LING 487 MLC ProSem 2014 May 7Anna Trester Hanwool Choe

Industry Research Report:

Linguistic Analysis on Korean and American guidebooks for newcomers

I am not alone

On August 5th, 2013, I arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport. A new

chapter of my life in the United States started but, I was all alone. There were no wi-fi,

cellphone, families, and friends. My two big suitcases and one wandering pigeon were around

me. I was tired and lonely, feeling like I was an alien. However, my life in America has been

going well unlike the first day I arrived all alone at the U.S. I had the feeling that I lived in

the cloud with excitement and contentment during my last semester where I, apparently, was

in honeymoon phase on the U-curve of cultural adjustment. Now, passing by the honeymoon

phase, I have been in the middle of culture shock and adjustment phases, feeling confused

and satisfied at the same time every day. Fortunately, I have met so many amazing people

here; they are always willing to help me, support me, listen to me, and spend quality time

with me. Without them, I could not have made my life in America joyful and eventful and

might not have overcome my stress and worries.

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Figure 1: U-curve of cultural adjustmentFigure 1: a pigeon at the airport

LING 487 MLC ProSem 2014 May 7Anna Trester Hanwool Choe

South Korea: Are you ready to be an all-embracing society?

Then, how do newcomers to South Korea settle down in their new environment? My

home country, South Korea, has been entering a multicultural phase with an increasing

number of North Korean defectors, international students, interracial marriage couples, and

immigrant workers. According to the a survey carried out in 2013 by Kyungbuk ilbo1, one of

Korean local newspapers, the top three challenges that newcomers to South Korea have

usually faced with are 1) language barrier, 2) the lack of real life information, and 3) cultural

adjustment.

The Target Industry: Governmental Publication from Danuri

The Korean government has put continuous efforts into solving such issues and

increasing the recognition of multiculturalism in South Korea. One of their bids for

multiculturalism in South Korea is to publish guidebooks for newcomers to South Korea.

Danuri (http://www.liveinkorea.kr/global/index.asp), a governmental website providing

information and help for multicultural families in South Korea, is charged with producing

such books. The recent published guidebook for living in Korea came out in 2013.

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According to Brown & Levinson (1987), requests, commands, and all other types of directives constitute negative FTAs.

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Figure 2: Danuri logoFigure 2: Danuri logoFigure 2: Danuri logoFigure 2: Danuri logoFigure 2: Danuri logoFigure 2: Danuri logoFigure 2: Danuri logoFigure 2: Danuri logo

LING 487 MLC ProSem 2014 May 7Anna Trester Hanwool Choe

For this Industrial Research Report, I would like to focus on one of Danuri’s

publications, a guidebook for newcomers to South Korea: Guidebook for Living in Korea

(GLK). What I am hoping through this research is that my study can play a substantive role in

inspiring those who work with the Danuri who are people concerned to design a more

informative, useful, and practical guidebook for readers. I strongly believe that my little

movement can bring a big miracle that Korean society can move forward to an all-embracing

vision of multicultural society.

Linguistic Concepts for Analysis: Metamessage and Linguistic Empathy

In this study, I will look over GLK’s linguistic shortcomings about its contents’

design and organization, comparing with an American guidebook for newcomers, Welcome

to the United States (WU), prepared by the Cultural Orientation Center in Center for Applied

Linguistics, under the two linguistic notions: metamessage and linguistic empathy. Before

moving on to the analysis, such notions must be defined first.

According to Tannen (2012), metamessage is what is actually communicated beyond

message. The message has hidden meanings beyond its words. Tannen (1986) describes

metamessage as “what is communicated about relationships – attitudes toward each other, the

occasion, and what we are saying” (p. 16). In reading, metamessage can be defined as

underlying meaning between the lines. Hence, how writers arrange sentence structures, use

registers, choose vocabulary, organize topics and contents can affect the original intention

and purpose of book-making and can be the central to the way the readers understand, learn,

and feel from reading.

According to Martinovsky (2006), empathy can be elicited, given, and received

between interactants through linguistic features including register, genres, and narratives.

Empathy is one of the resources available in the process of seeking and giving social support.

“Empathy functions as glue between interactants” (ibid., p. 137). In spoken interaction,

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LING 487 MLC ProSem 2014 May 7Anna Trester Hanwool Choe

linguistic empathy can be revealed through multimodality including verbal and non-verbal

elements. However, due to the lack of paralinguistic elements, in written language, more

careful word choice and sentence structure can achieve linguistic empathy.

In this sense, linguistic empathy and metamessage are closely related to each other.

Depending on linguistic empathy, metamessage can be interpreted differently. Under the

umbrella of metamessage and linguistic empathy, I have focused on WU’s linguistic

strengths and what GLK can learn from WU for a next better edition.

Overview: Guidebook for Living in Korea (GLK) and Welcome to the United States (WU)

1) Guidebook for Living in Korea (GLK)

The Guidebeook for Liviing in Korea (henceforth GLK) 3rd edition was published by

the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Republic of Korea on June 2013. The book was

developed for general newcomers to South Korea from different countries. It is downloadable

at http://www.liveinkorea.kr/guidebook/en/ GLK is a 261-page-long and translated in 9

languages (Chinese, English, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Vietnamese, Russian, Mongolian,

and Tagalog). It consists of 5 sections: 1) Introduction to the Republic of Korea, 2) Foreign

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Figure 5: WUFigure 4: GLK

LING 487 MLC ProSem 2014 May 7Anna Trester Hanwool Choe

Resident Support Services, 3) Residence and Naturalization, 4) Korean Culture and Life, and

5) Pregnancy and Childcare.

2) Welcome to the United States, a Guidebook for Refugees (WU)

Welcome to the United States (henceforth WU) 4th edition was prepared by the

Cultural Orientation Resource Center, Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) in 2012. The

center belongs to Refugee and Immigrant Integration component at CAL. Although the book

title does not include immigrants, the book was developed to help both immigrants and

refugees to adjust to life in the United States. It is downloadable at

http://www.culturalorientation.net/content/download/2185/12569/version/1/file/2012-

English-Welcome_Guide.pdf. WU is a 230-page-long and translated in 12 languages

(Amharic, Arabic, English, Farsi, Karen, Kirundi, Nepali, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Swahili,

and Tigrigna). It consists of 15 chapters: 1) Resettlement Journey, 2) The United States and

American Culture, 3) Travel to the United States, 4) The Resettlement Agency, 5) Housing,

6) Community Services, 7) Transportation, 8) Health Care, 9) Money Management, 10)

Cultural Adjustment and Changing Roles, 11) Rights and Responsibilities Under U.S. Law,

12) Employment, 13) Learning English, 14) Education, and 15) Ongoing Journey.

Analysis: Takeaways from WU

What I found most compelling from WU is its thorough consumer-orientation

contents and design. In comparison with GLK, I will take a look at how WU is organized

with 4 aspects: 1) supportive contents, 2) readers-orientation, 3) “friendly” use of pronouns,

4) self-learning.

1) Supportive Contents

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LING 487 MLC ProSem 2014 May 7Anna Trester Hanwool Choe

The two guidebooks address “need-to-know information” for living such as housing,

health care, and transportation. But the biggest difference between them is whether they have

some chapters to help the readers resettle down in new environments mentally and

emotionally. WU spends their pages in Resettlement Journey (Chapter 1), Cultural

Adjustment and Changing Roles (chapter 10), Learning English (chapter 13) and The

Ongoing Journey (Chapter 15). The purpose of those chapters is seems to be that of to

inspireing confidence and motivation to make the readers’ new life in the U.S. more

successful and stable. To be specific, in chapter 1, the readers would learn how to adjust long

resettlement process with many mixed feelings, challenges, and opportunities and how to

grow self-reliance through such process. Chapter 10 encourages the readers to cooperate with

other family members to live, using the English language, mentioning each challenge by age

group. What I found impressive was the book emphasizes it is natural for adults to get

language help from their children due to children’s faster second language acquisition. The

chapter 10 is such a thoughtful and considerate chapter to prevent adult readers from being

under a lot of stress from language learning. In addition to that, it teaches the role of family

bonding in resettlement. Moreover, Chapter 13 tells the importance of learning English and

ways to learn English: 1) to get a job, 2) to be successful on the job, 3) to communicate with

other Americans, and 4) to adjust more quickly to the new home. Lastly, Chapter 15 wraps up

the book, giving the comprehensive review of the book through diverse activities such as

drawing the first month in the U.S., the goals and priorities of life in U.S. WU is not a simple

guidebook. It is used as a new life design or self-reflection book for the newcomers to the

U.S., providing emotional supports and help.

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LING 487 MLC ProSem 2014 May 7Anna Trester Hanwool Choe

[2)] Readers-Orientation

First impressions is are always important at any encounter. It sometimes overwhelms

the whole experience. According to Ambady et al (2000), even though first impression is “a

thin slice”, it can draw a conclusion of the emotions and attitudes of the whole

experience/interaction. For that reason, I examined the two guidebooks’ introductory page of

each chapter and found an obvious contrast between them. In WU, each chapter starts with its

short introduction including the main topic, the purpose of the chapter, and what the readers

will learn. Such clear summary through the first chapter allows the readers to draw a big

picture of the chapter beforehand.

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Figure7: WU's introductory pageFigure7: WU's introductory pageFigure7: WU's introductory pageFigure7: WU's introductory pageFigure7: WU's introductory pageFigure7: WU's introductory pageFigure7: WU's introductory pageFigure7: WU's introductory page

LING 487 MLC ProSem 2014 May 7Anna Trester Hanwool Choe

On the contrary, GLK’s introductory page is nothing but the table of contents. The

text size was too small to notice. GLK is more like a dictionary. It focuses on putting

information as much/little as it can, rather than what the readers really want for living.

Although the book title is the guide book for living in South Korea, a large amount of

redundant information was run in the book. For instance, one chapter allots explaining the

philosophy of national flag and the South Korean government organization. I would like to

ask back if it is what the newcomers want, who desperately seek practical information for

resettlement. To make matters worse, a chapter about Korean language education, as

mentioned in the above survey results, should have covered the Korean alphabet, key Korean

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Figure8: GLK's introductory page

Figure 9: Too little/much information in GLK

Figure8: GLK's introductory pageFigure8: GLK's introductory pageFigure8: GLK's introductory pageFigure8: GLK's introductory pageFigure8: GLK's introductory pageFigure8: GLK's introductory pageFigure8: GLK's introductory pageFigure8: GLK's introductory page

LING 487 MLC ProSem 2014 May 7Anna Trester Hanwool Choe

expressions and vocabulary or Korea’s unique linguistic features such as honorifics instead of

listing community centers’ phone number which offers the Korean language programs.

WU contains a number of story-

based questions and true stories. For example, in Chapter 1, the book introduces several

successful immigrant/refugees figures to give encouraging messages and supports that “You

can do it.” The guidebook cites other immigrants/refugees’ remarks to help the readers

uproot resettlement stress and trauma. Such interaction suggests the book’s efforts to make

“their” new life in the U.S. “our” joint attention, sharing the readers’ situations and emotions

together. Sharing authentic resettlement experiences would help the readers to find solutions

to their own struggles.

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Figure 10: WU's story-based questionsFigure 10: WU's story-based questionsFigure 10: WU's story-based questionsFigure 10: WU's story-based questionsFigure 10: WU's story-based questionsFigure 10: WU's story-based questionsFigure 10: WU's story-based questionsFigure 10: WU's story-based questionsFigure 10: WU's story-based questions

LING 487 MLC ProSem 2014 May 7Anna Trester Hanwool Choe

Figure11: Thoughts from refugees

2)[3)] Friendly Pronoun

GLK WU

<Pronoun Usage Examples>

There are exceptions for foreigners. If a

foreigner living in Korea has been married

to a Korean citizen […] (p. 190)

Counseling services aim to help foreign

residents that are experiencing difficulties in

Korea […] (p. 21)

<Sentence Usage Examples>

(1) Make a List (2) Decide where to shop

(p. 98)

<Pronoun Usage Examples>

When you are in a culture shock, you often

feel helpless and frustrated […] (p. 131)

You will play a big part in resettlement

[…] (p. 9)

< Sentence Usage Examples>

If you decide to get a credit card, you

should use it very carefully (p. 120)

The linguistic concept of stance is useful to understand how speakers create and

signal relationships with the propositions they give voice to, and the people they interact with

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LING 487 MLC ProSem 2014 May 7Anna Trester Hanwool Choe

(Biber and Finegan 1988,1989; Conrad and Biber 2000). Sets of choices for stance to present

participant roles or subject positions are referred to as “footing” by Goffman (1981) and

“framing” by Tannen (1979). The speaker’s footing or framing can be shown through

personal pronouns. It is important for the readers, i.e. newcomers, to feel welcome while

reading the guide books, which means that they have to address the readers in a friendly way.

For example, WU uses the pronoun, “you” to refer to the readers. GLK, however, employs

third person (pro) nouns such as “they, foreigners, and foreign residents” and differentiate

them from Korean citizens. GLK indirectly treats the naturalized Koreans as foreigners even

though they are legally Korean citizens. GLK could have used at least the second pronoun,

“you”, rather than making distant and cold word choices.

Also, when the two guidebooks explains how to shop in each country, as seen in the

above chart, GLK uses imperative sentences like “Make a list”, “Decide where to shop”,

which sounds very authoritative, impolite, and face-threatening, whereas WU is more likely

inclined to “talk” to the readers in a softer tone, not “instruct” or “command.” According to

Brown & Levinson (1987), people tend to be polite to avoid Face-Threatening Acts (FTA)2.

It would have been better, if GLK had cared more about how sentence types influence the

book’s tone.

3)[4)] Self-Learning

2

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Figure12: Key English Vocabulary Figure 13: Wrap-up testFigure 13: Wrap-up testFigure 13: Wrap-up testFigure 13: Wrap-up testFigure 13: Wrap-up testFigure 13: Wrap-up testFigure 13: Wrap-up testFigure 13: Wrap-up testFigure 13: Wrap-up testFigure 13: Wrap-up testFigure 13: Wrap-up testFigure12: Key English VocabularyFigure12: Key English VocabularyFigure12: Key English VocabularyFigure12: Key English VocabularyFigure12: Key English VocabularyFigure12: Key English VocabularyFigure12: Key English VocabularyFigure12: Key English VocabularyFigure12: Key English VocabularyFigure12: Key English Vocabulary

LING 487 MLC ProSem 2014 May 7Anna Trester Hanwool Choe

The most significant feature of WU, I think, is integrated learning with word

association and wrap-up test, which, I believe, GLK should emulate. When you turn the

introductory page, key English vocabulary awaits you. It introduces a group of English

vocabulary which is related to a chapter’s main topic. For instance, in Chapter 11, Rights and

Responsibilities Under U.S. Law, a group of key English vocabulary and phrases are covered:

judge, jury, legal clinic, U.S. Constitution and so forth. Readers are asked to translate them

into their native language, draw a picture of word, write its meaning or make a sentence with

the suggested words. Through the vocabulary activity, the readers naturally build up their

English vocabulary and taste a chapter’s topic through words simultaneously. WU closes

every chapter with a wrap-up test. The wrap-up test is made up of multiple choices, true-

false, and matching problems. It serves as a self-learning checker to review what the readers

learn before moving to next chapter.

Conclusion

The preceding examples are a microcosm of a theme I mentioned at the outset: GLK

should be designed as a readers-oriented guidebook. WU carefully maintains readers-

orientation, encourages the readers to have confidence in resettlement, and provides self-

learning environment. WU is not just a simple guidebook which lists huge amount of

information like a dictionary. The WU readers will be able to unconsciously grow cultural

bonding between their home country and their second-home country; the U.S.A. Along with

positive metamessage and linguistic empathy, WU place an emphasis on understanding the

challenges faced by newcomers and making them stand on their own feet.

GLK should make a careful choice in vocabulary including friendly pronoun and

provide self-learning activities throughout key vocabulary and wrap-up test. Also, GLK has

to introduce introductory pages for each chapter to help the readers draw a big picture before

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LING 487 MLC ProSem 2014 May 7Anna Trester Hanwool Choe

actual reading. GLK would rather avoid listing information and giving too much redundant

information. It may want to incorporate other newcomers’ experiences and stories into

information. Moreover, it would be helpful and considerate if GLK spends some chapters

assisting the readers’ mental resettlement like WU’s Resettlement Journey (Chapter 1),

Cultural Adjustment and Changing Roles (chapter 10), Learning English (chapter 13) and

The Ongoing Journey (Chapter 15).

As saying that “it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it,” although the books

communicate with the readers verbally, something completely different is conveyed non-

verbally. The readers, per se, should be the focus of attention. Moreover, the Korean

government should invest more time and resources into developing existing cultural activities

and the Korean language programs for newcomers to South Korea. It will make it possible for

the newcomers to feel their new home country’s culture and values and enhance the mutual

understanding with Koran people.

Throughout the Industry Research, I have felt truly temptedinspireed to write a

linguistically perfect informed guidebook for newcomers to South Korea. My impression was

that the current Korean guidebook is lacks of empathic understanding of the readers based on

their contents design and linguistic features. I do hope this research can contribute to

constructive feedback on my country’s guidebook and ultimately South Korea can make a

new leap forward mature multicultural society.

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LING 487 MLC ProSem 2014 May 7Anna Trester Hanwool Choe

References

Baldwin, D. A. (1995). Understanding the link between joint attention and language.

Biber, D., & Finegan, E. (1989). Styles of stance in English: Lexical and grammatical

marking of evidentiality and affect. Text, 9(1), 93-124.

Brown, P., & Levinson, S. C. (1987). Politeness: some universals in language usage.

Cambridge University Press.

Goffman, E. (1981). “Footing”, in Forms of Talk, Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania

Press: 124-59.

Moore & P.J. Dunham (Eds.) Joint attention: Its origins and role in development (pp.131-

158). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

Tannen, D. (1979). “What’s in a frame? Surface evidence for underlying expectations”,

Feedle, R. (ED), New Directions in Discourse Processing, Norwood, NJ: Ablex:

137-81.

_________. (1986). That's not what I meant!: how conversational style makes or breaks your

relations with others. New York: Morrow.

_________. (2012). The medium is the metamessage. Conversational style in new media

interaction. Discource, 2.0.

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LING 487 MLC ProSem 2014 May 7Anna Trester Hanwool Choe

Martinovsky, B. (2006). Emotion, Language and Negotiation. In Group Decision and

Negotiation (GDN) 2006: International Conference, Karlsruhe, Germany, June 25-

28, 2006; Proceedings (p. 135-139). KIT Scientific Publishing.

Guidebook for Living in Korea. (2013). Seoul, South Korea. Danuri. Ministry of Gender

Equality and Family Republic of Korea

Welcome to the United States, a Guidebook for Refugees. (2012). Washington D.C, U.S.A..

The Cultural Orientation Resource Center, Center for Applied Linguistics

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