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10. Challenges for Korean Learners of english There are many challenges that face anyone who is attempting to learn a new language, and a unique set of challenges that corresponds to each combination of first and second languages. For Korean learners of english, there are many challenges to be overcome from day one. In this article we will give an overview of these challenges and how they may be addressed. Linguistic Challenges The most fundamental difference between english and Korean lies in the history and evolution of the language. english belongs to the Indo-European Language group, while Korean is usually classed as an isolate language, sharing similarities to the Ural-Altaic language group. (Cho, 32) Additionally, the writing system of the english language is based on the Roman alphabet, while the Korean language has a writing system called ‘hangul', an alphabet created by Joseon ruler Sejong the Great in 1446. (Wikipedia) These fundamental differences pose numerous challenges for students including the need to learn a new alphabet, disparate grammatical styles, pronunciation, and rhythmic difficulties. Some of the more notable mistakes that Korean learners of english will make involve pronunciation and rhythm. Korean speakers tend to have difficulty with pronouncing voiced consonants such as /b, d, g, v, & z/. Koreans also tend to have problems with /f, & v/, since the Korean language does not use these sounds.(Cho, 32) Another common mistake is adding vowels between consonants. This is common because the Korean language most commonly utilizes consonant-vowel-consonant patterns.(Cho, 33) Similarly, Korean speakers tend to add an “ee” sound to words ending in –tch/-ch/-sh. This is due to the fact that when that sound is written in Korean hangul, there is an “ee” artifact at the end due to the phonetic pronunciation in Korean. This is why it is common to hear “englishee” instead of “english”. (Mostly Margaret) Stress and rhythm is another area where Koreans struggle. english is a “stress-timed” language, meaning that syllabic stresses rise and fall rhythmically. Korean is a syllable-timed language, therefore making english speaking rhythm unnatural. (Cho, 33) Grammatical Challenges A major difference between the english and Korean languages is word order. The first major difference between the two is the SVO (subject-verb-object) vs. SOV (subject-object-verb) structure. The english language structures its sentences using the SVO style. For example, an sentence in english might say, “I kicked the ball.” The Korean language, on the other hand, uses SOV. A Korea sentence might read (after being translated to english) “I the ball kicked.” It is difficult for Korean students to remember to change the order from SOV to SVO when speaking in english. There are also other differences in terms of word order between the english and Korean languages. For example, adverbs and relative clauses are placed in different locations. In Korean, modifiers come before the modified element, while in english, they come after. For example, an english phrase might be “He swims strongly,” while the Korean version would be “He strongly swims.” As previously mentioned, relative clauses are also put in different places in sentences in english and Korean. Relative clauses come before the nouns they modify in the Korean language, but after in the english language. For example, an english phrase would read, “…the toy which I really want to buy,” while its Korean counterpart would read, “…I really want to buy which the toy.” (Cho, 33) Cultural Challenges It seems there is no end to the challenges Korean learners and their english teachers might face together in terms of cultural disparity. One of the largest differences is the tendency to favor group mentality in Korean culture. Due to their traditional social structure, which is highly dependent of hierarchy and difference to authority, students may have a difficult time in expressing unique thoughts or ideas. They may be able to give you general opinions or general ideas about a topic, but if you ask them to elaborate, they may find it difficult to express themselves as individuals. This is in stark contrast to Western, and particularly english speaking societies, which favor individualism, self-expression, and freedom of thought. (Cho, 34) Finally, Korean education culture can be quite a challenge for students and teachers alike. Often, students go directly from their public schools to their hagwons, or private after-school academies. Many students are in school from 8:00 am until 10:00 pm. This is obviously exhausting for students, who must work through fatigue, distraction, and high stress levels that coincide with the pressure they feel to perform academically, by their parents, peers, teachers, and Korean culture as a whole. teachers of Korean learners must be prepared to deal with each of these challenges with a positive attitude and the utmost confidence. Works Cited Cho, Byung-Eun. “Issues Concerning Korean Learners of english: english Education in Korea and Some Difficulties of Korean Students”. Oxford Brookes University. SungKongHoe University. Seoul, South Korea. Web. 29 September, 2013. http://owww.brookes.ac.uk/schools/education/eal/eal-1-2/vol1-no2-koreanlearnersofenglish.pdf “For esl teachers in Korea: Marge's guide to Common Errors Made by Korean esl Students”. Mostly Marge (Maybe). Wordpress. Web. 29 September, 2013. http://mostlymargaret.wordpress.com/tag/korean-pronunciation-and-grammar-problems/ “Korean Language”. Wikipedia. Web. 29 September, 2013. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_language