Political Economist

* English has become one of the most dominant languages in the world. English is not only a tool for understanding different cultures but also barrier or social pressure in Korea. I wrote this essay for my own reflection and heuristic purpose. I hope that you wil have chances to think about the role of English in this society while reading this essay.

I started learning English when I became a middle school student. Since then, English used to be not a simple language but a complicated and contradictory substance; English has not only been the object of my affection but also the barrier to overcome for various purposes.

In principle, learning foreign languages is to understand different cultures. Because the language contains various aspects of its users, we can easily understand a different culture by its language. English is no exception. By learning English, it is expected that we will learn various social phenomena and the culture of English speaking countries. In this sense, English studies should be regarded as powerful tools, not goals as such, with which we can communicate with native English speakers.

However, this point seems to be frequently ignored by many school teachers as well as students most of the time. In retrospect, there has been a certain level of social pressure related with English studies in Korea. In my case, English studies have always come to me as uneasiness or stress. For example, when I entered one of the most prestigious universities in Seoul, I had to show good grades on English tests. When I was about to get a high-paying and relatively stable job, I also had to pass a very difficult English examination with a certain level of proficiency. Even when I decided to continue my post-graduate studies abroad, I had to take various standardized English tests such as TOEFL and GRE, etc. in order to show my application qualification. In this way, English has always reminded me of standardized tests and stresses.

Furthermore, I thought that English language was not only a language but also a political weapon. If there are certain types of institutionalized social pressures related to English studies, there must be good reasons for these social contradictions. In this way, I once thought that English was not a simple language containing a particular culture, but a powerful weapon for Western imperialists. I still remember my undergraduate days; wrapped up with passionate nationalist spirits, I thought that every intelligent university student should contemplate their privileged social status critically, and in doing so they should protest not only against the rationalized structural inequality in world political orders but also the English-dominant cultural realities of Korea. At that time, English language seemed to have another symbolic meaning, namely one of cultural decorations of the strongest, representing world hegemonic powers against which I had to protest.

I was not able to put aside this mistrust toward the English language even after I graduated from the university. After graduation, I worked as a book editor at a social science publishing company for 3 years. My main job was to do some social science research and translate various English books and articles into my native language. At that time, I could not think much about English. It might be because I thought of English language as a simple way of living. It is not surprising to see that something uneasy once becomes your ordinary chores, it should no longer be a trouble.

However, English language as a complicated subject-matter exerted itself when I decided to study abroad in English speaking countries. All of a sudden, I was reminded of every complicated aspect of English language. The most difficult thing that I had to overcome was that I had to answer to my various questions in my own ways: Was English a pure language? Were not there any imperialist or mystifying aspects in English? Why should I study English or why should I prepare the TOEFL and the GRE?

At any rate, I passed various standardized English test with good grades. And, fortunately, I am in New York studying what I really want to. Of course, there were so many troubles and frustrations before I came to New York. However, since I continued to study, I have tried to communicate only in English. And I have been expected to read huge volumes of articles and books written in English, to write research papers succinctly in English on time. Unnoticeably, the language has become my official means of living.

But I can’t still cease to think about the role and socio-political status of English language in this hierarchical world order. Sometimes, the language approaches me as one of the most influential imperialist weapons covered with rosy fantasy called ‘global standard.’ It is also true that sometimes English became an ambivalent complexity itself. Even though I know that the English language is as such much more practical and simpler than any other languages such as German and French, I will not stop thinking about these multi-faceted characteristics of English for the time being.