In this video, I go deep into the cultural aspects of Korea that cannot but be disadvantageous when it comes to English learning for Koreans. But this video is not just for Korean people or about learning English, it’s for all of you who are trying to learn any foreign language more effectively that is inevitably different from your mother tongue, or I guess ANYTHING that you want to learn.

Here’s a sneak peek to what I talk about in the video:

They say Japanese people speak the worst English and Koreans are the second worst. Even after all the English fever going on and tremendous amount of effort that many Korean people put into bettering their English, they generally cannot speak fluent English. Why is that so? Simply because it’s a natural phenomenon both in scientific and linguistic perspective.

Then why is it natural? First of all, Korean language is strikingly different from English. Many people think language differences have to do with external factors only such as grammar, sentence structure, alphabet and hangul, and that’s not entirely wrong. That is why people whose first language is German, Danish or Dutch that are more similar to English learn faster and speak better English than Koreans do, and Koreans can learn Japanese much faster than they do. But language differences are also influenced by cultural differences because culture is a huge part of language.

Obviously there are many differences between Korean culture and American (Western) culture. But it seems that many people think cultural differences are just black and white, such as Koreans are conservative and Americans are open-minded, or Americans like sexual jokes and Koreans shy away from them. But culture is not as simple as to be defined as “this” and “that.” Culture is rather something that is reflected in thinking pattern and behavioral pattern of the people, and also in how people use the language. And sometimes the differences are very subtle, so they are likely to leave room for cultural misunderstanding.

Come watch this video for the rest!