OVERVIEW
Foreign Language Education in the 19th Century
Asian Language Education in the 19th Century
Missionaries
- John Ross (1842 – 1915)
- Horace Grant Underwood (1859 – 1916)
- James Scarth Gale (1863 – 1937)
- Homer Hubert (1863 – 1949)
Scholars
- William George Aston (1841 – 1911)
- Gustaf John Ramstedt (1873 – 1950)
Grammar-Translation Method
- Developed from the 1500s as a method of teaching
Latin and classical Greek and remained dominant until the end of the 19th
century
- Applied to teaching modern languages in the 19th
century
- Goals
- Develop ability to read literature in target
language
- Develop mental discipline
- Method
- Instruction in learners’ native language
- Grammar rules taught deductively
- Drills consist mainly of translation from target
language into learners’ native language
- Little attention to pronunciation and oral
aspects of the language
- Materials
- Textbooks containing a bilingual word list, a
codified set of grammar rules, translation practice
Direct (Natural)
Method
- Developed in France and Germany in the lage 19th
century
- Response to dissatisfaction with grammar
translation method
- Emphasis on modern languages
- Goals
- Teach the spoken language for practical use
- Method
- Instructing entirely in the target language
- Emphasis on oral practice during lessons
- Vocabulary, sentences, and phrases taught at
beginning level
- Grammar taught inductively starting at
intermediate level
- Materials
- Specially designed textbooks based on situations
Asian Language
Education in the 19th Century
- Sanskrit: Sir Williams Jones (1746 –
1794) founded the “Asiatic Society of Calcutta” in 1784 … from there, the Royal
Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland was founded in 1824 by Henry
Thomas Colbrooke (1765 – 1837); translation of Sanskrit classics
- Chinese: Jesuits Michele Ruggieri (1543 –
1607), Matteo Ricci (1552 – 1610); 19th century grammars and
dictionaries, chair in Chinese at College de France (1814)
- Japanese: Serious study began after 1868 Meiji
Restoration; Earnest Mason Satow (1843 – 1929) British diplomat and
founding member of the Asiatic Society of Japan (1872); William George Aston
(1841 – 1911) British diplomat and scholar: Basil Hall Chamberlain (1850
– 1935) British professor Japanese at the Imperial University; James Curtis
Hepburn (1815 – 1911) American Presbyterian missionary and author of first
major Japanese-English dictionary
Influences of 19th
Century Learners of Korean
- Influence of grammar-translation method remained
strong
- Asian languages studied primarily for
translating canonical texts or Bible translation
- Grammars and dictionaries produced for
self-study and translation work
- Missionary work required proficiency in the
spoken language
- Terra incognita: Almost no interaction with the
West prior to the mid-19th century
EXPAT KOREAN LANGUAGE
LEARNERS
John Ross (1842 – 1915)
- Born in northern Scotland, educated at Fearn
School, Glasgow University and Theological Hall, Edinburgh
- Presbyterian Minister in Gaelic-speaking
churches before going to China in 1872
- Worked in Shenyang and learned Chinese and
Manchurian; gave first sermon in Chinese in 1873
- Learned Korean from Yi Eung-chan, a
Korean dealer in traditional medicine in border areas of Manchuria
- Wrote phrase book (1877) and grammar (1882), and
a history of Korea (1879)
- Oversaw the first Korean translation of the New
Testament (1887)
- Returned to Scotland in 1910
- Language bibliography:
o
Ross, John. Corean
primer: being lessons in Corean on all subjects, transliterated on the
principles of the “Mandarin primer”, by the same author. Shainhai: American
Presbyterian Mission Press, 1877.
o
Ross, John. Korean
Speech with Grammar and Vocabulary. Yokohama: Kelley and Walsh, 1882.
o
Ross, John. The
History of Corea: Ancient and Modern; With Descriptions of Manners and Customs,
Language and Geography. London: Elliot Stock, 1891.
- Approach: language learning = mastery of grammar
through example sentences that reflect practical needs.
- Method: Intensive language learning through
self-study and use of Korean tutors; development of teaching materials
- Second languages: English (native speaker of Gaelic),
German, French, Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Chinese, Manchu, and Korean
Horace Grant Underwood / 원두우 (1859 – 1916)
- Born in London, immigrated to the US with his family
in 1872, educated at New York University and the New Brunswick Theological
Seminary
- Arrived in Korea in 1885 with Henry Appenzeller
- Founded Saemunan Presbyterian Church (1886)
- Married Lillias Stirling Horton who was a doctor to
Empress Myeongseong (Queen Min), their son Horace Horton Underwood, three
grandsons, and great-grandson continued service to Korea
- Collaborated with Gale to organized the Seoul branch
of the YMCA and founded the Chosen Union Christian College (now Yonsei
University) in 1915
- Collaborated with Appenzeller, Scranton, Gale, and
Reynolds in translating the New Testament (1900) and the Old Testament (1910)
- Published grammars, edited dictionaries, and wrote
textbooks
- Language bibliography:
o
Underwood, Horace Grant. An Introduction to the Korean Spoken
Language. Yokohama: Kelly and Walsh, 1890.
o
Unerwood, Horace Grant,
James Scarth Gale and Homer B. Hulbert. A
Concise Dictionary of the Korean Language: In Two Parts, Korean-English and
English-Korean. Yokohama: Kelly & Walsh; New York: ADF Randolph, 1890.
o
Underwood, Horace Grant and
Horace Horton Underwood. An Introduction
to the Korean Spoken Language. New York: The MacMillan Company, 1914.
- Approach: Mastery of codified grammatical rules and
language / culture immersion
- Method: Intensive language learning through self-study
with Korean tutors and mentors; development of teaching materials
- Second languages learned: French and Korean
James Scarth Gale / 게일 (1863 – 1937)
- Born in Ontario and educated at the University of
Toronto
- Arrived in Korea in 1888 as a lay missionary of the
University College YMCA, but joined the Presbyterian mission
- Established a mission in Wonson and traveled widely in
Korea
- Wrote grammars, dictionaries, educational materials,
and translated literature
- Wrote on Korean history and culture; gave first RASKB
lecture; founded the Korean Music Society in 1917
- Language bibliography:
o
Underwood, Horace Grant,
James Scarth Gale and Homer B. Hulbert. A
Concise Dictionary of the Korean Language: In Two Parts, Korean-English and
English-Korean. Yokohama: Kelly & Walsh: New York: ADF Randolph, 1890.
o
Gale, James Scarth. Korean Grammatical Forms. Seoul:
Trilingual Press, 1894.
o
Gales, James Scarth. The Thousand Character Series: Korean Reader
Number 3. Korea: Korean Religious Tract Society, 1905.
o
Gale, James Scarth. A Korean-English Dictionary. Yokohama:
Printed by Fukuin Printing, 1911.
o
Gale, James Scarth. A Korean-English Dictionary (the Chinese
Character). Part II. Yokohama: Printed by Fukuin Printing, 1914.
o
Gale, James Scarth. Korean Folk Tales: Imps, Ghosts and Fairies.
Translated from the Korean of Im Bang and Yi Ryuk. London: New York: JM Dent
& Sons, Dutton & Co., 1913.
o
Gales, James Scarth. Cloud Dream of the Nine [A translation
of a Korean novel by Kim Manjung, a story of the times of the Tangs of China
about 840 AD]. With an introduction by Elspet Keith Robertson Scott and Sixteen
Illustrations. London: Westminster Press, 1922.
o
Gale, James Scarth. The Great Learning. [A translation of
Confucius from Chinese into English and the Korean vernacular, with parallel
text]. Seoul: Christian Literature Society of Korea, 1924.
o
Gale, James Scarth and
Alexander A. Pieters. The Unabridged
Korean-English Dictionary, 3rd ed. Seoul: Christian Literature
Society of Korea, 1931.
- Approach: Applying grammatical rules to translating
canonical texts
- Method: Intensive language learning through self-study
and use of Korean tutors and mentors; development of teaching materials;
writing in Korean
- Second languages learned: French, Korean and classical
Chinese
- Born in Vermont, educated
at Dartmouth and Union Theological Seminary
- Arrived in Korea in 1886
and taught English at the Royal English School (육영공원) for
five years
- Did missionary work with
the Methodist Episcopal Church in Korea from 1893 – 1897
- Supported reform and
independence movements
- Served as principal of
Imperial Normal and Middle Schools from 1897 – 1905
- Expelled from Korea in
1907; returned to the US and continued to speak out on behalf of Korean
independence
- Syngman Rhee invited him to
Korea and he returned in 1949, but died soon after
- Language bibliography:
o
Underwood, Horace Grant,
James Scarth Gale and Homer B. Hulbert. A
Concise Dictionary of the Korean Language: In Two Parts, Korean-English and
English-Korean. Yokohama: Kelly & Walsh; New York: ADF Randolph, 1890.
o
Hulbert, Homer B (ed). The Korean Language. Washington: n.p., 1904.
o
Hulbert, Homer B. A Comparative Grammar of the Korean Language
and the Dravidian Languages of India. Seoul: The Methodist Publishing
House, 1905.
- Approach: Language learning
through basic understanding of grammar and use of language à learning
by doing
- Method: Intensive language
learning through self-study and contact with wide range of native speakers;
little interest in classical Chinese
- Second languages learned:
Korean
William
George Aston (1841 – 1911)
- Born in Derry, Ireland;
educated at Queen’s University Belfast
- Appointed Japanese
interpreter to Japanese Legation in Japan in 1864
- Began research on Japanese
grammar and expanded to translation work
- Served as British
counsel-general in Korea from 1884 – 1885; first European diplomat to reside in
Korea; returned to Japan in 1885
- Began learning Korean in
1870s with the help of Yi Dong-jin and continued studying in Tokyo with Kim
Jae-guk, who he worked with in Seoul, until 1887
- Retired in 1889 and
returned to England
- Language bibliography:
o
Aston, William George. “A
Comparative Study of the Japanese and Korean Languages.” The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland
New Series, Vol. 11, No. 3 (pp. 317-3640, 1879.
o
Aston, William George.
“Corean Popular Literature.” The Journal
of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland New Series, Vol.
18, (pp. 104 – 118), 1890.
o
Aston, William George.
“Chhoi chhung: A Corean Marchen.” The
Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland New Series,
Vol., (pp. 1 – 30), 1900.
- Approach: Mastery of
codified grammatical rules applied to translation of literary texts and
research on linguistic structures
- Method: Self-study using
1841 textbooks for Japanese learners of Koreans by Urase Iwajiro and used
Korean tutors
- Second languages learned:
Latin, Greek, French, German, Japanese, Korean
Gustaf
John Ramstedt (1873 – 1950)
- Born in southern Finland,
educated at the University of Helsinki
- Studied Finno-Ugric
languages and later Altaic languages with a focus on Mongolian
- Became active in Mongolian
independence movements
- Served as a Finnish
diplomat in Japan (1920 – 1929)
- Known in scholarly
linguistics circles; acquainted with Ogura Shimpei, the leading Japanese Korean
linguist of the early 20th century
- Learned Korean in Japan,
spent no time in Korea
- Active in Esperanto
movement
- Language bibliography
o
Ramstedt, Gustaf John. A Korean Grammar. Helsinki: Suomalais-ugrilainen
Seura, 1939.
o
Ramstedt, Gustaf John.
“Studies in Korean Etyology,” MSFOu
95, Helsinki: Suomalais-ugrilainen Seura, 1949.
- Approach: Mastery of
codified grammatical rules and applying them to linguistic research
- Method: Language learning
through self-study and use of Korean informant/tutor Ryu Jin-geol
- Second languages learned:
Finnish (native speaker of Swedish), English, German, French, Russian,
Mongolian, Japanese, Korean, Esperanto
CONCLUSIONS
& IMPLICATIONS
- Mastery of grammar à Grammar-translation method
- Self-study, often
intensively
- Korean tutor/mentor:
o
Ross à Yi Eung-chan
o
Underwood à Song Sun-yong
o
Gale à Yi Chang-jik, Ji Si-gyeong?
o
Aston à Yi Dong-jin, Kim Jae-guk
o
Ramstedt à Ryu Jin-geol
- Developed language learning
materials
- Translation of canonical
texts
- Use of available “language
resources”
Implications for Korean language learners today:
- Rethink grammar à
mastery of grammar is important
- Rethink native speakers à
frequent, mentor-like contact is important
- Rethink literature and
translation à close reading and translation are important,
particularly at advanced levels
- Rethink Chinese characters à
assist vocabulary development and access to cultural heritage
- Rethink motivation à
inner drive, desire for perfection, “language person,” “passion for Korea,”
etc.
à Old-fashioned language
learning with passion is what we should be striving for?
_________________________________________
Robert Frouser, with a B.A. in Japanese language and literature, an M.A. in applied linguistics, and a PhD in applied linguistics gave this presentation on the early learners of Korean. Robert has lived off and on in Korea since the mid-1980s. He has written numerous articles on Korean art and cuisine, and has translated Understanding Korean Literature by Kim Hunggyu into English. Since 2009, he has been active in hanok preservation, particularly in the Seochan neighborhood of Seoul. He also has been a member of the RASKB Council since 2011.
He was careful to teach the difference between two types of grammar for the audience to have deeper understanding of his presentation on language learning, transcribing and in some ways, teaching:
scholarly grammar - a grammar for describing
pedagogical grammar - grammar for teaching
