Post Learning Journal #6 on Your Blog in the Ning
Reflect on how knowing a language's history can help you learn the language
Knowing a language’s history can help you learn the language because it helps to give context in why some words exist. Knowing Korean history is important to the understanding of how many Korean words formed, allowing the learner to understand the trend of how the Korean language is growing. By understanding the history of how Korean was in the past, the learner is able to have a better idea of where our language is heading to in the future. Historically, after the two Koreas split after World War 2, the two countries became isolated from each other, preventing any potential communications between one another.
Due to North Korea’s distaste for the United States, North Koreans did not incorporate any English into their language. Rather, they chose to incorporate words from Russian. South Korea, on the other hand, was allies with the United States. Due to the exchanges between the two countries, South Korea began to incorporate many English words into their language. This pattern radically changed the two countries over the next several decades, to the point where North and South Koreans were unable to communicate even though they once began with the same language. Looking specifically at South Korean, this trend of incorporating English into our language and our solid relationship with the United States projects for more English to be incorporated into the language. By understanding this osmosis of words between the languages, the Korean learner is able to be more open-minded to seeing English words in Korean language.
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