The Development of English as a Second Language for a Native Korean Speaker
by The ESL industry is booming in Asia and other parts of the world. While many Koreans study English over the phone, quite a few go to other countries where English is more prevalent. This is a field that is wide open to researches such as this.
Interlanguage is the most convenient term to use for her form of English, but given more time and more resources I would have preferred to study her language and compare her sentence structures in Korean and English. I believe that she not only understands the rules of English but also somehow applies Korean grammar to her speech. This is consistent with most researches whose hypothesis is that L1 does not interfere with, and is rather essential to, L2 acquisition.
Vocabulary
Violet has a limited vocabulary, understandable because she is not as exposed to English as other learners are (for example, children here in the Philippines who are exposed to English TV programs and books). She has a basic grasp of prefix and suffix rules, although she has a tendency to overgeneralize. To express “more different”, she said “differenter”. She may also omit certain suffixes. I asked her what she wants to do for a living. She answered “… I will study act”, meaning she wants to study acting. “Political” becomes “politic”. She also encounters errors in “am” use. When asked about what she does in her spare time, she answered “I watch TV or I’m study or I’m going out with my friends.” What is also interesting to see is her ability to substitute words for other words to convey meaning. When asked about her preference in movies, she said “comedy-mellow” for “romantic comedy.” “Faster growing” becomes “more growing”, while “French” becomes “France-English”.
It is interesting to watch her apply the rules to other words, and her desire to express herself forces her to use terms in unconventional ways. Research tells us, however, that the willingness to make mistakes, adventurism in language, and experimentation are all good traits of a language learner. She is creative and she truly wants to talk. The “errors” we perceive are just stepping stones for her to reach the pinnacle of language learning.
Conclusion
Violet’s language development is proceeding at a steady pace, and although she may frequently backslide she is learning more rules to help her along. The language acquisition theories I learned in class opened my eyes and made me aware how complex the learning process is. For the most part, the theories all accommodate my data, however I cannot possibly research all aspects of her life that would enable me to use more theories and would probably help me understand her development more. Motivation and linguistic skill seem to be the most important factors for language development as far as my research can see, although I cannot take into account peer support and social factors. I did observe that as time passed she became more comfortable in speaking in English.
I also enjoyed talking with her and getting to know her. Violet’s personality is well fitted not only for language learning but also with interacting with people.
Reference:
Ellis, Rod: Second Language Acquisition, 1997, Oxford University Press
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