There are a lot of examples while shopping, especially in large department stores. And with so many native English speakers in the country, it's clear that learning English is important to many people, especially parents who want their children to learn the language.

I asked a lot of my students what they think about learning English and about the significance of the United States in their lives and their culture. All of the students I asked think that the United States is a positive and significant influence on South Korea.

I also asked some co-workers and friends, and although many were not as receptive of everything America has done throughout the world, most could not deny the impact of American culture in Korea.
I also asked about past vacations and future plans, and everyone, adults and students alike, had some significant plans for the United States.

I asked most of my students about going to the United States, and the vast majority want to visit. Most of them said they want to go or would at least consider going to American universities, which I think is also a reflection of what their parents want to happen for their children.

More surprisingly however, was the experience some of my students already have with the United States. Many of the students I teach are from grade 3 through grade 6, most of them not even in middle school yet. It's not unusual for a few students each term to go away for vacation or to study abroad.

But many of them go to the United States, and most of them say they plan to study English while they are there. Beyond that, I learned that a number of students have already spent months or even years living in the United States or Canada, and others say they want to live abroad in the future.

I suppose that when parents send their children to private academies to learn English and send them to the United States for trips or to study, before they reach middle school, they take their English abilities seriously.

I knew Korean students worked hard before I came here, but what they accomplish and where their ability levels are at such a young age is truly remarkable.

Philip Byrd is a native of Hickory, "where I lived all my life" he says, "until I went off to university at Chapel Hill." Byrd graduated at the end of 2007, and for the last 10 months or so, has lived in Seoul, South Korea, teaching English at a private academy.