Hi, English Language

Hi, English!

Language, being an essential part of communication and showing peculiarities of

different cultural or historic backgrounds, can be acquired only by hugely time -consuming

effort. Globalization, with its increased international specializations and divisions of labor and

with its complex business relationships might encourage people to learn foreign languages for

their competitive advantage. Yet, one might also take it or as a hobby by inspiration from the

traveling, or listening to music, watching movies, or dramas from certain countries: these

motivations drive the desire to master foreign languages. However, in my case, learning a

foreign language, which is English, is nothing but a stressful job. In other words, as much as I

feel pretty much close to the conquest of fluency of the English, it still seems to me that there is

more to be accomplished.

One fine Sunday morning, a passionate mother had sent her 12-year-old boy to attend the

Bible study group, which was preaching privately in English for American kids in Korea. I

believe it was the my first moment that I had felt embarrassed with some nausea and a sense of

being dumb after first time attendance. Just like first day of school. Before that, my only

experience about the English was from the American children's TV Series, "Sesame Streets."

and I was sing after Big bird or listening their daily life stories from his great friends: Ernie, Bert,

and Cookie Monster(who was my favorite one). In fact, the congenial atmosphere which was

created by those friendly characters was good enough for me to feel an intimacy with the English.

However, the conservative mood of the bible study with the teacher's solemn tone, difficult

biblical terms gave me some sense of diffidence with distance. (Yes, There were neither singing

hymns nor any rhythmic movement at all). Perhaps, although I had kept begging my mom not to

send me there, I might had to fulfill her own desire such a sense of good mothering. Whether

my affinity for English is suddenly faint or not, however being like a half- deaf every Sunday

morning was just as horrible as having a breakfast like the Oatmeal. (Somehow, She loved to

provide it whenever she seemed to the day was special).

Like having had an unfamiliar type of breakfast compulsorily, English classes that I had taken

for 3yrs in middle school was tedious enough to lose my interest in English; All lectures were

banal and formulaic style, which was mainly focusing on the vocabularies and the grammar.

As I've mentioned early, not only the terms of Globalization or Internationalism, but also

military and material aid from the United States during the Korean war might give a person a

strong passion for learning English in Korea. With our appreciation of that great aid, anything

about the U.S. has had a huge impact on the education system, and a boom for overseas

education from any English-speaking countries was ignited in the early 2000s. Taking English

class from middle school on is mandatory and, also English is the major parts for the College

entrance exam. Moreover, many companies still regard the capabilities of English (speaking,

writing, and listening) among utmost criteria for their hiring. For instance, The Standardized

English tests from the United States, such as TOEIC and TOEFL, have become a major part of

the lives of many Koreans. Right now, it seems as if it were a life mission for a Korean student to

learn English.

Although the passion for learning English is widely