Last updated on August 16, 2024
One of the constants of life in Korea for English speakers is questions about how best to learn English.
Though various, most of the questions focus on two categories: pronunciation and early English education. A closer look shows that these two categories overlap considerably and that the focus of many of the questions is on pronunciation. In the mind of many Koreans, native-like pronunciation defines English ability itself. Test scores are important, but more as tools to achieve specific goals, rather than as indications of English ability.
The near-obsession with English pronunciation in Korea is at odds with the reality of English use in the 21st century. For better or worse, English has become the overwhelmingly dominant language in global business, government, and academic relationships. Strong regional languages, such as Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish, are used frequently within regions, but English dominates multilingual global settings. Such global settings take the form of conferences, meetings, and workplace settings where professionals interact.
The dominance of English in global settings often leaves native speakers in the minority, which creates a more neutral linguistic environment in which all speakers have to make a positive effort to understand one another. In situations where native speakers dominate, nonnative speakers often feel more pressure to accommodate to native-speaker norms. The situation also holds true in English-speaking countries such as the U.S. and the U.K. where nonnative speakers are heavily represented in science and technology. A large percentage of software engineers in the U.S., for example, are nonnative speakers of English, bringing the global setting to the U.S.
In reality, except for Koreans who spend large amounts of time in homogenous native-speaker speech communities, most Koreans use English mainly with nonnative speakers in global settings in Korea or abroad. They meet a wide range of abilities and have to be flexible and make a positive effort to understand the other person. Korea’s success as a trading nation also suggests that the language barrier, often defined as a lack of English proficiency, has not held Korea back. Many nations with larger numbers of fluent English speakers, particularly among the elite, have achieved far less than Korea, casting doubt on the common assumption that foreign language skills are important to national competitiveness.
Why, then, do Koreans continue to worry about English pronunciation so much? The answer lies in thinking about what English pronunciation means to Koreans. In the past, English pronunciation represented a connection to the rich and powerful U.S., but that has changed as Korea has developed into an important global economic player. China is now Korea’s largest trading partner and Koreans invest and travel everywhere.
English pronunciation is rather about appearances. Good pronunciation gives the appearance of being educated, whereas bad pronunciation implies being behind the times. Curiously, the obsession with English pronunciation has much in common with the popularity of plastic surgery. The percentage of Korean women who receive plastic surgery is far higher than other countries. Though accurate figures are hard to obtain, about 20 percent of Korean women have had plastic surgery, with the percentage being much higher for younger women. The popularity of plastic surgery reflects the desire to fit in, to match the visible norm for smart, up-to-date women.
To varying degrees, appearance is important in every society because human beings are social animals. The problem in Korea is the degree. Looking smart and attractive affects job and marriage prospects in Korea more than it does in many other countries, thus having a direct affect on life chances in a highly competitive society. On another level, many Koreans use gut feelings about first appearances as a guide to how to develop the relationship.
The irony of English pronunciation is that Koreans do not use English to each other. Their only standard for judging pronunciation is language in English-language popular media and, more important, language in learning materials produced by the English teaching industry in Korea. By this idealized and artificial standard, the pronunciation of nonnative speakers and even many native speakers falls short.
Clearly, the whole obsession with English pronunciation is a great waste of effort and money. The important division in language proficiency today is not native versus nonnative, but competent versus incompetent. Competent users of language achieve their personal and professional goals in the language, whereas incompetent have great difficulty. Competent users may use bookish expressions and have idiosyncratic pronunciation, but they succeed in using language well in their careers. Two prominent examples are Henry Kissinger and Nouriel Roubini, both of whom speak accented English, but are archetypal examples of successful, competent users.
To go beyond the current obsession with pronunciation, English education in Korea needs to focus on competent use of English in global settings in Korea and abroad. The best way to improve English beyond what is required in school, then, is to look inside instead of outside. This means developing relevant and interesting things to share with others and find opportunities to do so.