Response to Ngugi

Nowadays learning language especially effects to the political, economical and social in English. In general life we communicate to others by using “Borrowed word” even we are not sure whether it is real English or Konglish including pronunciation. It is not easy to live without computers which show in English and Korean for new generations. I feel that the English language might carry two different perspectives such as inside Trojan House and inside Santa Clause’s bag. It is depended on which side I am looking at hexahedron.

At this moment, I just look through the one of viewpoints in education which I agree to Ngugi’s experiences. It influences Korean culture and real-life. When I taught elderly people students in English at Hanam welfare center, most of them they could speak in Japanese, and they were proud of speaking Japanese who educated in Korea even though they had bad experiences and memories. At that time rich people and nobility people could contact to the government and educate at one of public schools. Before Japanese tried to take over Korea, there was “National isolation policy” by DawonGoon in Chosun dynasty. It influenced to Korean economy and country situation.

 The Japanese came in 1875 to test the Koreans’ defenses, and engaged in minor military encounters on Kanghwa-do. Returning the next year in force, they compelled Korea to sign the unequal Kangwa Treaty, it first modern trade agreement with a foreign nation, opening the ports of Inch’on, Pusan, and Wonsan. (Early edition of Hendrik Hamel;s book, the first accout of a European in Korea)

 Home country nationalism is not everything good. There are always two sides of things, good and bad. Korea government recently emphases to push students to study in English hard and measures it by specific tests. There are also existed good and bad things. Good things are that university whom the students concern the score and companies who check the proficiency of English level, so on. Bad things are those kinds of English scores are not real proficiency of English for communication, etc.

 Immersion program is really good for students in Korea, but not for preschool kids. The reason is that English carries many things as English teachers know. Preschool students gradually build their own identity in Korea and they have to know many other things such as family relationships, science and social life, etc. If preschool students are in one of English countries, they have to study English first of course. Meantime, parents who want to send their children to immersion programs have to cost amount of money for long time. I guess that it is better to send their children whose parents only focus on in English to overseas. Then there are probably other problems happen, too. One of the problems is connection of Korean society. If that person wants to get high position of the companies or not English required positions, it is not easy to get it from the connection of Korean society. Therefore, we have to think about “How much English effects to our life?” and “How much English effects to our children?”.  

K-POP culture

Received reading

 

This film can be given a series of connotations which the audience will decode when viewing the image. This Korean pop film text is polysemic. This image is considered through a process by selecting the framing process the camera angle, the lighting effects, focus and so on.

 Technically camera angle lens are focus on the singer with the around dancers. The speed of rhythm sense is fast and easy which can be followed by anyone. The choice framing shutter is quiet moveable with soldier uniforms which imply for power of strength. The object settings, body language and clothing are pretty forceful to show us. Therefore the singer is ready to play something for audience who can be anyone like his songs or not. His singing speech is clear and languages are Korean and English. Singing with two languages is meant for Koreans or English speakers.

 

Oppositional reading

 

There are lots of things going on beyond this film. It includes lots of signals that can have effects on the viewers. One of the fans who is Alia Rachel Jones(32) talked about the singer, Rain. He introduced by himself on the internet and why he came to Korea. The reason is that he loves –POP. When he contacted one of the youtubes coincidently, he watched Rain’s singing, then he found that his first response is “Wow! What’s this?” Since that time he’s searched K-Pop and loved it. Right now he is an elementary English teacher in Korea, and goes for the K-pop concert on the weekends. There are many K-pop posters in his room and Korean actors, etc.

   The rhythm is familiar, innovative music video, K-Pop singers are good aspects, and they have good voices to sing. They put in a lot of effort in order to be successful singers. They also work hard in developing their careers. Especially, Bi Rain who sings in English and Korean can be understood. There are many fans so when others ask about fans. Why do you love K-pop? Why do you listen to K-pop music? Do you understand Korean and the words of songs? What things do you get from K-pop?

Most of the Korean fans who are not Koreans say that they don’t understand the words of songs much but K-pop makes them happy when they listen to the music. The music gives them feelings such as happiness, sweetness, sadness and so on. Most of music is energetic, passionate and enthusiastic.

 However, the dark side of pop culture is connected to economic and personal things which influence the younger kids and students. They are simply too eager to be a singer or actor and they don’t even have a natural composition.

When I was a young around 14 or 15 years old, I loved pop songs. At that moment, I didn’t know much about the English senses, but I liked to listen to English pop songs and music from other countries. Chinese pop songs are similar to Korean old songs which older people like to sing which is similar to emotion.

 In my opinion, the music is universal which can be connected to the person’s emotion. That’s why we understand in real life when someone to marry a person from a different country. All of my family except me lives in Canada. My uncle, aunts and my sister are married to Canadians. They are also Canadians. When they communicate in English, they communicate like music.