OH's Notebook

[DISCOURSE ANALYSIS IN ENGLISH] Critical Discourse Analysis & Multimodal analysis of U.S. and Russian Military Recruitment Advertisements

지하철 5호선 — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 12:32:54 +0900

Critical Discourse Analysis & Multimodal analysis of U.S. and Russian Military Recruitment Advertisements

Data 1

Russian Army recruitment advertisement: What are our men made of? (2023)

What are our men made of? Of tattoos and pierced ears? Of illusions and banana smoothies? Are our men made of bright makeup and streams? Sweet cakes and clothing brands? What are our men made of? What are you made of? Join those who are made of honor, valor and courage. Join your brethren.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-Q9_nNVt48

Data 2

U.S. Army recruitment advertisement: Emma, the calling #goarmy (2021)

This is the story of a soldier who operates your nation's patriot missile defense systems. It begins in California with a little girl raised by two moms. Although I had a fairly typical childhood. Took ballet, played violin. I also marched for equality. I like to think I've been defending freedom from an early age. When I was six years old, one of my moms had an accident that left her paralyzed. The doctor said she might never walk again. But she tapped into my family to get back on her feet, eventually standing at the altar to marry my other mom. With such powerful role models, I finished high school at the top of my class and then attended UC Davis where I joined a sorority full of other strong women. But as graduation approached, I began feeling like I'd been handed so much in life: a sorority girl stereotype. Sure, I'd spent my life around inspiring women. But what had I really achieved on my own? One of my sorority sisters was studying abroad in Italy, another was climbing mount Everest. I needed my own adventures, my own challenge. And after meeting with an army recruiter, I found it. A way to prove my inner strength and maybe shatter some stereotypes along the way. I'm US Army corporal Emma Malonelord and I answered my calling.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8-Yslv4PME

Analysis

This paper examines and compares the recruitment advertisements of the United States and Russia through critical discourse analysis (CDA) and multimodal analysis. By analyzing these two advertisements, which belong to the same genre, the study aims to explore the ideologies, shared values and beliefs, and social contexts that are prevailing in each country. The two data materials presented are recruitment video advertisements, which incorporate both visual and auditory multimodality. They use narrators, visuals, background music, and in the case of the United States, even animation, to convey the intended messages to the intended audience.

Semiotics

Semiotics (Lee, 2024) can be observed in both materials. In the Russian advertisement, the soldier's right arm features a "Z" symbol, which serves as a marker identifying them as part of the Russian military. In the American advertisement, the protagonist wears a T-shirt with a rainbow heart, which symbolizes that she supports LGBTQ rights. Additionally, the protagonist is shown attending college and joining a sorority, with a pillow displaying the sorority club’s name. Finally, both advertisements conclude with the display of each military's emblem. Symbols such as unit emblems, logos, and national flags are quintessential examples of semiotics with multimodality (Lee, 2024).

Genre

Both materials are recruitment advertisements and belong to the same genre (Lee, 2024). Common shared typicality (Lee, 2024) of the genre is observed in both videos. In both, the characters in the videos directly gaze at the camera, creating the impression of speaking directly to the audience. Additionally, both showcase individuals wearing combat uniforms. Furthermore, both videos display military equipment and weapon systems. The U.S. video features the Patriot air defense missile system, while the Russian video highlights T-90S tanks and various firearms. The communicative purpose (Lee, 2024) of both videos is to encourage individuals to join the military voluntarily. However, the U.S. advertisement shows significant variation from the conventional characteristics of the recruitment advertisement genre. The U.S. advertisement’s target audience is female young adults. Unlike Russia, the U.S. uses animation in its advertisement. While the Russian video includes the Russian national flag, the U.S. video does not feature its flag. Additionally, while the Russia’s video doesn’t show female characters, the U.S. video puts a female protagonist, diverging from the typically masculine and tough depiction common in traditional recruitment advertisements.

Speech Act

The two advertisements can be analyzed in terms of locutionary, illocutionary, and perlocutionary acts (Lee, 2024). Locutionary acts involve the semiotics and narration used in each advertisement, such as the symbols, visuals, and messages discussed above (Lee, 2024). The illocutionary act is the persuasive intent to encourage the target audience to join the military. In the U.S. advertisement, the target audience includes individuals of diverse cultural backgrounds, mainly focus on women, recent female college graduates, and even members of the LGBTQ community, whereas the Russian advertisement primarily targets adult male. Finally, the perlocutionary force is the intended outcome (Lee, 2024), which is to motivate the audience to enlist in the military.

Social and Political Issues

Both recruitment advertisements reflect a shared underlying issue, a shortage of military personnel. Despite differing contexts and cultural frameworks, the campaigns aim to address this gap by appealing to their respective target audiences through contrasting narratives and values.

Since 2022, Russia has been engaged in a full-scale war with Ukraine. As the war prolonged, Russia faced a shortage of soldiers, prompting the government to issue a partial mobilization order and hire foreign mercenaries, among other measures, to replenish its military forces. Additionally, to encourage voluntary enlistment, Russia produced promotional materials like the recruitment advertisement under discussion and offered salaries significantly higher than the average.

The United States, which operates an all-volunteer military system, has been experiencing difficulties in meeting recruitment targets since 2015. Currently, all three branches of the U.S. military—Army, Navy, and Air Force—except for the Marines, are falling short of their enlistment goals. To address this issue, the U.S. has significantly relaxed eligibility requirements for American recruits and allowed LGBTQ individuals to enlist. Furthermore, the percentage of female soldiers has steadily increased, with women now comprising approximately 20% of the U.S. military (U.S. Department of Defense, n.d.).

Framing

The Russian recruitment advertisement contrasts men who enlist in the Russian military with those who do not. It portrays the former as masculine, courageous, and admirable, while delivering the message that the latter are unmanly and lack these qualities. The soldiers in the advertisement are depicted with solemn expressions, directly gazing at the audience, emphasizing seriousness and authority.

In contrast, U.S. military recruitment advertisements convey the message that joining the military is a path to becoming a strong woman and contributing to societal progress. These advertisements significantly diverge from traditional recruitment ads. At the beginning of the video, individuals such as an Asian man, a Black woman, a Black man, and a White woman are prominently featured, while the conventional image of a White male soldier is absent. These advertisements emphasize multiculturalism (Lee 2024), the role of people of color, the LGBTQ community, and particularly the capabilities of women.

Social Relations

In the Russian context, traditional masculinity is emphasized. Men are expected to embody conventional notions of masculinity, including courage and strength (Oh, 2024). The advertisement implicitly suggests that a "real man" must demonstrate bravery, equating military service with fulfilling this societal expectation of manhood.

In the U.S. context, the narrative shifts toward progressive values, equating support for LGBTQ rights with moral correctness. Resistance to traditional gender stereotypes (Lee, 2024), particularly for women, is a central theme. The advertisement highlights that supporting LGBTQ rights and serving in the military are aligned under the shared ideal of "defending freedom." For instance, the woman in the advertisement equates her participation in an LGBTQ march with defending freedom, paralleling the role of military service. She also celebrates her lesbian parents as “powerful role models” and emphasizes the importance of strong, independent women, stating, "I joined a sorority full of other strong women, and I'd spent my life around inspiring women." This narrative reframes military service as an extension of female empowerment and inclusivity rather than traditional patriotism.

Ideology

In the Russian context, the underlying ideology (Lee, 2024) asserts that only men who enlist in the military are "real men," while those who do not are portrayed as unmanly and cowardly. This reflects traditional Russian cultural values (Oh, 2024), which criticize men who engage in behaviors such as wearing makeup, earrings, or nail polish. These behaviors are considered antithetical to traditional masculinity. The advertisement emphasizes negative stereotypes of men who avoid military service, such as eating loudly an act culturally disapproved of in Russia—to portray them unfavorably. Terms like tattoos, pierced ears, illusions, banana smoothies, bright makeup, streams, sweet cakes, and clothing brands are used pejoratively to reinforce this negative portrayal. Conversely, concepts like honor, valor, and courage are framed positively, aligning them with military service and traditional masculinity.

In the U.S. context, the ideology promotes the idea that supporting LGBTQ rights and enlisting in the military are markers of being strong and morally correct. The U.S. military highlights cultural diversity and positions itself as inclusive, embracing political correctness and woke culture. This contrasts with traditional male-dominated, hegemonic gender ideologies (Lee, 2024) by celebrating women, people of color, and LGBTQ individuals as integral to military strength. An example of this ideological shift is the challenge to sexist language (Lee, 2024) through discussions of gender-neutral terms (Lee, 2024), signaling broader efforts to redefine societal norms and combat entrenched stereotypes (Lee, 2024). The advertisement underscores the empowerment of women and marginalized groups, portraying military service as a path to societal progress and equality.

Doing Gender

In Russian culture, traditional masculinity is defined by actions associated with military service, such as enlisting in the Russian army, eating canned food with a bayonet in a trench, riding in tanks, and guarding trenches alongside armed comrades. Conversely, behaviors perceived as unmasculine and blameworthy include wearing earrings or tattoos, loudly eating ice cream, drinking banana smoothies while adorned with makeup and manicures, streaming videos, driving sports cars, or dancing in front of a camera wearing cupcake-printed underwear.

In the U.S. advertisement, the depiction of the “proper” way of performing female gender includes enlisting in the military, supporting LGBTQ rights, and challenging traditional gender norms (Lee, 2024) for women. This contrasts with conventional views of femininity, reframing military service as an empowering act for women.

Politeness Theory

The Russian recruitment advertisement is considered impolite according to Politeness Theory (Lee, 2024). It directly challenges the audience through face-threatening acts (Lee, 2024), particularly to their negative face (Lee, 2024), by imposing the expectation of military enlistment and painting non-enlistees in a negative light. It violates all three of Lakoff’s maxims of politeness (Lee, 2024). The ad pressures viewers to join the military without alternatives which violates don’t impose principle (Lee, 2024). No alternative choices are presented; joining is framed as the only acceptable action which violates give options principle (Lee, 2024). The ad alienates its audience by shaming those who do not conform to its ideals. It doesn’t make the audience feel good (Lee, 2024). As a result, it imposes a sense of obligation, creating discomfort and potential resistance in viewers.

Formality and Clarity

The language in the Russian ad is highly formal (Lee, 2024), emphasizing the institutional nature of military service. The lack of casual or phatic communication (Lee, 2024) reinforces the gravity and seriousness of the recruitment message. In both cases, the tone avoids ambiguity (Lee, 2024), ensuring clarity in delivering their respective ideological messages.

Foregrounding

In the Russian advertisement, the strength, masculinity, and valor of soldiers are foregrounded, while unmasculine behaviors of non-enlisted men are exaggerated and ridiculed. These men are even portrayed with stereotypes implying homosexuality to amplify their perceived inadequacy.

In the U.S. advertisement, the focus is on independent and strong women, those who support LGBTQ rights, and multicultural and racially diverse U.S. soldiers. It highlights inclusion and progressiveness as core values.

Backgrounding

The Russian advertisement omits the brutal realities of war, focusing solely on glorifying military service. Ordinary Russian men who do not enlist are relegated to the background, presented only as examples of what not to be. This creates a black-and-white narrative with little nuance. In the U.S. advertisement, the horrors of war are similarly omitted.

Conclusion

In conclusion, both advertisements reflect the cultural values and ideological frameworks of their respective nations. The Russian ad emphasizes traditional masculinity tied to military service, using stark contrasts and negative portrayals of non-enlisted men to reinforce its message. In contrast, the U.S. ad highlights inclusivity, diversity, and empowerment, aligning military service with woke values such as LGBTQ right. Both ads serve as tools for recruitment while strategically omitting inconvenient realities to align with their narratives.

References

Lee, M, W (2024). Understanding Language and Culture lecture ppt. Yonsei University.
Lee, M, W (2024). Discourse Analysis in English lecture ppt. Yonsei University.
Paltridge, B (2012). Discourse Analysis: An Introduction 2nd edition. Bloomsbury Academic.
Oh, S, H (2024). Understanding Culture, Identity, Ideology, and Gender from the Perspective of a Yonsei student from a Korean-Russian Multicultural Family.
Army making moves to replace recruiting it system. (2018, November 19). U.S. Army Recruting Command. Council on Foreign Relations. (2020). Demographics of the U.S. military.
Howard, B. (2022, August 26). Why the U.S. military faces a growing recruiting crisis. CNBC.
Johnson, D. (2022, September 14). Opinion: Recruiting crisis should be a wakeup call for the military and its treatment of women. Bangor Daily News.
Kube, C., & Boigon, M. (2022, June 27). Why is the U.S. military struggling to recruit young Americans?
NBCNews.com. U.S. Department of Defense. (n.d.). Department of Defense Releases Annual Demographics Report — Upward Tre. https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/article/3246268/departmentof-defense-releases-annual-demographics-report-upward-trend-in-numbe/
U.S. Department of Defense. (n.d.-a). Defense Department report shows decline in armed forces population WHI. https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3580676/defensedepartment-report-shows-decline-in-armed-forces-population-while-percen/

[ADVANCED ENGLISH WRITING] Reflection

지하철 5호선 — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 12:15:56 +0900

Reflection DUE 12/18

In 3-4 paragraphs, reflect thoughtfully on the following:

What did you learn about writing?

What did you learn about yourself?

How do you envision the role of writing in your future?

_______________________________________________________________________________

What did you learn about writing?

Professor 0000 tricked me! She said this class will be quite different than her writing (2) class last semester but I found out that this class is quite the same. Fortunately, I suffered a little less from this class compared to the class last semester. I learned that whether it is a creative writing or advanced writing or SOP writing, writing basically shares same principles. I learned that to be a good, competent writer, I have to have an interest in the topic that I am writing about. And then, I have to observe closely and precisely and have a deep understanding what I am writing about. Next is detail. I have to add details and concrete examples in the text so that the reader can understand my writing better. It's like inviting people into my story. Most of all, It is honesty that is most important when writing. The more I be honest, the more my essay sounds good and interesting. Being honest and sincere is actually quite difficult. I think that's why I found it difficult in this class at first. Now, I feel confident being honest when writing. I also learned from this class that writing about me and making other people know about me and what I am interested in is very fun activity.

What did you learn about yourself?

I learned that I like airplanes! I was vague about my future plans and career path. But throughout this class doing professor Pang's assignments, I learned that I will regret it if I don't study engineering in Yonsei. Even though I am already qualified to graduate, I decided to take at least one more semester to take engineering classes. I planned to keep study after I graduate and get a job and I strongly believe that these classes that I will going to take will be the stepping stones and valuable resources. Along with airplanes and engineering, I got a better understanding of my English proficiency. I used to get help a lot from chat GPT. But this advanced writing class is the first class that I didn't get any any help from chat GPT. I was actually very surprised. Writing in English used to be a very difficult, irritating and headache-giving task and I used to feel a lot of burden. Now I learned that I can write a decent SOP in English with less headache (and with some help of the professor).

How do you envision the role of writing in your future?

I am done with English major! Sunho is free! Honestly, I am not going to take English major classes any more and I don't want to do writing assignments any more! But still, I have to apply for jobs and I need to write SOP and self-introduction letters. And I CLEARLY know that professor's Advanced writing class and her other classes about writing will be a HUGE help. Also, there are some job interviews that require me to present a solution with a story-telling narrative. I envision myself utilizing skills I learned from this class. lastly, if I get a chance to write about airplanes or engineer field for a magazine article, I am going to apply what I learned from professor Pang. I strongly believe that no engineering students could do this.

____________________________________________________

It makes me so happy you were able to get to such a strong understanding of how writing works. Yes, honesty is most important, and yes, it is the most difficult. But you did it! And you discovered how much you enjoy sharing your stories with others. You should be so proud of yourself as I am for embracing writing as your own skill, just like airplane maintenance. These experiences and insights will help you to continue to grow and improve as a writer. It was such a pleasure having you in my class again. Thank you for allowing me to be a witness to your journey. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors; keep in touch. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

[ADVANCED ENGLISH WRITING] Final Draft of SOP

지하철 5호선 — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 12:12:52 +0900

Oh, 000000

Advanced English Writing

0000000000

2024. 12. 11

Prof. 0000

What matters to me most & why

My goal is to build a 100% domestically manufactured military aircraft that will be used to protect our airspace and keep South Korea a safer place.

I have had an interest and passion for aerospace and aircraft for nine years. When I was 16, I got a chance to go to ADEX 2015 defense arms & aerospace exhibition. There, I watched F22 raptor fighter jet and Black Eagles Aerobatic Team flying. I felt my heartbeat faster and I realized that I have a passion for aircraft and aviation.

In pursuit of my dream and passion, I go to a junior college and learn aircraft maintenance. I acquire knowledge of avionics, general aircraft maintenance, aircraft engines maintenance, aviation laws and airframe maintenance. Besides, I learn and practice maintenance skills such as safety wires, cotter pins, pre-flight check, electrical wiring, sheet metal & rivets, tube bending, checking balance & CG and replacing aircraft tires.

In 2021, my passion for aircraft allows me to have a chance to participate in National Aircraft maintenance competition. The competition consists of five subjects: F-5 fighter pre-flight check, electrical wiring, sheet metal project, hand skill trainer and aileron rigging.

F-5 fighter pre-flight check is one of the trickiest subjects. To get a perfect score, I must memorize all 50 checklist procedures and perform them in order while looking for 20 hidden defects and giving correct answers to a test evaluator’s questions. After the check is finished, I have to write down all the defects I found on a “781 form” using correct symbols and terms. There is a retired F-5B fighter jet on one side of the schoolyard which I can practice on. It is July and the sun is bright. The surface of the fighter jet gets very hot. When I go down under the aircraft and inspect the landing gear wells and lower section of the aircraft, I often bump my head into the aircraft’s belly. I check every safety wire, cotter pin and fastener and make sure that nothing goes missing. There are so many of them that my eyes can’t track all of them. So, I sweep the aircraft from corner to corner and see if anything got loose. One day, I notice that the aircraft is painted sky bluish gray. It is darker than Korean Air sky blue and brighter than elephant gray. It looks thin and agile. It looks elegant. Two tigers are drawn on the side under the canopy. I marvel at the fact that even though the aircraft weighs four tons, it can fly faster than the speed of sounds. ‘No wonder I like airplanes,’ I think.

Majoring English in Yonsei, I’ve changed into a different person. But there’s one thing that hasn’t changed at all: I am still passionate about airplanes and willing to study engineering. Studying English major has been a huge suffering for me. Partly because I am not cut out for English and partly because I stammer. But mostly because I am more interested in airplanes than English studies. All the topics I chose for my English essay writing and speech assignments are all airplanes. I’ve been writing about airplanes and talking about airplanes this whole time. Now, it’s time to take action. This semester, I am qualified to graduate Yonsei English major. But I decide to stay one more semester and study engineering. Because I would regret it if I didn’t study engineering, even minor degree.

_________________________________________________

You did it! You show your passion for airplanes clearly. Well done!

[ADVANCED ENGLISH WRITING] Final Draft of Literacy Narrative

지하철 5호선 — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 12:08:07 +0900

Oh, 00000

Advanced English Writing

0000000000

2024. 12. 14

Prof. 0000

My relationship with English

Whatever language I speak, I stammer. I remember the first time I stammered when I was 13. Fortunately, now I don’t stammer as much as I used to. But still, I stammer when I am in an unfamiliar situation such as job interview, presentation, group discussion or talking to cute girls.

I am often asked in which language I stammer more. English is a little easier to pronounce because I feel English pronunciation has a flow and words are more connected to each other than Korean. But I have to think about grammars and vocabularies and sometimes I basically don’t know what to say in English. So, I stammer both languages (English & Korean) in same extent.

Living as a Yonsei English major student with intermediate English proficiency who occasionally stammer is tough. Every group meeting and discussion is a burden for me. This semester, I suffer the most in Business Communication class. The class curriculum mostly consists of discussion sessions. I remember the first time I participate in the group discussion in the class. The topic is about making a fictitious company, so our team ended up making t-shirts company. With three team members, I discuss ideas about the fashion company which I know nothing about. Another problem is that they speak English so fast that I have difficulty following the conversation. As the discussion goes on, they suddenly start to talk about dogs. I also have a dog, so I want to join the conversation. But I’m not confident enough to squeeze into the conversation. Most of all, I am concerned about my stammering. Later that day, I think about what I really wanted to say. I wanted to say that “I hope there’s something I could contribute for the team.”

This class has been a huge obstacle for half a semester. I even consider dropping class and taking an extra semester. But I can’t since I want to graduate right after this semester. Fortunately, I notice that I could switch the class into P/NP evaluation. This will require me to get a minimum of C0 to pass the class. A faint hope blossoms.

After that, things start to change a lot. I feel free. I am starting to enjoy the class. I still stammer and stumble on words when I participate in group discussions, but it doesn’t affect me as much as it used to. I don’t worry about saying something silly. I don’t care much about my peers’ or the professor’s evaluation on me. Instead, I just try to enjoy the class and practice English speaking during the discussion. I start to joke around a lot. My final project team members happen to be all ethnically Asian. So, I name my team “Justin and the good-looking, beautiful, amazing, funny, creative, smart, sexy, high-rolling, crazy rich Asian friends” which eventually end up “Just-in time”. I joke to a Russian girl saying “Xopowo, comrade!”. Every team member, including me, enjoys the group discussion. As I laugh more, make more jokes and engage more during the discussion, people approach me and eventually become my friends. As I get to know them more, I stammer less and less. What I find out is that the more I worry about vocabularies & grammars, errors, stammering and grades, the more my English proficiency diminishes.

My relationship with English has been not very good. I’ve been putting my effort to save my relationship with English, but I ended up stammering. It worsens my relationship with English, even language. But still, English is something that I am thankful for. Without English, I wouldn’t have been accepted in Yonsei. Without English, I couldn’t have taken classes conducted in English in the first place. A huge chunk of my life consists of English. Whether I like it or not, I can’t deny my relationship I had with English. This semester, I mend my relationship with English a little by switch the communications class from letter grade to P/NP evaluation. Also, by joking and laugh a lot in English with team member, I feel a little closer to English. I strongly believe that my relationship with English will get a little better next semester.

____________________________________________________________________________________

The earned ending could be better but still, your examples are so much stronger. I enjoyed reading! Keep working on cutting unnecessary words and sentences.

[ADVANCED ENGLISH WRITING] Literacy Narrative Reflection

지하철 5호선 — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 12:03:00 +0900

During the half of this semester, my thinking about writing in English has significantly shifted. I used to do English assignments in Korean language first and than translate them in English which isn't really helpful for improving my English writing. This semester I started to think, write and do assignments in English, firsthand. Recently, I often find myself thinking or daydreaming in English while on my way to school on my bicycle. I used to get help from AI program, now I can write better essay about me in English than those most recently released, state-of-the-art AIs. By doing assignments on my own without the help of AIs, I could fully put my voice and my idea in my essays. I used to think writing in English is inefficient use of time and energy but, throughout this class, I learned that spending time thinking and writing in English about me without hurrying and without trying to finish it as fast as I can, has its own deep values. And I kind of enjoyed it.

What I like about writing is that I can stammer as much as want when writing. No one knows that I stammer by reading what I wrote. Since I stammer, I get very nervous when talking to people and I tend to avoid talking to people. I am also very introverted. There are people I been wanted to say hi to ,since the start of the semester but I'm not confident enough to do that, and half of the semester has already passed. In contrast, I don't need to worry about stammering when writing. I feel more free writing to the large readers than speaking to large audiences. I also learned about showing and emphasizing strong suits and good sides of me by utilizing writing communication method.

This class also gave me deeper understanding of learning a new language. Furthermore, This class made me to think about the relationship between me and my future plans and career path and English language. This class helped me to predict that I need at least 3 more years to improve my English just enough to get a job in overseas business and affairs job description. To improve my English writing, I would like to continue to participate in class and do assignments exactly the professor tells me to do.

_____________________________________________

It makes me so happy you've weaned off of AI, to not go through Korean, but learned to trust yourself to think, write in English. This is wonderful! And I'm so glad you're learning to enjoy writing, its potential to communicate with readers with your best draft. These experiences and insights will certainly help you to grow and improve as a writer. I look forward to it!

[ADVANCED ENGLISH WRITING] "Teach Yourself Italian" Reflection

지하철 5호선 — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 12:01:07 +0900

"And there are many other obstacles, small but annoying. We don't know where to take the recycling, how to buy a subway and bus pass, where the bus stops are. Everything has to be learned from zero."

This sentence reminds me of my experience of Canada. I have been in Canada for seven months as a working holiday traveler when I was 21 years old. It was right after I finished my mandatory military service. During the time I was in the military, I prepared for the trip to Canada, applying for a visa and studying English. I was confidence at first because I was just out military and I was unexperienced. My confidence was collapsed the day I arrived in Canada. I was lose in the Vancouver city. To add salt on the injury, I found out that the bus ticket to Calgary had been all sold out so I had to find a place to sleep that night. Also, I stammer and stutter much more at the time then now, so every and each single daily life in Canada was a huge challenge and struggle to me. I used to complain all the time about how expensive day pass tickets for transportation in Calgary are, until I found out that I can buy monthly pass for all the transportation with a reasonable price. Applying for my ID card was also a huge step and challenge for me. I had to prove where I live to apply for the ID. I needed a letter that my name and my address written on it. but there was no way I can get it, because even the local library asked me to bring my valid ID if I want them to send a postcard to my place with my name on it. I struggled and with the help of my landlord I eventually manage to applied my ID. If my English skill had been better, I wouldn't have struggled and suffered that much. But, at the age of 21, I had to learn everything from zero. I totally understand the author's feeling.

"I know some people in New York who speak it perfectly. I'm embarrassed to talk to them. I need someone with whom I can struggle, and fail."

Making friends in Canada was a huge challenge for me. I am huge introvert who avoid socializing and sent most of my high-school life studying alone. My MBTI test result is 99% Introverted. But in Canada, I decided to change my character and make Canadian friends. So, I went to the local church and attended the young adults bible study. It turned out that it was a huge disaster. I got very nervous and insecure so my stammering got worse. I couldn't say a word and other Canadian young adults are talking so fast that I couldn't understand even a single word. It turned out that there is a huge huge gap between English they speak and English I studied when I was in the military. So, I quit going to the church. Fortunately, my landlady was Filippina, so she invited me to the Philippines community. I was invited to a Philippines dinner party and I got to make many good friends there. Their English was not perfect but they speak much much better English than me. I learned a lot from them. They speak English in a speed of just as fast as I can understand if I pay a really close attention. Since their English are not perfect, I didn't feel embarrassed speaking English to them. Also I stammered much less. This really helped me improve my English and I feel very thankful for the landlady and my Philippino friends. As I read the text, it reminds me of my Philippino friends in Canada.

"A total metamorphosis isn't possible in my case. I can write in Italian, but I can't become an Italian writer."

I used to be a shy and insecure guy. Honestly, I used to be a huge coward. I felt very shy about speaking English. I always got the feeling that people are laughing at me in the inside when I speak broken English. This insecurity and worrying made me stammer more when I tried to say something. But, thought my experience in Canada, I realize that there are lots of people in Canada who speak worse English than me, but managed to root down and live a life there. Few years after I got back to Korea, I realized that even though I major in English, I still won't speak perfect English and my English speaking will still contain some aspect of Korean accent. I realize that English is not the ultimate goal in my life but just a mere tool that helps me to learn other things and communicate with other. With this mindset, I feel that my English is good enough and I feel much comfortable using English. I even went on a date with an international student in our school who can't speak Korean at all. I used to stammer and stutter all the time but with this mindset, I improved and I get better and better every day. I think what really important is not the grammar or the language itself, but the ideas and the context that the language conveys.

[영어학특강] 중간고사 제출답안

지하철 5호선 — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 11:58:10 +0900

[영어학특강] 기말고사 제출답안

지하철 5호선 — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 11:55:38 +0900

[현대영어학의 이론과 응용] 13주차 과제 - 영어문장의 중의성, Topicalization

지하철 5호선 — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 11:44:10 +0900

A. The earthquake didn’t cause the collapse of the bridge.

-이 문장은 중의적인 문장으로 두가지 해석이 가능합니다. 즉 다리가 무너졌을 가능성, 다리가 무너지지 않았을 가능성을 모두 가지고 있는 문장입니다.

-첫 번째 해석은, 다리가 무너지지 않은 경우입니다. 지진이 일어났으나 다리가 무너지지 않았다라고 해석할 수 있습니다.

-두 번째 해석은, 다리가 무너졌지만 지진으로 인해서 다리가 무너지지 않았다라고 해석할 수 있습니다. 즉, 지진이 아닌 다른 요인에 의해서 다리가 무너진 것으로 해석할 수 있습니다.

-저는 개인적으로 첫 번째 문장의 형태로 해석하는 경향이 있습니다.

-다음 문장에서 이 문장의 마지막인 the bridge를 받아서, 지진에 무너지지 않는 다리, 다리의 견고함 등에 대해서 설명할 것이라는 추측을 해보았습니다.

B. The collapse of the bridge was not caused by the earthquake.

-이 문장에서는 다리가 무너진 사실을 바탕으로 합니다. 즉, 지진에 의해서가 아닌 다른 요인에 의해서 다리가 무너졌다는 것을 의미합니다.

-다리가 무너진 사실을 topic 즉, 화두로 제시하고 그 원인이 지진이 아니었다고 언급하며 독자들에게 다리가 무너진 원인이 무엇인지 궁금증을 유발합니다. 따라서 독자는 다음 문장에서 다리가 무너진 원인에 대해서 다루어질 것을 기대합니다.

[현대영어학의 이론과 응용] 12주차 과제 - gammar mini quizzes

지하철 5호선 — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 11:42:34 +0900

Questions

1. The value of the Johnson's house (double) in the last four years.

2. If she (has) studied harder, she would have passed the exam.

3. She (become) more and more like her mother these days.

4. I (found) my wallet for hours.

5. Look at the sky. It (will rain) soon.

Answers

1. Has doubled

2. Had

3. Is becoming

4. Have been looking for

5. Is going to rain