Thoughts on gentleman by PSY.

PSY is very famous Korean singer. Lots of people have seen his music video. "Gentleman"
His music video can be very powerful media. Students, too. My students also like PSY, and his new song "Gentleman"

But in his lyrics, there are some sentences that are unpleasant to me. ( Because of my job-teacher?)


알랑가 몰라 왜 미끈해야하는건지
알랑가 몰라 왜 쌔끈해야하는건지
....

있잖아 말이야
너의 머리 허리 다리 종아리 말이야
Good! feeling feeling? Good! 부드럽게 말이야
아주 그냥 헉소리나게 악소리 나게 말이야
Damn! Girl! I’m a party mafia!

 In English,
I don't know if you know why it needs to be waxy
I don't know if you know why it needs to be sexy
...
Hey there Your head, waist, legs, calves
Good ! Feeling feeling Good! It's soft.
I'll make you gasp. I'll make you scream
Damn! Girl! I’m a party mafia!

If an ordinary people says these, it would be less problem. But it is PSY. Many Koreans search this lyrics. I think it is a kind of streotyping ideals of people, especially women(because in the movie, womens wearing bikinis and they are very good shape). we think people should be sexy, waxy....
Songs put emphasis on extrinsic factors-beauty of extrinsic.
Not only this song, many songs too.
And it is issue that young teenage idols competitvely appeal sexy icons.
Who concetrate on these young teenages? , also young Students.
Especially young students can follow this imagery without critical thinking, adults too.
It's very dangerous thing.

=============================
Is this sexual harassment? How does Psy reproduce or question  "gender relations" ,"women" to me, to my students ?  

Englishinism ...?

About this ad, we discussed same issue in Miss Kim's class.
'When we acquire English as L2, can we acquire it as same as native speaker or not.'
She asked "Why do you want to be native speaker ?  Do you have any specific reasons to have a native speaking level? "

First, we have to think about Korean society that makes englishinism ( Social atmosphere that we have to be good at english. ) In reality, lots of companies standardize specific TOEIC & TEPS score. My boyfriend also studied TOEIC when he prepared for employment. Does he use English...? Yes, but not usually, only when he meets with foriegn companies.
Many student in Korea have a lot of pressure to be good at english. Lots of them study abroad, and take many english courses(Speaking class, TOEIC, TOFEL, TEPS, Korean SAT )  in academy.  This can be a very big market. Someone can earn lot of money from the high demand of English improvement.
I think this English market has a big role encouraging the social atmosphere that Korean society has to be better,better at English, saying "be competitive" , "be global person".

Second, I think it is related to anxieties Koreans have. There are  plenty of anxieties in Korea. Historically we were under Japanese colonial, went through Korean war, socially, politically, ecnomically unstable period (1960~now). So we have some kind of oppression that we have to follow the main stream(ex: Be good at English) . That means stable job, stable life, economically&Socially stable status. we continually compare with others, and try to be better than others.(Sang min Hwang,2011) This "better than Native" is good example that reveals Korean's comparing culture,and reveals anxieties that I have to chase the upper level.
 
"Better than Native" statement involve these social issues,desires of English in Korea, I think.    

Education remains 40 years ...

After reading Freire's. I thought his issue(oppressing in education) have been close to Korean History in education. I talked with my mom. She was born in 1959, so she went through 박정희, 전두환's military regime, which is represented as dictatorship in Korea. At then, they justified dictatorship as "Korean democracy" , used people's fear of possibility of war between NK and SK, insist that SK have to be one, gathering together. So lots of critical thinking was ignored at that time. Also, my mom mentioned that when 5.18 Gwangju affair rose up, no news report, most of university closed for a while. (She was a university student then). Interesting thing is that when she was young, she thought that North Korean was evil . Now she became to think that we shouldn't oppose to North Korea. Anyway we are one country. But my father still thinks North Korea negatively. ( He said it is unconsious to think in that way, because of education)
Education remains 40 years to my father... Power of education ...

reflections on the class...

I think class is active, lots of discussions, thinkings, questions, seems like alive. Professor Porter presents lot of authentic examples that represents theory. So easier to understand, and he explains simply &easily to understand.(not meaning that content is simple). Professor Shannon also helps me to understand and helps me to think apply in my class by discussing each other and gives some advices to understand and participate in the class. I became interested in social theories, like Marxism, Freire, Orientalism....which was never interested me before. And it is very interesting to see , think about how this world is going by the thing which I learn through this class. What matters is about me, don't have listening skills perfectly, feels a little bit awkward to get used to contents which never I studied before. If I can ask, please speak slowly ( I'm sorry that I 'm asking you again although Porter mentioned about this, but this is the biggest problem to me. )

Internet & Equality

I read ab interesting article in today's newspaper.
It says "Internet, also eliminate the university's wall. " 
It was about the website : Coursera, which provide MOC(Massive open online course) from 62 universities around the world for free.
It was impressing that Andrew, the co-founder of Cousera & professor of Stanford said
"Technique has to be a  tool  for provide equal education for everyone."
And it is very surprising that they give lecture for free.
He said "Education democraticization - Poor people & Rich people take same coureses, and talking each other, be friends "
It is real purpose of education, I think

It is one of the possitive aspects of internet. It is really amazing

What are some barriers to doing this in your teaching?

1. Since my students are very low level in English, 5th grade elementary school,  so it seems hard to find proper critical content for my student. I have to consider deeply what they are interested in, whether they can study critical content by english.

2.  They are not accustumed to think critically(because they are young, or they haven't think critically). Also I'm not used to teach critical content. So I don't know exactly how to teach critical contents

3. Too many contents in curriculum, This is not only problem in English subject. There is not enough time for educate critical content. I think it takes quite a long time if we teach critical content. (For example, if we teach critical contents by discussion, we have to search about the issue)