Monday, October 20, 2003
OUCH! A former student sent me the link to the following story: "A short cut to better spoken English. South Koreans trimming their tongues to improve speech"
This disturbing phenomenon appears at the intersection of two different social and cultural trends in South Korea. First is the emphasis on education as a means for advancement. South Koreans already spend massive amounts of their disposable income (around 25% if memory serves) on extra-curricular education (hakwon, private tutors etc.). Since so much is devoted to ensuring that the next generation gets ahead (a trend that goes back to the Choson Dynasty (1392-1910) if not earlier), what is a little tongue-snip if it helps junior get ahead?
Second is an increasingly visible proclivity for plastic surgery. The article notes:
This disturbing phenomenon appears at the intersection of two different social and cultural trends in South Korea. First is the emphasis on education as a means for advancement. South Koreans already spend massive amounts of their disposable income (around 25% if memory serves) on extra-curricular education (hakwon, private tutors etc.). Since so much is devoted to ensuring that the next generation gets ahead (a trend that goes back to the Choson Dynasty (1392-1910) if not earlier), what is a little tongue-snip if it helps junior get ahead?
Second is an increasingly visible proclivity for plastic surgery. The article notes:
Using surgery to enhance your looks is already very common in South Korea, where many resort to plastic surgery to make their eyes bigger, noses shapelier and even their calves slimmer.I would feel a bit less queasy about tongue-snipping (although I think it is rather silly regardless; why should we assume that accentless English is all that beneficial anyway?) if the recipients were consenting adults. But instead:
Bae said that he had received many inquiries about the operation, mostly for children aged between 12 months and 10 years.
