Seoul Tries To Shock Parents Out Of Linguistic Surgery

Independent (UK) ^ | 1-3-2004 | Kathy Marks

[cajungirl]

I think it was done for kids with articulation problems. And it is interesting the Human Rights whatevers are going ballistic over this. Why aren't they screaming about circumcision,,surely as bad as this. I know I am opening a pandora's box here but hey, it is Friday, I got nothing to do tonite.

[cajungirl]

That is funny. Odd how tv or movie phrases become part of a family's communication. My sisters and I saw Stepford Wives at a young age,,we stilll do the "what you need is a nice cop of coffee" in Stepford wife style and crack each other up.

[cajungirl]

"Nice fresh perked cup of coffee"

[Geritol]

One third of my children here in the USA needed this procedure. The oldest daughter could not touch the roof of her mouth with the tip of her tongue. She could not lick her lips. The strap between the mid-line of the bottom of the tongue and the gums behind the lower middle teeth was very short and literally tied the tongue tip to the base of the teeth. This caused slurring of Ts, Ns, etc. The first doc botched it and it grew back together in a few weeks. Had to do it all over again. Not very pleasant at the time, but she now assures me that she would do it all over again. She can almost touch her nose with the tip of the tongue now. Fortunately she can not quite pull the famous Stitch maneuver.

I think this is the same procedure that the article is about, but I am not positive. If so, IIHO, this is much less painful, and definitely less painful in the long term, than braces for imperfect teeth. On the other hand, is it worth it just for the Korean child to excel at the nonnative English language? I am unqualified to respond to that.

[blam]

"I know a bunch of people of Korean heritage, some born here, some who came over as kids. They all speak English perfectly. If it was a genetic issue particular to Koreans, they too would have problems speaking English. "

Yes, I had two Korean (engineers) employees (male & female) and they both spoke perfect English. The female was raised in Texas and had a slight Texas drawl. The male was an immigrant from Korea.

[Ruth A.]

It is simple to prove how nonsensical this is. Track a Korean baby who was sent to Britian or the US for adoption. All babies learn the language in which they are raised. Simple linguistics. Parents want to give their babies a step up--they should learn perfect English. One parent could speak Korean all day and the other English. The kids may mishmash the languages for a couple of years, but it will smooth out and they will be bilingual.

[KarlInOhio]

where a hot-line has been set up for people to report errors of English spelling or grammar on signs

The folks at engrish.com aren't going to like that.

[Jeff Gordon]

How very cunning of you to come up with that!

Yes, it clearly was not fallacious.

[Ichneumon]

It is simple to prove how nonsensical this is. Track a Korean baby who was sent to Britian or the US for adoption. All babies learn the language in which they are raised.

Correct.

One of the funnier examples was a stand-up comedian I once saw (I regret I forget his name). He was full-blooded Korean, and looked every bit of it, but he had been raised from infancy in Tennessee, and had a perfectly natural "American hillbilly" accent that he couldn't hide if he tried, and not a shred of Asian accent. It made such an incongruous effect that he wrote his comedy act around it. And his act was hilarious.