Phonological Aspects of American and British Englishes Embedded in Korean English: A Perspective of Linguistic Realities

Phonological Aspects of American and British Englishes Embedded in Korean English: A Perspective of Linguistic Realities

This paper explores the rationale behind the shift from Quirk’s deficit linguistics to Kachru’s liberation linguistics in English widely used in Korea. Despite the Korean government’s efforts to enhance communicative competence aligned with Inner Circle-oriented American Standard English, the study questions the perception of Korean English being solely dominated by American English from sociolinguistic perspectives. To delve into both psychological and empirical perspectives on English in Korea, a questionnaire survey involving 100 Korean college students is employed. The focus is on assessing the extent of influence from both American English and British English on Korean English. Additionally, the study examines how linguistic realities, disregarding sociolinguistic or functional aspects, contribute to the current state of Korean English. The analysis of survey data reveals that Korean linguistics, especially phonology, plays a role in shaping the dynamics of Korean English, supporting Kachru’s liberation linguistics. This contributes to the shift from the stage of aspiring to be more native-like American English to the stage of World Englishes, establishing itself as a variant of English in its own right.