Due by 5pm on Sunday, April 13: Discussion Post #10 on the Ning
Imagine that you have received a research grant to conduct a linguistic study of your target language and culture. How would you get started, and what would you investigate? How would different structural components presented in class appear in your work?
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I think that if I received a research grant to conduct a linguistic study of Korean language and culture, I would focus on the use of honorifics. I think that Korean honorifics has a very structured linguistic pattern that also tells speakers/listeners a lot about Korea social hierarchy, age, status culture, etc. My research would investigate how honorifics are used and adapted by different generations and social groups, particularly in professional, educational, and digital contexts. I would begin by reviewing prior literature on honorifics, Korean speech levels, the honorific verb endings, subject and object markers, and honorific lexicon. My central research question would be: “How do Korean speakers use honorifics to negotiate power, identity, and social alignment in various discourse settings?” To answer this,I would conduct interviews with speakers across age groups—university students, working professionals, and elderly speakers—in both Seoul and a more rural setting like Jeonju. I would also collect data from online platforms such as KakaoTalk group chats and workplace communication apps, where hybrid and creative uses of honorifics often occur. Structural components discussed in class, such as pragmatics, morphosyntax, and sociolinguistic variation, would appear prominently in the analysis. For instance, I would ask speakers to choose between deferential (-습니다), polite (-요), and intimate (plain) styles depending on context, relational closeness, and communicative goals. Particular attention would be given to cases where speakers deviate from expected norms such as a junior omitting honorifics to signal solidarity or challenge hierarchy, or an elder softening speech with polite but non-deferential endings to create a relaxed atmosphere. I would also explore the morphosyntactic patterns in code-switching between speech levels within a single conversation, which often marks shifts in tone, attitude, or power dynamics. In workplace settings, I would investigate how hierarchical structures are linguistically reinforced or undermined through honorific use, particularly in environments with flatter or Westernized organizational cultures. Furthermore, I would explore gendered dimensions of honorifics, asking whether women are socialized into more consistent or rigid honorific use, and whether this changes across generations. Ultimately, this study would reveal how honorifics operate are so incorporatef into social norms but is not fized can be reinterperated by different generations, people, etc.
I am also working on honorifics! I think that it is such a complex topic with a lot of deviations and exceptions, which make it hard to fully understand. I also found it interesting that you mentioned that it would be good to look at language from different regions: rural and more developed areas. I think this would allow more research into dialects, as I know that also plays a large role in how people speak the language.
I think this is a super cool idea! I think it would be interesting to study politeness on a semantic level, rather than as a personality trait. I think that language can profoundly shape Korean culture, as so many social dynamics are encoded in language and the way we speak.
If I received a research grant to conduct a linguistic study of Hebrew, I would start by investigating the convergence of modern Israeli Hebrew and classical religious Hebrew, with a specific focus on how different communities (secular Israelis vs. religious Jews, Sephardi vs. Ashkenazi speakers) use, adapt, and interpret the language in daily life. My goal would be to examine how the historical and spiritual dimensions of Hebrew influence contemporary communication, identity, and education. First, I would design ethnographic interviews with native Hebrew speakers, both in Israel and within Jewish communities, focusing on lexical variation, register switching, and the continuation of biblical and liturgical expressions in modern speech. I would also analyze media (news articles and shows like A Valley of Tears or Fauda) with religious texts to trace how Hebrew vocabulary and syntax shift across generations. In terms of structural components from class, my study would incorporate morphological analysis, especially in verb patterns (binyanim) across formal and informal contexts. Secondly, phonological variation between dialects (Ashkenazi vs. Sephardi pronunciation). Further, sociolinguistic codeswitching, particularly between Hebrew and other languages in bilingual communities. Lastly, semantic shifts, especially in words that carry different meanings in modern Israeli life versus biblical texts. This research would not only deepen my fluency and cultural understanding, but also contribute to broader conversations about language preservation, revival, and identity formation within Jewish and Israeli communities.
If I were granted the opportunity to conduct a linguistic study of Korean, my first step would be to explore its historical evolution and how that history has shaped modern grammatical structures. This includes the language’s debated status as an isolate, the invention of Hangul, and significant influences from Chinese and other neighboring languages. By comparing older documents with present-day speech, I could observe how shifts in syntax or vocabulary reflect both political changes and cultural shifts in Korea. Next, I would focus on Korean grammar and syntax to see how they intersect with societal norms. I would pay attention to the interplay between speech levels and social hierarchy, as the honorific system encodes respect, group membership, and one’s self-identification relative to others. From a syntactic perspective, I would examine the Subject-Object-Verb order and how it influences rhetorical style and politeness. Additionally, I would study morphological processes that create new words in response to cultural trends, such as hybrid forms mixing Korean affixes with English loanwords. This approach would illuminate how the language continues to adapt in a globalized world, showing the evolving relationship among grammar, culture, and identity.
I like how you connected the honorific system to Korean social norms. Your point about tracking changes from older texts to modern speech was also super interesting, and I think it would reveal a lot about Korea’s history and identity. The way you tied in global influences, like English loanwords, shows how living and flexible the language really is.
If I received a research grant to conduct a study in Korean, I would focus on how second generation Koreans maintain, lose, or relearn the Korean language as a part of their cultural identity. My study would focus on Korean-American communities, where younger generations often grow up speaking English as their dominant language, while Korean becomes a heritage language used mainly at home or in limited cultural contexts. I would explore questions such as: what motivates Korean heritage speakers to retain or revive their Korean language skills? What challenges do they face in doing so? And how does language proficiency affect their sense of belonging to both Korean and American culture? To answer these questions, I would involve a study involving interviews and surveys within Korean-American communities. I would include recordings of casual conversations among Korean speakers to see how Korean and English are used side-by-side, and how grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation are used. I would also examine phonological variations that occur when heritage speakers pronounce Korean using English-influenced sounds, and morphological patterns such as the omission or incorrect use of honorifics and verb endings. Ultimately, this study would contribute to my understanding of bilingualism and heritage language retention, but also shed light on how language is tied to identity and cultural pride.
If I received a research grant to study the Korean language, I would focus on how traditional cooking vocabulary is used and preserved in modern media like cooking shows, YouTube videos, and food blogs. I would start by collecting materials from native speakers teaching recipes, especially those that highlight cultural values through language, such as politeness levels and traditional units of measurement. I would apply class concepts like syntax, morphology, and phonology to my analysis. For example, I would look at how imperative forms are structured in recipes, how verbs are conjugated for politeness, and how certain suffixes are used to show respect. I’d also note how borrowed culinary terms from other languages, especially French, are adapted into Korean speech. This research would show how everyday language in cooking reflects deeper cultural norms and how structure, tone, and formality affect communication. It would also help me improve my understanding of real spoken Korean in context while connecting linguistic rules to a familiar, practical topic.
I liked your idea, focusing on cooking vocabulary is such a creative and relatable way to study language. It’s cool how you tied in media like YouTube and blogs, since that’s where a lot of real, everyday language shows up. I also thought your attention to politeness levels and verb forms in recipes was cool; it’s a great way to see how language and culture are deeply connected.