Word order:
Korean (English)
(1) I good feel.(I feel good.)
(2) those words never heard of (I have never heard of those words)Despite the difference in word order between English and Korean, Korean learners rarely fail in arranging words in the right order as in the following examples:
(3) Can you recommend the best one?
(4) I don’t have much time to read.
*** Today Korea’s weather is fine.
***Today was very difficult but exciting.
Early acquisition of word order does not mean that there was no interference from Korean. Even advanced learners of English make frequent errors in the word order using the Korean subject-object-verb order. Moreover, we have examples where minor errors in word order are attributable partly or wholly to transfer.
(5) I think it’ll be really great memory you both for.
(6) no I will have many tests from next year 17. (starting from January 17, next year)
(7) Anyway, every my mistake, write down!
You wanna wear this my ring?
I and my children are all right.
This paper said about our this year’s fortune
(8) your friend is how old?
I’m your student who take Tuesday 6th class
Dear Park Professor.
(9) Washington president.
(10) thanksgiving always is celebrated in November. (Thanksgiving is always celebrated in November)
(11) But Canada is except. (but in Canada)
Here two questions arise:
(1) How is English word order acquired so early?
(2) Does the L2 word order verify that interference is not operative?
Answer (1):
- English and Korean are mirror images in many cases:
- English is an SVO language whereas Korean is an SOV language.
- Implicational universals (Breenberg, 1966)
(can do/ halsuissda, (the girl whom I met yesterday/ naega eje manassden gu sonye), (the pretty girl/yebbeun sonye).
- These universal implications evidently reflect natural conceptualizations and production processes.
- The Korean learner who has internalized the basic SVO order tends to follow the implied order of grammatical relation rather than producing the L2 order which is unnatural and against the implications.
- Another reason may be the functional characteristics of word order in English. In English, meaning depends on the order of subject, direct object and indirect object. In Korean, however, case is determined by case markers, not by order thus allowing free order scrambling.
Answer (2):
The question of interference characteristics of L2 word order that interference is operative cannot be verified.
Ellipsis (omission, deletion):
Situationally or contextually predictable utterances are frequently observed in Korean, which causes error types of ellipsis for Korean learners of English.
(1) Today was hot (subject and be verb deleted). ‘It was hot today.’
Have to teach how to study (subject and object deleted). ‘You have to teach them how to study.’
Know how to go (subject deleted). ‘You know how to go.’
Have to persevere until send a car (subject and oblique case are deleted). ‘You have to persevere until I send a car.’
In Korea have four season (subject deleted). ‘There are four seasons in Korea.’ or ‘Korea has four seasons.’
(2) I thanked for (object is deleted). ‘I thanked you for that.’
I didn’t my best (main verb is deleted). ‘I didn’t do my best.’
I used to absent from (verb and object of the preposition are deleted). ‘I used to be absent from class.’
I determined to do (verb and object are deleted). ‘I am determined to do it.’
I felt English class duller and duller(the verb is deleted). ‘I felt English class become duller and duller.’
What do eat for breakfast? (What do you eat for breakfast?)
These are all elliptic phenomena due to L1 transfer, the interference from Korean which allows free deletion of any nominal elements recoverable situationlly or contextually.
Articles
Articles are another frequently observed type of errors. According to Sohn(1986), almost 15% of all errors are associated with article.
Due to syntactic and semantic complexity of articles, Korean adults rarely achieve a native-like control of articles. Semantically, the Korean topic (-nun) and focus (-ga) makers only partially overlap with the English definite (the) and indefinite (a) articles. -nun and the are related to old information and -ka and a to new information. Thus many Koreans get confused. Korean topic and focus markers overlap almost completely with those (-wa and -ga) of Japanese both in syntax and semantics. However, it is also possible that errors in the use of articles are intralingual and developmental. Both a first language learner and a second language learner make similar mistakes. Accordingly, there is a possibility that those errors are developmental in nature. Three different types of errors in the use of articles can be observed: (1) the omission of articles, (2) the addition of articles, and (3) the misuse of articles.
omission of articles
* the omission of ‘the’
1. I believe Thanksgiving Day is the biggest holiday in ( ) U.S.
2. ( ) First immigrants were called pilgrims.
3. ( ) Pilgrims were good friends with ( ) Indians
4. …after ( ) harvest.
5. …after they had arrived in ( ) new land.
* the insertion of the unnecessary ‘a’ and the omission of ‘the’ in 7 ( ).
6. The Pilgrims and the Indians had a big dinner together to give a thanks to God for their good luck.
7. In ( ) present, it is a huge ceremony, as big as a Christmas.
* the omission of ‘a’
8. They had ( ) big dinner.
9. They are ready for ( ) wonderful dinner.
10. Take care. I’ll send you ( ) email.
(12-07-2001 CCDL, Korea Univ.)
addition
Unnecessary articles are also observed from Korean learners of English.
*Necessary articles are omitted while unnecessary articles are added
1. When they reached the land of ( ) United States, they have a little food and clothes.
2. The Americans came from the Europe about three hundred and fifty years ago.
3. They were good friends with the Indians and tried to grow the corn and other crops…
4. Thanksgivings day is the day in which the Christians thank the God.
5. When I read a my book, I found that I still have H.W.
6. They had a stillness and a comfort.
7. We can eat it by putting it in the boiling water for a moment.
8. Well, it’s the Korean barbeque.
misuse
Due to the syntactic and semantic complexity of English articles, Korean learners of English confuse when to use ‘a/an’ and ‘the’ resulting in an awkward and even unacceptable use of articles.
* misuse of ‘a/an’ when ‘the’ is needed
1. I have been went to a hospital for 4 months, and I have to go to a hospital every Tuesday.
2. I don’t know whether I can get a ticket. (‘the ticket’)
* misuse of ‘the’ when ‘a/an’ is needed
1. It’s the story about the guy who wanna be the best cook.
2. It is the Korean traditional food.
3. The Japanese cookies are famous?
4. It is the seasoned beef
* errors in usage
5. Since then Thanksgiving Days has been a truly American holiday and they have eaten turkey, corn, and squash on the day. (on that/this day would be better)
6. Well, I think it takes lots of time to make the rice boiled.
(to make the rice or to boil the rice)
Prepositions:
Prepositions are still another area of importance where both syntactic and semantic interference of Korean become apparent:
omission
I graduated ( ) high school in 1984. I graduated ( ) gyeonggi high school.
These sentences illustrate the omission of a preposition where one is needed. The omission is due to the corresponding Korean sentences. For example, the verb ‘graduate’ does not require any preposition. In Korean. In English, however, a preposition (‘from’) is needed.
addition
So I’m missing them (friends) by must now. ‘I miss them now’
He doesn’t want with marry with her. ‘ He doesn’t want to marry her’
wrong preposition
I want to study about many fields.
I can speak and listen a little about English.
My hobby is reading about any books.
And, this class is good to me.
It takes to me by one hour by bus.
As in the case of articles, prepositions are very difficult for Korean learners to master. Three different types of preposition errors are found among Korean learners of English: (1) deletion of prepositions, (2) addition of prepositions, and (3) wrong use of prepositions.
Conclusion:
It is recommended that the syntactic and semantic rules of English covering the types of errors observed should be taught for Korean learners of English. Since many Korean learners of English do make errors which are related to their L1, it is strongly suggested that the structural and semantic differences between English and Korean be gradually introduced and systematically taught. The bi-directionality should be considered.
© Cyber Learning @ Waseda University
