Mr. Patton is obviously frustrated with overt English usage in advertising and in public places. He asks, "How long does this have to continue? Unfortunately, most of the thousands of native English speakers living here are either desensitized to it or amused by these errors." Yes, he is correct in his narrow viewpoint. However, does he believe that thousands of native English speakers can correct the English of the Korean people? Later on in the article, near the end, he suggests his solution, "This leads me to a fairly intuitive solution for Korea's proofreading woes; At every major university in the country, there is a staff of well-educated native English speakers who work in language centers and English Departments." Wait, first he suggests native speakers in the country then arrogantly sugguests native speakers working at university can solve the problem. Now, only a select few, from the thousands, can help proofread and correct public slogans and signs.
I think Mr. Patton missed the marked. We, as native speakers of English, are only a bandage to a bigger problem of English. To change the English abilities of people starts in the root of education or the pedegogy of it. Yes this country spends a good portion of the GDP on English education but it is not well spent. I believe to change "Korea's proofreading woes" begins in elementary school when students first learn their ABC's and not after it. He's suggestion is in-line with the reason why natives are here, to put a bandage on the problem. Teaching English in University is quite late considering that the students already have their fundalmental language learning already. To lessen these proofreading woes, I suggest, starts at the fundalmental beginning stages of English. It has been less than 20 years since the first big wave of natives came to this country. I think slowly, the fruits of labor from the natives are becoming realized. Natives are changing English in Korea, but one bandage at a time and soon the wound will heal.
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