A Comparison of the Korean and English Languages

1. Language Comparison Poster
A Summary of the
Data Analysis Journal
and Language Comparison Paper
Sharon Marie Gillespie
Wilkes University
April 1, 2012

2. Part 1- Summary of Data Analysis Journal
The Biography of a ELL learner- “Sally”
Sally is an advanced adult ELL learner from
Korea.
She has lived in the U.S. for over 30 years. She is
well-educated and holds two Master degrees.
She has pursued English studies beginning in
Korean middle school (7th grade) through
college years (Masters degree in English
language and literature).

3. Part 1- Summary of Data Analysis Journal
Sally's Language Errors (Verb Tenses)
About 50 % of Sally's language errors were
Verb Tense Errors
Example: my parents have a six kids
Correct English: my parents had six kids
Sally's error was the use of an incorrect tense for an irregu-
lar verb (present to past).
Sally struggled with irregular English verbs, complex verb
tenses, and article confusion.

4. Part 1- Summary of Data Analysis Journal
Sally's Language Errors (Vocabulary)
Sally's errors included the
Mispronunciation of Vocabulary
Example: miraclesly Correct English: miraculously
Sally's error was the omission of a middle morpheme in a
multisyllabic word.
Sally has strong academic knowledge of vocabulary, but
lacks speaking practice with correct pronunciation.
My observation: “Her reading and knowledge of word meanings
surpasses her speaking and pronunciation abilities.”

5. Part 1- Summary of Data Analysis Journal
The Conclusion
In summary, Sally’s oral language skills as an
ELL are advanced. In over thirty years of
learning English and living in America, she has
developed an impressive English vocabulary.
Her errors while speaking are mostly slight
pronunciation mistakes or incorrect use of
grammar in sentences. With further oral
speaking practice, her errors could easily be
corrected. Her desire to learn the English
language and to study English literature is truly
inspiring.

6. Part 2- Summary of Language Comparison Paper
Features of the Korean Language
The Korean Language …
- belongs to the Ural-Altaic Language Family
- seems to be related to Japanese and heavily influenced by
Chinese (70 % of Korean vocabulary comes from Chinese
words)
The Korean alphabet is called Hangeul
- consists of 14 simple consonants and 6 simple vowels
Since 1980, the Korean writing direction from left to right
in horizontal lines is increasingly more popular.

7. Part 2- Summary of Language Comparison Paper
Language Structures of Korean and English
Both Korean and English...
- follow the same direction of writing
- use the alphabetic principle to distinguish consonants and
vowels
Differences between Korean and English...
- sentence structure (Korean is SOV, English is SVO)
- Korean does not use articles, conjugation of verbs, auxil-
iaries, or word stress/ rhythm
- most reference to the past in Korean is accomplished
through a simple past tense

8. Part 2- Summary of Language Comparison Paper
Interlanguage Development from Korean to English
At times, Korean ELLs can make errors in inflection,
denoting tense, and creating plural nouns.
Students may have difficulty telling the boundaries of
multisyllabic words and morpheme parts.
They may struggle with the English article system.
Students may need to practice the rhythmic nature of the
English language to avoid a monotonous 'flat' quality of
speaking.

9. Part 2- Summary of Language Comparison Paper
Analysis of Korean ELL's Errors
Sally confused verb tenses (present participle and
past). Difficulties with tenses and inflections were
seen in Sally's incorrect use of irregular verbs.
Sally made typical mistakes in omitting and
extending the use of articles and prepositions.
Sally struggled in distinguishing the morpheme
parts of multisyllabic words.

10. Part 2- Summary of Language Comparison Paper
Instructional Implications for Korean ELLs
When writing and speaking, Korean ELLs will most likely
struggle with grammar and inflection.
Koren ELLs may benefit from explicit instruction on verb
tenses, articles, and subject/ verb agreement.
To further develop speaking abilities, Korean ELLs will
need extensive practice with word stress and the rhythm
of the English language.
As a future ESL teacher, this research has helped me to
anticipate future errors and discern specific areas of
instruction for Korean ELLs.