KONGLISH
               

'Konglish', or Korean-style English, has caused trouble for many an English teacher or student here on the peninsula. Below, and in the attached file, is an activity designed to help correct some of the most common errors.

For students, the file contains a list of common Konglish words or phrases next to sentences containing blanks for the correct expressions. For teachers, the same list, only with the correct/normal English expressions, plus background explanations of some of the more common or odder Konglish.

The attached Konglish file (in MS Word) has the full list, below are only a few examples. The list of Konglish in the handout provided here is not meant to be exhaustive, merely a useful classroom activity for the English teacher.

The expressions here are partly excerpted from my English conversation textbook, Speaking English for Everyday Life 1.

               
               
               
STUDENT SHEET
               
Please change the Konglish expressions to English ones.
               
1. Let's meet at p.m. 2.   
Let’s meet at ________________________.
   
2. On weekdays, I sleep at eleven. 
On weekdays, _______________________.
   
3. I graduate next year February.
I graduate __________________________.
   
4. I slept eight times last night.
I slept eight _________________ last night.
   
5. Let’s see an SF movie.
Let’s see a ____________________ movie.
   
   
   
TEACHER’S SHEET
   
1. Let's meet at p.m. 2.
Let’s meet at 2pm.
  • word order, in Korean saying something like ‘afternoon 2 o’clock’ is fine, hence the confusion in English
   
2. On weekdays, I sleep at eleven. 
On weekdays, I go to sleep at 11.
  • ‘go’ is commonly forgotten, as it’s not needed in Korean. Teachers can also point out the expression ‘go to bed’.
   
3. I graduate next year February.
I graduate next February.
  • in Korean, ‘next year February’, ‘next week Tuesday’, etc. are acceptable ways of clearly talking about the future. I t avoids the English confusion of, “Did he mean ‘next Tuesday’, as in the one a couple of days from now, or the one next week?”
   
4. I slept eight times last night. 
I slept eight hours last night.
   
   
5. Let’s see an SF movie. 
Let’s see a sci-fi (science fiction) movie.
  • in Korean, it’s common to use the English letters ‘SF’, instead of ‘science fiction’ or a Korean-language expression
   
               
               
               
               
               
       
- go to 1stopKorea homepage
Copyright 1999-2007 1stopKorea