Question:
I'm studying to be English teacher. In the past I teached elemantary
school's children as a tutor. At that time they asked me why they learn
English. I'm confused about this question. But I didn't know what I say.
So I just answered them that English is very important to communicate with
foreigners. They looked like suspicious expression. Then they asked me
again. "Is it because my country isn't strong than U.S.A." I thought that
I didn't answer them contentedly. If you are in this situation, what do
you say
Answer:
Perhaps one answer to this is that Korea does not constitute a sufficiently
powerful country in economic terms to justify everyone else in the world
learning to speak Korean as an international language for business. It is
primarily for economic reasons that American (not English) "English"
predominates for this purpose.
Historically and demographically, however, it could have been otherwise. The
eastern side of what is now the US was originally a Dutch territory which
was sold to Britain (New York was originally "New Amsterdam"); the central
part was a French territory called "Louisiana", and the western US was a
Spanish territory. Alaska was originally claimed by Russia but was later
bought by the US. So any one of these countries could have supplied the
language now spoken by US citizens, and given its' current economic power,
citizens of trading partners would have been well advised to learn whatever
that language might have been. Although the Americans currently speak a
localised variant of English, surveys show that English speaking US citizens
will soon be in the minority as the Hispanic community increases in size.
Does this mean that Spanish should be the international business language
instead? It is more likely that Hispanic US citizens will instead take
advantage of the dominant English rather than their own linguistic
heritage - although presumably this would still be useful in Spain and its'
former territories around the world.
Interestingly, I myself will be coming to Korea shortly to work as a
conversation teacher, and you might consider discussing with your students
how inportant it is for the _teacher_ to come to Korea rather than vice
versa. I had originally intended to go to Tokyo to teach adults English, but
by working in Korea instead (because the Tokyo job fell through), I now have
the opportunity to sample everything about Korean language and culture - bad
as well as good - whilst still being able to visit friends in Japan. And
through the Internet, I have made many new friends in both countries -
because of our _shared_ interest in spoken English. But because some
knowledge of the languages of both countries is also important, whole new
vistas of knowledge will become accessible for me. And this will feed back
to my students because I will have a better understanding of their problems,
which after all are what I am being paid to overcome on their behalf.
Where this all creates a problem it that, for citizens of English-speaking
countries, and particularly for those from the USA, the need on the parts of
citizens of other countries to learn their language may foster a false sense
of security, and make them feel that they do not really need to "come to
terms" properly with another culture which they encounter - particularly
true, one would think, of those who have a brief "tour of duty" there, such
as business or military personnel.
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