Response at Ngugi's experience

Korea in the early 20th century, suffered from Japanese colonial policy. Koreans were forced to change the names in Japanese, and had to learn the Japanese instead of Korean as the first language. Language plays the roles both a means of communication and a carrier of culture.

Korea’s present context is English-oriented as the second language education. Though students want to study other second languages such as French and Spanish, they have no choice. Moreover, the people who are good at English can have a chance for successful further studying and stable working place. In Ngugi’s context, English is the main determinant of a child’s progress up the ladder of formal education. The difference is Ngugi experienced with corporal punishment and fined money.

We can communicate through the language and evolve culture. Culture is a product of history which it in turn reflects. Therefore, Kachru’s approach causes some problems when it applies at the Ngugi. Language as culture has a product and a reflection of human beings communicating with one another. Worldwide spread of English means the destruction or deliberate undervaluing of a people’s culture, their dances, religions, history, geography, education, and literature.

I admit the importance of the world English as universal language. In globalization and, internationalization, we need a vehicle to communicate each other. However, I can’t deny the importance of identification and ethnicity on the basis of native language. That’s why I sometimes worry about the early abroad English education and English immersion education. Considering the different system to acquire the first language and to learn the second language, I concern about one of the side effects like losing the self-identification because of the reckless early English education.

I always think the responsibility for the English education. All of the education policy is at the heart of learner-centered. For the efficient learning environment, educators contemplate and reflect over and over again. Korea is famous for the high education aspirations. English is one of the required subjects to pass the test and promote the job. I partly agree on the English education’s changes. We don’t focus on the test scores any more. Moreover, we prefer to n communicate in real situation. We try to reform the University entrance test including the speaking and writing. On the other hand, I don’t think all of the Koreans are fluent in English. Instead of everyone, some are interested in English and required to develop the language skills with the purpose are considered sufficiently.

Little Women

Little Women tells us a moral story. It aims at the students who are interested in their dream in the future and the relationship with family members. It deals with the March Girls –Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy. At the beginning of the story, they have in difficulty in their father leaving at home. However, they show how to solve the problems with strengthening relationship each other. It tells readers what is right and wrong.

There are four sisters; Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy. Meg, the eldest, is 16. She is plump, fair-haired and very pretty. Jo, one year younger than Meg, is very tall, thin, and brown. Elizabeth, Beth as everybody calls her, is a bright-eyed girl of thirteen. She is shy and always peaceful. Amy is the youngest of the four. She is very beautiful, pale and slim. They wear the traditional clothes of the time with wrinkles and decorative dress and hats. According to their personality, their fashion styles are different. Meg doesn’t like her old dress. Amy complains that the girls at school laugh her dress. Jo’s long thick hair is her own beauty but she usually keeps it pinned up out of way. When she needs money to give her mom leaving for Washington to take care of husband, she cuts the long thick hair. One evening, the night of small party, Meg takes out her own dress looking limper and older than ever. She wants to see more beautiful and borrows the dress from her friend. However, she realizes that there is no reason to be ashamed of poor. It uses the realistic depiction.

Amy tries hard to be grown-up, but now and then she still acts like a spoilt child. One afternoon, Meg, Jo, and Laurie go out see a show. Amy wants to go too, but Jo has not brought a ticket for her. Amy burns the Jo’s old book. Jo is very angry and no one speak of this trouble, not even Mrs. March. The next day, Laurie and Jo decide to go skating on the river. Amy runs after them and throws up her hands as she falls through the ice. Her cry makes Jo’s heart stand still with fear. Amy opens eyes and they hug each other without any words. Laurence living next house is curly black hair, brown skin, big black eyes, handsome nose, fine teeth, small hands and feet, and taller than Jo.

The story tells ups and downs of the family’s life. As they gather around table to eat, they share with their daily life each other. The lonely neighbor Laurie communicates with the March family. Mr. Laurence, Laurie’s grandfather, gives the piano for Beth who is timid and shy. Laurie’s tutor, Brook, has Meg’s glove in his pocket, and engages with Meg. When Beth is ill of fever after Mrs. March’s departure, they cooperate to take care of Beth.

The story took place the America Civil war. At the beginning of the story, Mrs. March reads a letter from husband. She says to the daughters that the soldiers need father more than they do. This story proceeds from terrible Christmas without their father to surprise Christmas with father as a present. The America Civil War was fought between the Northern states of America where the March family lived and the Southern states, from 1861 to 1865. It doesn’t focus on the war itself, but describes the family’s life story.

One day, Amy gets into trouble at school from the teacher, Mr. Davis. Amy is in a sad state when she arrives home for lunch. Mrs. March doesn’t say much. Meg bathes the injured hand with lotion and tears. Beth brings her kittens to comfort Amy. Jo delivers a letter from her mother and collects Amy’s belongings. Mrs. March says later that evening that Amy is in the wrong but she doesn’t approve of hitting as a punishment. Amy can take a little vacation from school and study everyday with Beth. Amy breaks the rules and deserves to be punished.

This story tells the March family story about Mrs. March and four sisters such as Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy during the America Civil War. Considering the historical background of this story, it wants to include their daily life in difficulty. It tries to depict how to overcome the obstacles and how to solve the problems. In the middle of the worst time, the solidarity can come into play. The absence of a father makes them strengthen their bond.

I have two brothers and one sister. My elder sister is 9 years older than me. When I was young, she used to treat me like mom. She left the house after getting married in the middle school time. Most of my childhood spent with elder brothers. I envied the close relationship among the sisters. They share with their life things each other. It gives them the joy is doubled and the grief is half. Through the conflict and peace in the walls of family, they can develop their ability and achieve their dream. Especially, Jo’s fear of the Brook taking away the Meg from them reminds me my sister’s leaving at home.

I had the similar case that Amy threw the Jo’s book in the fire and she had an accident on the ice. When we went to watch the movie, my sister took my brothers except for me. I was too young for her to take care of. I stayed at home with blaming of the sister.  I misunderstood and probably made her tired. Considering the age gap between us, I was a littler spoiled. I don’t remember well how my mother did at that time.  I just guess she would punish my sister. My mother was very strict to her first daughter. My sister is in charge of managing her younger brothers and sister compared with youngest. I was grown of more advantages at the family relationship and responsibility. However, this story suggests the sisters to overcome the troubles by themselves. For example, after Amy’s emergency on the ice, Jo feels the strong interaction with her. Though they have the aversion temporarily, they reduce the disharmony and increase the family unit.

Why we have to think of absence of father. It is natural one of parents pass away or be absent because of a lot of reasons. We always focus on the absence of father who is responsible for the family management. These days, thanks for the many women’s participation in the economic activity, we don’t distinguish man from woman in labors.

Compared with the son-preferred country like the Korea and China, most western countries don’t concern about the gender. If so, Just 4 sisters’ story is for the audiences who are curious about the future life and always dream of all time.