Long ago, the Sanchon Hunjang posted an excerpt from A Korean Grammar on Semantic Pragmatic Principles
Problem was, the book is out of print. I looked everywhere, and 인선 looked some more. New or used, the book was unavailable.
The next best option was to put myself on a waiting list at Amazon
In my search for A Korean Grammar on Semantic-Pragmatic Principles, I have learned the meaning of 절판.
“죄송합니다. 이 책은 절판 되었습니다.”
But I’m still hoping to find a copy.
Yesterday morning I finished reading The Koreans: Who They Are, What They Want, Where Their Future Lies (revised and updated) by Michael Breen.
Hands down, the funniest line in the book:
...I had a revelation: Americans are from Mars, Koreans are from Venus. After years of trying to figure Korea out, I realized that my approach had been wrong. These two countries need a therapist, not policy wonks. (pages 253-254)
Richard Harris makes the following observation in Roadmap to Korean (pages 17-18):
The Internet is a vehicle for change in a way that Koreans are not familiar with on a linguistic level—by creating a sense of anonymity, the Internet is breaking down the walls of traditional verb conjugations steeped in thousands of years of Confucian influence. ...today the Internet provides a medium by which young boys can coverse freely with older men, teachers with students, grandparents with a-joom-ma (아줌마), and all with complete secrecy. The affect [sic] that this has had on the language is profound.
People no longer have to identify themselves based on age, and so can feel freer in molding the language to suit their needs....
...it’s a clear sign that the walls of Confucianism are being eroded with respect to the language.
Harris also describes the linguistic gap between users who use the Internet (and although he doesn’t mention it, those who use text messaging) and those who don’t. By default, that’s likely an enormous generational gap. He points out that
There is an active campaign going on by the government to try and teach students the correct spelling of words in the Korean language, as teachers have begun complaining that spelling among younger students is becoming more and more erratic (presumably because of the Internet). (page 19)
Having been part of several online communities, I’ve had reason (and experience ) to contemplate the idea that people with whom I communicate online might not translate well to the other world of my life (sometimes they do, and sometimes they don’t). But the context of communication in Korean makes me wonder how (or if) freer online communication will impact one-to-one personal encounters.
Based on Blinger’s recommendation, I recently purchased Richard Harris’ Roadmap to Korean.
I read about this book when it first came out, and although its subject interested me, I’ve learned that not all books written by expats (in Korea or otherwise) should be purchased (or even published). However, Blinger’s recommendation encouraged me to take the plunge, and I found myself virtually plunking down a very real $27.95 (I haven’t paid full price for a book in years).
While I’ll never be able to read a book without a few quibbles along the way, last evening’s preliminary survey assured me that I didn’t make the wrong choice. Roadmap to Korean is both engaging and informative. I can’t be certain how useful an advanced student would find it, but this beginner expects to learn loads of new information. It will also provide a fine excuse to study during my upcoming hiatus.
Expect future posts on particular chapters. And if you’re a student of Korean, get your hands on a copy. It’s worth a lot more than its $27.95 price tag.
Page 1 of 1 pages
Copyright 2008 Kangmi | Expression Engine Design by Reese
강미 | learning korean