By Oh Young-jin
Learning English is a challenge to many.
For Koreans who learn it as a second tongue, there are too many things to overcome -- pronunciation, grammar, use of discourse markers and other mannerisms of native English speakers. In other words, English learning comes down to, well, imitating to the point of speaking like Americans or the English.
That can be one recipe for disaster, says Seo Min-seog, chief communications officer for eBay Korea.
The interview with Seo was an instant decision from a friendly get-together as he talked about his conference call with top PR officers of the global e-commerce giant based in San Jose, California.
One question led to another: How did he learn English and become proficient enough to rise up the corporate ladder of the multinational firm?
His answer was rather simple. "Conversational English is a communication tool. Native-like pronunciation and grammatical sentences are good but they are inessential compared with how effectively I convey my views to other parties in English.
"That means using simple words and making concise sentences. Using Korean-style English that Koreans find familiar is no shame, rather a better way of getting yourselves understood better."
Then, using English as an efficient communication tool involves two things, Seo said.
"First, it is about practice and second it is about getting updated about what is happening or be knowledgeable about current affairs … in English," one of eBay's top communicators said.
As a matter of fact, he was checking the mobile news of The Korea Times on his smartphone just before the interview.
"It is my habit since 1987 when I entered college," he said.
He stumbled on Korea's first English-language daily newspaper at the school library. Initially, he said, he was not up to reading the paper, so he relied on the Times' English aid that came with it. The Times published it daily until recently and now has turned it into a weekly booklet for convenience.
"I still check with that on the web as well," Seo said.
His patience paid off as he moved up to reading the paper itself.
"My English has improved slowly but surely," he said, remembering that he started with a lead article on the front page, then two and moved to two pages, then browsed through the entire paper.
Even nowadays, he said he rarely fails to check the paper daily to browse the headlines.
"I speak English in a videoconference as if I do practice," he said. "Remember that it is all about communication -- making yourself understood -- not about imitating a native speaker."
 |
| Seo Min-seog, eBay Korea vice president |
For Koreans who learn it as a second tongue, there are too many things to overcome -- pronunciation, grammar, use of discourse markers and other mannerisms of native English speakers. In other words, English learning comes down to, well, imitating to the point of speaking like Americans or the English.
That can be one recipe for disaster, says Seo Min-seog, chief communications officer for eBay Korea.
The interview with Seo was an instant decision from a friendly get-together as he talked about his conference call with top PR officers of the global e-commerce giant based in San Jose, California.
One question led to another: How did he learn English and become proficient enough to rise up the corporate ladder of the multinational firm?
His answer was rather simple. "Conversational English is a communication tool. Native-like pronunciation and grammatical sentences are good but they are inessential compared with how effectively I convey my views to other parties in English.
"That means using simple words and making concise sentences. Using Korean-style English that Koreans find familiar is no shame, rather a better way of getting yourselves understood better."
Then, using English as an efficient communication tool involves two things, Seo said.
"First, it is about practice and second it is about getting updated about what is happening or be knowledgeable about current affairs … in English," one of eBay's top communicators said.
 |
| Seo Min-seog, vice president of eBay Korea, speaks at a function. / Courtesy of Seo Min-seog |
As a matter of fact, he was checking the mobile news of The Korea Times on his smartphone just before the interview.
"It is my habit since 1987 when I entered college," he said.
He stumbled on Korea's first English-language daily newspaper at the school library. Initially, he said, he was not up to reading the paper, so he relied on the Times' English aid that came with it. The Times published it daily until recently and now has turned it into a weekly booklet for convenience.
"I still check with that on the web as well," Seo said.
His patience paid off as he moved up to reading the paper itself.
"My English has improved slowly but surely," he said, remembering that he started with a lead article on the front page, then two and moved to two pages, then browsed through the entire paper.
Even nowadays, he said he rarely fails to check the paper daily to browse the headlines.
"I speak English in a videoconference as if I do practice," he said. "Remember that it is all about communication -- making yourself understood -- not about imitating a native speaker."
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