I learned fairly quickly that age is very important in Korea, largely because of the influence of Confucianism.
". . . Age is really, really important within the Korean society. Age determines respect among peers, co-workers and acquaintances. It also determines who Koreans can be friends with, as it's almost impossible for a Korean to be close friends with anyone who is not their same age exactly. This is reflected in their language, as Korean has an entirely different set of rules and words for when you're speaking to someone older than you (and thus someone deserving respect regardless of character), than someone your own age; and then another set of language short-cuts for speaking to those younger than you. It's really three languages in one, but this is just a reflection of the importance of respect and age in everyday life." (quoted from: two4onekorea.blogspot.kr)
"Age is so important in Korea that even one year difference between two people means that the younger one will have to address the older person with respect." (quoted from: seoulkoreaasia.com)
Knowing how important age is here, perhaps I shouldn't have been surprised when, a few days ago, a student asked me a question about it in class.
We were reading one of the storybooks that accompany their Let's Go 2 textbook (These are young Korean students, in the 2nd grade).
The storybook begins something like this:
"Kelly is 9 years old. She lives on Diamond Street.
Danny is ten years old. He lives on Oval Street.
Kelly and Danny are best friends."
It is a small class, so I know the students well and they are comfortable with me.
One of the girls in the class interrupted the reading and came to my desk and asked (I am revising her English), "Kelly is 9 and Danny is 10 . . . how can they be best friends?"
Perhaps I shouldn't have been surprised, but I was. Shocked, actually. How can a child so young place such an importance on age? It is clearly a cultural difference that is hard for westerners such as myself to comprehend.
". . . Age is really, really important within the Korean society. Age determines respect among peers, co-workers and acquaintances. It also determines who Koreans can be friends with, as it's almost impossible for a Korean to be close friends with anyone who is not their same age exactly. This is reflected in their language, as Korean has an entirely different set of rules and words for when you're speaking to someone older than you (and thus someone deserving respect regardless of character), than someone your own age; and then another set of language short-cuts for speaking to those younger than you. It's really three languages in one, but this is just a reflection of the importance of respect and age in everyday life." (quoted from: two4onekorea.blogspot.kr)
"Age is so important in Korea that even one year difference between two people means that the younger one will have to address the older person with respect." (quoted from: seoulkoreaasia.com)
Knowing how important age is here, perhaps I shouldn't have been surprised when, a few days ago, a student asked me a question about it in class.
We were reading one of the storybooks that accompany their Let's Go 2 textbook (These are young Korean students, in the 2nd grade).
The storybook begins something like this:
"Kelly is 9 years old. She lives on Diamond Street.
Danny is ten years old. He lives on Oval Street.
Kelly and Danny are best friends."
It is a small class, so I know the students well and they are comfortable with me.
One of the girls in the class interrupted the reading and came to my desk and asked (I am revising her English), "Kelly is 9 and Danny is 10 . . . how can they be best friends?"
Perhaps I shouldn't have been surprised, but I was. Shocked, actually. How can a child so young place such an importance on age? It is clearly a cultural difference that is hard for westerners such as myself to comprehend.
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