Looking back at my previous writing, I could say that the unit “Language and Culture in Contact” section has deepened this linguistic exploration. The unit’s emphasis on language acquisition as a social phenomenon is in line with the younger generation in Vietnam who are studying Korean for cultural immersion as well as academic purposes. It is about more than just learning a language; it is about becoming involved in a world community that is formed by cross-cultural exchanges. My absorption in K-pop essentially captures the concept of the unit, which is the complex dance between language and culture. It involves more than simply decoding lyrics; it also involves understanding cultural quirks, joining a worldwide community of fans, and establishing relationships that overcome language barriers. The unit has given my language journey a deeper meaning by presenting it as an in-depth investigation of the ways in which language and culture are intertwined in the dynamic universe of K-pop.

Thanks, Nurunnahar! So glad to hear that 🙂

One of the most fascinating aspect I have learned from this unit is that language and culture are interconnected .While reading this article I have realised that popular cultures can work as an encouragement for language learning and how media works as an effective tool in terms of cultural exchange and language learning process. This can even promote mutual appreciation and helps people to connect with each other from different parts of the world. The unit helped me to understand that language plays a significant role in how people connect with their own culture as well as with other cultures of the world. It felt very captivating to me that how I have started watching “The Glory” show randomly with subtitles and how it changed into one of my favourite Tv shows and how it encouraged me to learn more about Korean language and its culture. The unit has helped me to think more critically about language and culture as it allowed me to read some interesting blogs and by commenting in those blogs my idea about language and culture and how it works have developed.

What a great topic! The fact that K-pop culture, especially Hallelujah, has an important and strong impact in Vietnam. A long time ago, just a few K-pop artists came to Vietnam like DAVICHI, EXO, and T-ARA but since last year, more and more well-known K-pop artists have performed in my country like Super Junior, 2NE1, Blackpink, etc. The appearance of these groups not only helps to increase the relationship between the two countries but also promotes K-pop culture. According to Touring Data, The Blackpink’s shows in Hanoi were attended by an estimated 70,000 people, which means it attracted the attention of thousands of people in Vietnam. Nowadays, the older generation also knows about Blackpink. In the younger generation, the popularity of pop culture is more expressed. They can easily sing along to many songs, even when they don’t understand the languages or can try to say some famous sentences like;” Saranghyeo” (I love you), “Michoso” (Are you crazy?), “Bogo sipeo” (I miss you), “Oppa”…. Many songs in Vietnam try to add more famous Korean words and people still understand “Kachima” (Don’t go) in Chạm đáy nỗi đau – Erik, “Chowahae” ( I like you” in Take it Slow – Lip B. Therefore, pop culture has a strong affected on my country’s language.

Hi Lily, the first English TV I ever watched was also Friends, which was recommended by my English teacher when I was still in high school in China. She would even use the dialogues in Friends as examples to explain English culture and grammar to the students in class. It can be said that English culture has been integrated into our education and daily life. Even the out-of-school English tutorials that my aunt is looking for for her three-year-old daughter are using cartoons to get the kids interested.

Thank you for your experience!

Hi Saraf, I completely understand what you are conveying because I have the same experience as you. I was also first exposed to K-pop many years ago when SNSD, T-ARA and BIGBANG started to emerge. After a long time of exposure, I also got used to using some Korean phrases like oppa, daebak, aegyo in daily life. Later, when I was attracted to Chinese school youth movies, I gradually became interested and started learning Chinese (Mandarin). Our experience indicates how personal interests and pop culture impact broaden language possibilities. It demonstrates the impact of music and media in moulding our linguistic experiences.

The comment highlights how Indian pop culture has a profound impact on Bangladesh that influences its language and culture. It shows that language can change and adapt when exposed to various influences. The comment also emphasizes the role of media in terms of bridging cultural gaps and connecting nations. It also focuses that how cultures are interconnected because of shared histories as well as popular cultural practices. It also reflects the value of accepting cultural diversity and this can promote understanding and appreciation for diverse cultures of South Asia. This comment has extended my thinking regarding language and culture in contact in a sense that it shows how cultural and historical ties between countries can lead to the adoption of language as well as some cultural practises and how language is evolving because of sociocultural environment. For example: the comment shows how Bengali people use Hindi words and phrases in their conversations, which shows that languages are flexible and can easily adapt when influenced by outdoor sources.

Thank you for sharing valuable information and your thoughts about English pop culture in Germany and Australia, Natalie. Your comment made me reflect how American pop culture to be dominant all over the world and in South Korea.

I didn’t know how increased impact of American pop culture after WWII. In addition, I found other causes of the prevalence of American pop culture, which are advanced media and entertainment industry, economic power, English language, globalization and its trendsetting reputation. As we learned in this unit, English as Lingua Franca emerged by multiple factors such as colonization of British empire, globalization and English education as second language. At this point, I think we can conclude that the influence of American pop culture and the English language can be defined as a virtuous circle.

The story of how American pop culture became known in Korea is a little different. After Korean war, U.S. army decided to be present in South Korea to support South Korea government against North Korea and the economic ties between South Korea and U.S. established. These two political movements led to increase of the significance of English and American culture in South Korea. Of course, emergence of digital revolution accelerates the prevalence of English and American pop culture in South Korea as well.

Your comment has highlighted the impact of Hangeul on global spread of Korean culture.
The fact that Hangeul was specifically designed to represent the sounds of Korean has reflected the beauty and connection between language and culture. I believe it is a symbol of cultural pride to every Korean especially when the language has become a powerful tool to connect people from all over the world to Hallyu. Hangeul is a bridge not only for communication but also for the mutual enrichment of diverse cultures. Moreover, it is so remarkable how simply watching Korean movies can immerse people in Korean culture, from understanding slangs to appreciating Korean customs such as enjoying beer and fried chicken in a rainy day. Hangeul system has made it easier for people like me access to the beauty of Korean culture which makes South Korea a must – visit country on my bucket list.

Thanks, Li Jia, for sharing! The touted opportunities of tourism often only accrue to a minority while everyone else in the destination is inconvenienced at best and displaced at worst …

Oh wow, that’s such exciting news! Congratulations!!!

Wonderful project, Aaron! Looking forward to hearing from your study with international students in South Korea!

Very interesting to hear from the quote about Hong Kong in Korean lyrics. It reminds me of my recent visit in Shangari-la, a northwestern city in Yunnan, China. To the rich, the word ‘Shangari-la’ seems to capture luxurious values attached to fancy hotels worldwide, and to international visitors, Shangari-la might carry romantic and exotic favors because of the published book (Lost Horizon), but my recent visit to Shangari-la is a striking contrast. I saw ‘the poor in paradise’, international or domestic tourism has not seemed to empower local people’s living conditions. Shangari-la for many locals is not as desirable as depicted by mass media but an undesirable place for economic development and individual opportunities.

Thanks for sharing with us your experiences in picking up Thai by Thai movies. There are quite a number of Chinese cross-border minorities like Dai, Hani and Zhuang who would find it earlier to learn to speak Vietnamese, Lao and Thai than English. The nation-wide promotion of Thai culture in China has provided a new space for these ethnic minorities to valorize their legitimacy both at study and at work. One of ethnic minority students in my previous blog has just been accepted by an elite university in Beijing this year. Her empowerment started from transferring from majoring in English to Thai as the blog demonstrates: https://www.languageonthemove.com/foreign-language-learning-for-minority-empowerment/