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2018-05-Ma-Yang.Pdf RECONCEPTUALIZATION OF ENGLISH IDEOLOGY IN GLOBALIZING SOUTH KOREA A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE DIVISION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI’I AT MĀNOA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN ASIAN STUDIES MAY 2018 By Seung Woo Yang Thesis Committee: Young-A Park, Chairperson Cathryn Clayton Patricia Steinhoff Keywords: Korean, English, Globalization, English Ideology, National Competitiveness i ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There are many individuals and organizations I would like to thank for this academic and personal undertaking. The Center for Korean Studies was a big reason why I chose UH Manoa. I owe a great appreciation to the Center for Korean Studies for the remarkable events as well as the opportunity to serve as a graduate assistant. Not only the position provided financial assistance, but I am truly greatful for the learning opportunities it presented. I am also thankful for the opportunity to present this thesis at the Center for Korean Studies. Thank you Director Sang-Hyup Lee, Professor Tae-ung Baik, Mercy, and Kortne for welcoming me into the Center. Thank you, the East-West Center, particularly Dr. Ned Shultz and Kanika Mak-Lavy, for not only the generous funding, but for providing an outside-the-classroom learning that truly enhanced my graduate studies experience. The East-West Center provided the wonderful community and a group of friends where I can proudly say I belong. Thank you Mila and Fidzah. I jokingly believe that I did not finish my thesis on time because of you guys. But I credit you guys for teaching me and redefining the value of trust, generosity, and friendship. I hope to see you again soon. I owe the Department of Sociology for the encouragement and knowledge that culminated into this thesis. Professor Hagen Koo, your comment on my first paper that read “I really enjoyed reading your paper” helped motivate myself throughout my graduate studies particularly when I lost motivation. Thank you for the knowledge that nourished me. Professor Patricia Steinhoff, thank you. You really care about students and it clearly shows. I always looked forward to your lengthy feedback. Thank you for taking your time for a student outside of your department. A big thanks to the Asian Studies Program. Thank you Laney, Tanya, Jaehoon, and Clara. Thank you for being my cohort and for the constant encouragement and shared time together. Jaehoon and Clara, congratulations on continuing your studies. Thank you Dr. Chizuko Allen for always welcoming me into your office and your interest in my work. Professor Cathy Clayton, your student-first oriented research was what made you students’ professor amongst our cohort. Thank you for always thinking of us. Professor Young-a Park, you had to deal with my inexplicable combination of curiosity and stubbornness. Thank you for your understanding and helping me through my journey. Mitsuko, I don’t think I would have finished this thesis without you. Thank you for your encouragement, understanding, and affection. Lastly, I would like to thank my family. Writing this thesis was a constant reminder of my family. We fell on hard times during the Asian Financial Crisis and as a kirogi family. But these difficult times proved to be a great learning experience and motivation for me, because of my mother. Thank you. iii ABSTRACT This thesis examines how the South Korean president-elect Lee Myung-bak’s public English education reform plan in 2008 revealed a shift in top-down delineation of language ideology as a mechanism of national competitiveness. The state historically allocated the Korean and English languages as “Korean body” and “Western utensil,” respectively, to frame Korean as an inherent and genealogical character of the nation and English as a necessary but foreign tool. However, qualitative content analysis on Korean news articles reporting on President Lee’s 2008 public English education reform plan showed that the PTC’s English ideology deviated from previous iterations of confining English as a Western utensil. Instead, Lee’s reform plan outlined an eventual Korean-English bilingual nation where speaking English was to become a normative repertoire congruent with Korean identity. Situated within other studies on the evolving nature of Korean identity, this thesis reveals that Korea’s once considered static linguistic identity is showing signs of dislodging as the state continues to pursue national competitiveness in the globalizing world. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Reconceptualization of English Ideology ........................................................................................ i in Globalizing South Korea ............................................................................................................. i Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................ iii Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... iv Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................ v Tables & Figures ........................................................................................................................... vii Tables ........................................................................................................................................ vii Figures....................................................................................................................................... vii Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1 Background ................................................................................................................................. 1 Literature Review........................................................................................................................ 3 Korean Body, Western Utensils .............................................................................................. 3 Language Ideology & Language Policy as Framework .......................................................... 6 English Ideology in Korea ...................................................................................................... 8 Methodology ............................................................................................................................. 11 Source & Scope..................................................................................................................... 11 Coding ................................................................................................................................... 14 Organization .............................................................................................................................. 17 Chapter 2: Korean Body, Western Utensil and English Ideology in Korea ................................. 19 Background ............................................................................................................................... 19 Korean Language as Korean Body and Ideology of Externalization ....................................... 20 English as Western Utensil and Ideology of Necessitation ...................................................... 25 Segyehwa: Development of Ideology of Necessitation ........................................................ 25 Asian Financial Crisis and Intensification of English Ideology ........................................... 30 English Ideology, Globalization, and Neoliberalism ................................................................ 33 Persistence of Ideology of Externalization ............................................................................... 40 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 44 Chapter 3: PTC’s Public English Education Reform Plan ........................................................... 45 Background ............................................................................................................................... 45 Ideology of Necessitation ......................................................................................................... 48 Ideology of Externalization....................................................................................................... 50 How to promote national competitiveness? .......................................................................... 50 Where to Speak English? PTC’s Greet and Meet in English................................................ 51 v What type of English can you speak in Korea? .................................................................... 54 Wing of the Korean Nation ................................................................................................... 57 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 59 Chapter 4: The Public’s English Ideology and the Korean Language .......................................... 60 Background ............................................................................................................................... 60 Criticism ...................................................................................................................................
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