By Chekar Choon Key, Research Professor, the May 18 Institute
Call me a patriot but I firmly believe that Korean language should not be taken for granted. I personally came across a number of people (most of whom are not native Korean speakers) who were fascinated by the capacity and the efficiency of the language in particular its aesthetic value as a written form. So as a proud Korean-language-lover, should I worry about the prospect of text messaging changing (or even ruining) Korean language? In order to answer this question properly, one has to elaborate. First by asking what constitutes changes in a language and then by looking at the specific role of text messaging. And in this article I will include online text-based communication as well as mobile phone messaging as the boundaries have blurred between these two after the invention of the Smartphone.
Sculpture of Hangeul
No one would disagree with the fact that we use more text messages than ever before and this is certainly not just the case for young people. Thanks to the popularity of a mobile phone, text messaging (also widely known as short text message service or SMS) has become a big part of our daily life. Moreover, more and more people use instant messaging (IM) – real-time direct text-based chatting communication – daily basis for personal use and/or for work. The beauty (and difficulties) of communication is that different modes of communication facilitate different communication. The way we speak with someone face to face is somewhat different from the way we speak over the phone. We are inclined to write down a message in quite different ways depending on what platform we are using: e.g. SMS, IM or a post-it note.
I once even anticipated that the increasing number of writing platforms such as message boards, blogs, and social network systems would have positive influences on Korean language, one of which is the agreement of the spoken forms with the written one. I am unsure if my eager anticipation has been fulfilled but I am certain that we are given more opportunities to express our thoughts and opinions in a written form. So a question I would like to ask is we become better writers now compared to before? And were our daily practices of text messaging help or harm for us to become better writers?
I do send and receive text messages a lot, a lot more than I think I do. My Smartphone displays all my text messages as if they are IM rather than old-fashioned SMS. Some messages are spelt properly and proper grammar and punctuation are used. Some messages consist of only emoticons or deliberately miss-spelt words (for fun and efficiency) and slang that I would not normally use when I deliver lectures or presentations. My point is text messaging is a perfect example of how people adapt and mould language to suit different contexts. One might argue that the real concern is that ‘textism’ creeps into more formal writing including students’ written assignments. I have to confess that I have witnessed this tendency particularly from first year CNU students. It would be simple and clear to condemn mobile phones and web-based chatting services for ruining the beautiful Korean language and we can forget all about it because it is way too late to ban either of them. But I see the bigger problem outside of the world of web and mobile phones.
My observations tell me that Korean people do not cherish the Korean language the way it deserves. It seems to me that South Korean society is extremely lenient with broken Korean. Reading some articles that are published by South Korean national newspapers is sometimes such hard work because you have to follow your hunches to understand what the author is trying to say. This is a society where the value of translation is so cheap that you do not even see the point of good translation. And do not even get me started on Englishnisation of the Korean language. Ironically, South Korea has a natural habitat of broken English while the whole society invests unbelievable amounts of resources and efforts to improve it. This is the reason why I blame the insensitivity towards the Korean language, not the mobile phone and not the internet chatting culture.
