Understanding the history behind a language is important and helpful to better learn the language. Knowing the history is related to one of the aspects of communicative competence, sociolinguistic, because this element describes understanding the context of the language, which can be related to the history. The history is essential to the language because it shapes how the language is used now. It is important to acknowledge and apply the history of the language to understand the rules and norms of the target language.
For example, it is important to understand the history of how Korean language was developed through the influence of different countries, such as China. This is why Korean individuals of older generations are able to recognize and understand Chinese language, such as the Hanja alphabet. Another important idea to know about the history of Korean culture is how dialects have been shaped for different regions of North and South Korea. This is especially important because the dialects can change based on where you live, near city-life or countryside, and it can be hard to distinguish the dialect, if you are unaware of which regions correspond to which dialects. Some Koreans who live in Seoul and have a “Seoul dialect,” because they live near cities, are unable to recognize vocabulary from those who live in Busan because this is a more rural area. As a result, it is important to realize how history has shaped the development of the Korean language to better understand what certain aspects of this culture mean.
Comments