Uganda, as represented in a fashion show on the Grade 6 CD-ROM.
One of my earliest posts---number 50, to be exact---looked at "The Negro Problem" in Korean schools and specifically the overabundance of bizarre "cultural tips" and inappropriate translations. My favorite tip from the elementary school teachers' guides:
Western people show exclamation even over trifles. This phenomenon isn't found an oriental culture that appreciates people who control their feeling and taciturn. We can usually see Americans who are moved so easily by things that Koreans aren't effected by. This means they are accustomed to expressing feeling freely and frankly. In Western culture, they start a conversation about the weather when they meet someone for the first time: "It's a lovely day, isn't it?" This is reference to the inclement weather in England. The people who live in an area with nice weather like Korea aren't touched by this kind of thing but Englishmen can be impressed.
It helps if you pretend Koreans don't say 더워 더워 더워 더워 or 추워 추워 추워 추워 or 배고파 배고파 배고파 배고파 eleven times a minute, or conduct a running commentary on everything within their field of vision. Indeed, to hear the way Koreans complain about the weather all the time, the tired line "Korea has four distinct seasons" might simply be a cry for help rather than a source of pride. The title of the 2007 post refered to the way 흑인 was translated in Korean-English dictionaries. A common line-up, such as this one from Daum's online dictionary, is "a black (person); a colored person; a darky; a nigger; a Negro," with little indication that four of the five are options you'd probably not want to choose.
Anyway, Not Dead Yet has compiled plenty more of these cultural tips derived from teachers' guides that accompany the textbooks. These are in the Korean-language books that are provided for the Korean teachers, and he's right to point out that your school might not even tell you they exist.
Readers might also be interested to sample the videos on the CD-ROM that accompany the textbook. Combine this crap with the "cultural tips" they're getting, it's no wonder many students can say little more than "four minute gull" and "one more time."
Another collection of cultural tips come from GEPIK, the Gyeonggi English Program in Korea. Here are a few of my, um, favorites:
4. You may be disgusted by some food such as dog meat or dog soup if you keep a dog as a pet but they do not eat every kind of dog.
11. You may be insisted to drink alcohol beyond your capacity.
13. You may be bothered by children and youngsters who want to speak to foreigners, now and then with bad words which are not intended badly.
14. Koreans are against America politically, not socially.
22. Girls and ladies walk sometimes hand in hand or arm in arm. But they are not lesbians. It means kind of affection.
30. Some Koreans are less punctual than Americans but usually they are more tolerant than westerners.
I definitely don't agree with #13. So while I'm certainly sympathetic to South Korea's complaints of foreign textbooks---how can people get it so wrong?---I wish they'd dispatch some people to look at their own books, or at least hire some native speakers who aren't simply yes-men and -women.
I will play a little nicer with VANK since they sent me a free mp3 player---I haven't figured out how to work it yet---but I would request that they redirect some of the effort reserved for foreign distortions to look at their own. One of my favorite sites is the "Cyber Passport" area for Koreans interested in making international penpals, and vice versa. Here's how they introduce the United States, where Spanish is considered the official language (emphasis mine):
The United States is a federation formed by the combination of 48 states in the mainland and 2 states of Alaska and Hawaii. The 50 stars in the Star-Spangled Banner, the national flag of the United States, represent these 50 states. As the country is constituted by many races from all around the world with various cultures, the United States is often called the ‘Melting Pot,’ or the ‘Salad Bowl.’ The Immigration Museum located on Alice Island shows the country’s history of immigration. Next to Alice Island is Liberty Island, where the Statue of Liberty stands to symbolize the freedom and democracy of the United States. Today, the United States is the economic power boasting the greatest GDP in the world with more than 12 trillion USD (Source: the World Bank, 2007). The country has expanded its economic influence by entering Free Trade Agreements (FTA) with various countries including Australia and Singapore. Moreover, large enterprises of the United States, such as Coca Cola, Starbucks, McDonalds, and Pizza Hut are spread out to all around the world. Represented by Hollywood films, the popular culture of the United States also has great influence. Movie directors, George Lucas, who produced ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Indiana Johns,’ and Steven Spielberg, who produced ‘E.T.’ and ‘Jurassic Park’ are enjoying global fame.
I listed a few others on this post from last year, but I'll post another favorite. Here's how they describe Sudan:
Sudan...
Yeah, that about sums it up.
19 comments:
Ah, the elementary English text and CD-ROM ... that curriculum can't be changed fast enough. The Uganda thing is disgusting.
Another clip I really disliked was the one where Tony (the "fat kid", even though he's not all that fat) weighs himself, and his teacher gawks open-mouthed at his weight. I always thought of Tony as Piggy from Lord of the Flies.
The last 2 years I worked in Korea, I heard rumblings that there was a new curriculum on the horizon ... whenever it materializes, I'd be curious to see if it's any better.
While I know nothing about the public school materials - Brian! Haven't figured out how to use a Mickey Mouse MP3 player? Shame. Twist one ear to change the volume, twist the other ear to go from track to track. Connect the cord to drag and drop music to the device.
13. You may be bothered by children and youngsters who want to speak to foreigners, now and then with bad words which are not intended badly.
I always enjoyed the interaction with children on the street. Even the ones thrust in front of me by random parents who want a free english lesson.
30. Some Koreans are less punctual than Americans but usually they are more tolerant than westerners.
I saw an explanation once that public transit was once terrible unreliable so Koreans just kind of came to culturally accept no one was ever on time.
I struggle to remember even one instance when my GF or one of my Korean friends was ever on time. Although this trait is fairly common in North America socially. However, in business, you're expected to be on time.
Chris, I got that part, but when I try to upload songs I just get the "busy" lights. Even though there are songs in the folder, nothing comes out of the player. I tried downloading the instruction manual from the iriver site, but my zip program is past its trial period. How did you put music on and get it to play?
Don't agree with #14 either. Anti-American sentiment among Koreans isn't limited to politics. It's also cultural and social. Koreans have often expressed negative opinions about American culture and behavioral norms. Koreans have definite stereotypes about Americans that include a number of negatively perceived traits. Holding negative stereotypes of another nationality or culture is found among all peoples; however, associating negative traits with Americans is social/cultural, not political.
correction: however, associating negative traits with another nationality or culture is social/cultural, not political.
Sonagi wrote:
Don't agree with #14 either. Anti-American sentiment among Koreans isn't limited to politics. It's also cultural and social. Koreans have often expressed negative opinions about American culture and behavioral norms.
My guess is that what was meant in #14 is that anti-Americanism in Korea is related to political things but is not targeted toward Americans as individuals. (Of course, even if that is generally true, there are some glaring exceptions, particularly around 2002).
This is hilarious stuff. The idiotic things Koreans believe in are indoctrinated in them since childhood.
Hah, I've seen quite a few posts on these sorts of things now. They must be fairly common, then... scary.
Still, I'm sure every country has its share of other-cultural wrongs thrown in text(books).
@Brian: Go download 7Zip. It's been reliable for me in terms of unzipping anything and everything except image files (of course). http://www.7-zip.org/
Otherwise, I cannot help you. :/
"My guess is that what was meant in #14 is that anti-Americanism in Korea is related to political things but is not targeted toward Americans as individuals."
Still don't agree. Whites and blacks living in Korea have experienced verbal and occasional physical harassment that includes anti-American insults, usually from men. Such incidents are not a regular occurrence for people who "look American," but they do happen.
Sonagi wrote:
Such incidents are not a regular occurrence for people who "look American," but they do happen.
Of course, which is what I was talking about in the parentheses right after the thing you quoted me on.
The "Negro Problem" seems to have put a new twist since Obama's election in my school. Seems like everytime "Peter" (or the Uganda woman) shows up on screen one of my kids invariably yells "Obama!" Anyone else noticing that at their schools?
And yeah... I agree with previous poster about Tony. Tony is definately potrayed as a disgusting slob. I've often wondered if Tony's character personifies Korean stereotypes about white, male American kids... lazy, stupid, fat, etc.
Teaching in the public schools is fun for two reasons: lots of vacation and the ridiculous CD-ROMs! On the private SMOE website we have a long-running post making fun of the videos. Sometimes I have trouble getting through a lesson because I'm laughing at the video.
The worst and most obvious part is definitely the racist themes that appear. The white children are almost always shown as relying upon the Korean kids for ideas and help. The 1 black kid in the video goes from a normal voice to a high pitched yelping voice to just making noises that sounds somewhat like English.
re: bfcdoors
My kids have always called anyone dark skinned "Obama." A guy I know in my area was referred to by the owner of a New York Hotdogs as "a little Obama" in attempting to describe his appearance (as he is a light skinned African American).
Someone could make the argument that they just don't know any better and it's just culturally innocent naivety. However, black people have lived in Korea since they helped protect its "democracy" (read: non-communist dictatorial military regime until the 1980's).
Maybe it's time the government spent some money to overhaul the English text-books and solved racism... all for the low low price of hiring a native speaker to write it.
I met a black guy who said he gets called "Obama Teacher." He's just glad he's not called "OJ Simpson teacher."
"Maybe it's time the government spent some money to overhaul the English text-books and solved racism... all for the low low price of hiring a native speaker to write it."
Good point. Instead of chopping their own thumbs off or eating a flag over incorrect textbooks in Japan, they should take a good look at their own textboks. Of course, a Korean may not even see anything wrong with their textbooks though.
Yeah, all the dark-skinned students in my classes got called "Obama." Or Filipino. I tried to nip that shit in the bud. Well, the kids in Jeollanam-do make fun of the dark-skinned students for being bumpkins, or coarse, or whatever, while the rest of Korea makes fun of Jeollanam-do kids for the same reason.
I'm sympathetic to all the distortions in foreign textbooks. And even things that aren't inaccuracies so much, but just outdated information. I wonder how books can be soooo wrong.
As I looked at in a February post, though, Koreans can be quite sensitive to souces that mention their agricultural roots.
http://briandeutsch.blogspot.com/2009/02/i-cant-think-of-title-for-this-post-and.html
In that post I looked at a dissertation from a student I knew at my alma mater, who objected to a book on Korea showing pictures of students planting rice and other rural things, and said this is no longer representative of modern Korea. Well, I guess she hasn't spent time in Jeollanam-do, then, because that's how things are here, and it's clear there's a bit of shame---a shame that turns to outrage---if Korea is portrayed as anything but a technological superpower.
So I'm sympathetic to all that, but what kills me is just how . . . how bad their own books can be. The ones collected here are just some examples, and this is what they get in their English classes.
Getting back to the Obama thing, I did a presentation about a year ago relating to the book's chapter on noteworthy people in history. Showing pictures of Martin Luther King Jr. brought our catcalls from a number of students. So that was irritating, but what was even more surprising, and annoying, was that they made fun of Yu Gwan-sun for being ugly. You know, the 18-year-old who was tortured and killed by the Japanese in 1920 for speaking out about independence? The one who's supposed to be a national hero? Yeah, she's ugly, because she hasn't had her face cut up like most of you.
So that put all their catcalls into perspective.
I do want to add, in line with bfcdoors said, that it seems pretty common to portray foreigners as buffoons. We see it on TV, and doing this post reminded me of what we talked about regarding the first draft of the "Korea Sparkling" widgit. (See this post).
Reader Charles Montgomery went at it on his blog:
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Watching this widget reveals far more about what Korean thinks about foreigners (uncouth idiots) than it reveals any reason a foreigner would want to visit Korea.
I watched this thing for about 15 minutes and jotted down its little scenarios, which I reproduce below. Seventeen out of the twenty-four scenarios unarguably reveal David (our waegook hero) to be a dangerous idiot. What kind of brilliant marketing scheme is that?
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And in the Korea Times:
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I watched some 24 vignettes during my viewing, and in 17 of them, Dave, the foreigner, was represented as a dangerous idiot who brings danger and shame wherever he goes. In one case he kicks a Korean in the testicles, in another he falls off of a ladder while hanging lanterns, is hit with a stick and pierced by an arrow and shocks an entire family of Koreans by entering their house with his shoes still on.
These are not messages that would appeal to any potential tourist. Rather, they paint Korea as a dangerous place full of potential social pitfalls. It's possible that these vignettes are meant to be humorous. If so, it's another mistake. How many countries with more successful culture-tourism campaigns use Three Stooges-type humor for self-promotion?
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I'm not saying Tony being an idiot is racist, offensive, discriminatory, or anything else, so the usual suspects please don't read that into my comments. And it's not like if they introduced 34% more idiocy from Nami I'd be satisfied.
But I wonder why the one making mistakes is always the foreigner. It doesn't help Koreans adjust to having foreigners around them, or prepare them for encountering other people on their travels. In the English textbooks I've taught from there is always something about a white guy walking into a Korean house with his shoes on, somebody dropping food with chopsticks, and invariably several mentions about how they can't eat the spicy food. Curious, never any chapters about how Minsu chews like a brontosaurus and offends everyone around him, or how Sujin stares at foreigners, or how Ms. Park drives like a fuckhead. Always in the English book it's about foreigners who can't adjust to Korea, rather than trying to introduce universal themes or at least cultural norms found in other parts of the world.
I can appreciate teaching Korean students how to talk about the things they see and do in their ordinary lives---actually I think that's an excellent way to do it---but can we do it without making the fat kid or the black kid looking stupid?
That was a good post, Brian. I've been appalled by many of the depictions of Westerners in Korean textbooks (and also of Asians in the American textbooks they import - it works both ways). What's worse is when the schools make materials themselves based upon the individual prejudices of the teachers. I've blogged about this a few times, but there are too many incidents and I fear I'm just being over-sensitive. A lot of the time they're trying to make people tolerate other races, whilst looking down upon them. That's one of the things I hate most about being in Korea - the fact that when people are being "nice" it's because they think we're on the same level as dogs...
And yeah, the advice for foreigners coming to Korea always makes me laugh. They try and say "Koreans stare but they're just curious..." when actually a lot of the time it's simply to show the foreigner he's not welcome.
I remember a conversation I had with a student who, at the beginning of the semester he was in my class, seemed ready to bring up stereotypes about North America with me. He asked me if I think America's higher divorce rate shows that America has lower family values than Korea, and I responded with a question -- I ALWAYS respond with questions when I'm dealing with prejudices, to avoid sounding defensive -- and asked whether it might also be the fact women don't get much opportunity to support themselves, that divorce is highly stigmatized here, and there is barely any social support for single mothers in Korea. After that he was more hesitant to bring up stereotypes that cast Western society in a negative light.
Sometimes it strikes me as strange that my students often want to frame discussions in terms of "Korea" and "the West" -- as if France, Italy, England, Canada, and New Zealand all have a single, monolithic culture. But then... if their textbooks don't even bother telling them that other countries than Korea also have four distinct seasons, we've got a long ways to go before we can expect these textbooks to give a fair picture.
"My guess is that what was meant in #14 is that anti-Americanism in Korea is related to political things but is not targeted toward Americans as individuals. (Of course, even if that is generally true, there are some glaring exceptions, particularly around 2002)."
There are FIVE glaring incidents of 2008 as well.
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