Guest Posted October 20, 2003 Report Share Posted October 20, 2003 http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?...... A Short Cut to Better Spoken English SEOUL (Reuters) - Chop about half an inch or so off your tongue and become a fluent English speaker. That is the hope that recently drove one mother to take her six-year-old son for surgery aimed at ridding him of his Korean accent when speaking the language of choice in global business. Driven by a desire to give their kids an edge in an increasingly competitive society, a surprising number of South Koreans have turned to the knife in a seemingly drastic bid to help their offspring perfect their English. "Those who have a short frenulum (a strap of tissue linking the tongue to the floor of the mouth) can face problems pronouncing some characters due to a disturbance in lateral movements of the tongue," said Bae Jung-ho, an oral surgeon at Seoul's Yonsei Severance Hospital, who operated on the six-year-old last month. Bae said it takes about five minutes to complete the operation, called a frenotomy, which slices about half an inch off the frenulum to make the tongue more flexible. "There is a razor-thin risk of complications and, unless it is the best option possible, we don't recommend it." Bae said that he had received many inquiries about the operation, mostly for children aged between 12 months and 10 years. Of these, only 10 to 20 percent had led to surgery. The doctor said he performed the surgery, which costs about $125, once or twice per month. For a tangible improvement for those with ankyloglossia -- the medical term for those with a short frenulum -- months of language training is needed even after surgery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torneyboy Posted October 20, 2003 Report Share Posted October 20, 2003 Hi Peter A bit extreme to say the least. Talk about parents pushing their kids. :: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 20, 2003 Report Share Posted October 20, 2003 From another source, the article in full length. The third part gives the explanation. Seems to be a good place for English teachers though (see also Possessed_Seoul's thread in regional sanuk). http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/SEO12275.htm ...... GROWING FOREIGN PARTICIPATION You would be hard-pressed to find a country that is more feverish in its attempts to learn English than South Korea. From toddlers to students to office workers, learning English has become a national obsession. The focus on English surged after the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis rocked South Korea's economy, Asia's fourth-largest, throwing a record number of people out of work. Financial markets were subsequently flung open and foreign investment flowed in, creating a need for communication. "English is now becoming a means of survival," said Cha Kyoung-ae, a professor who teaches English at a local university. "Entering a college, getting jobs and getting promoted -- many things hinge heavily on your mastery of English. "The surgery may be an extreme case but it reflects a social phenomenon," said Cha. "When it comes to language, money and prestige speak louder." Many Koreans believe an early start in English could give their children an edge and so do not hesitate to send them overseas or at least to evening classes. Central bank data show that spending for overseas study by South Koreans, including those who leave purely for a language course, jumped to $1.43 billion in 2002 from $960 million in 2000. The number of people leaving the country to study is also on the rise. Nearly 344,000 Koreans departed last year, up sharply on a figure of about 200,000 in 1999. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torneyboy Posted October 20, 2003 Report Share Posted October 20, 2003 Hi Peter Amazing statistics..i know 2 Korean students studying here...have their full tongue however :: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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