Unit 1 World Traditions and World Englishes

World Traditions and World Englishes

Reading

Reading New Year’s Eve Around the World

Script

New Year’s Eve Around the World

High school students from various countries gathered in Seoul to go on a tour of UNESCO World Heritage sites. Today, they visited Changdeokgung Palace, Palace of Prospering Virtue and enjoyed the charm of a Korean traditional village. As December 31st drew to a close, Jiwu lit a bonfire in the yard and welcomed her international friends to a memorable night.

Jiwu :
Welcome to Bukchon Hanok Village! Let’s say farewell to the year gone by and welcome the new year. I’m delighted to share this special evening with all of you. We Koreans usually watch the Bosingak bell-tolling ceremony at midnight. Some people also prefer to stay up and see the first sunrise of the new year.
Andy :
That’s quite similar to our iconic tradition in the US — the ball drop in Times Square. It’s the main highlight of the New Year’s Eve celebrations in New York City. The countdown leads up to the ball slowly going down, and is accompanied by bright fireworks and live shows.
Jiwu :
Yeah, I’ve seen that event before. A famous K-pop group was invited to the ball drop event and gave a performance in front of millions of viewers. That was impressive!
Lukas :
Amazing! I wish I could have watched that ball drop. I love K-culture so much. By the way, in Germany, instead of those kinds of flashy events, we celebrate in a rather simple and reserved way. We tune in to an old black-and-white TV show called Dinner for One and watch an episode that lasts for 18 minutes.
Fah :
Really? Is an 18-minute vintage show that entertaining?
Lukas :
Absolutely! I, and more than 15 million people, watch it every year in Germany. It's always enjoyable. A lot of other European countries, including Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Finland, and Sweden, also enjoy watching this English-language show.
Jiwu :
You said that TV show is in English, right? Is it popular in the UK or the US then?
Andy :
No, I’ve never even heard of such a show.
Lukas :
Right! That’s actually the funniest part. Although it is in English, Dinner for One is almost unknown there! It was recorded in English for German television in the early 60s.
Jiwu :
Isn’t it dubbed for each country?
Lukas :
Nope. The show uses really simple English, so most people in northern Europe can understand it pretty well. People enjoy it as a tradition.
Jiwu :
Wow, that’s amazing! Are there any other unique German New Year’s customs?
Lukas :
Indeed! We enjoy “Marzipan pigs”—sweets in the shape of pigs. Pigs are symbols of luck in Germany, so eating Marzipan pigs is an auspicious way to greet the new year.
Nicole :
Cute! In Mexico, we eat twelve grapes at midnight, each signifying a blessed month ahead. This practice is also popular in Spain and many South American nations. In fact, I’ve got some grapes for tonight.
Andy :
Why not combine traditions? Let’s eat grapes to the tolling of the Bosingak Bell!
Jiwu :
And tomorrow, we can taste tteok-guk, a traditional Korean New Year dish. Tteok-guk is made of small, round pieces of white rice cake boiled in broth. These rice cakes resemble old-time coins. We celebrate Lunar New Year’s Day more grandly than the Western solar New Year. On this day, we perform a respectful bow to our seniors, known as sebae(New year’s bow).
Fah :
Like in Korea, we have two New Year’s days. In Thailand, we have the Buddhist New Year. For this celebration, we have a big water gun and water splashing fight. This water festival, called Songkran, is the period when Thai people celebrate the Buddhist New Year from April 13th to 15th with water battles and traditional ceremonies. Isn’t it interesting that our New Year celebration is on some of the hottest days of the year?
Lukas :
Interesting! When I think of New Year's celebrations, I picture a cold winter with snow falling. By the way, is there a special meaning for the water fights during the Songkran festival?
Fah :
Yes! The water is symbolic of washing away the past year’s misfortunes, bad luck, and sins. By splashing water, people are cleansed for the new year. It’s a way to start afresh.
Andy :
I went to the Songkran festival last year. I really wanted to take part in the water gun fight, but I didn’t know it was a New Year’s celebration, and I didn’t know about the meaning either.
Nicole :
Learning about these diverse traditions is fascinating. Everybody, soon it’ll be time for the new year. Are you ready to eat grapes in time for the tolling of the bell to wish for good luck in the new year?
ALL :
Definitely. Let’s count down. Three, Two, One. Happy New Year!

World Englishes

Jiwu :
Good morning! How was our bonfire chat on New Year’s traditions?
Nicole :
Absolutely enchanting. Celebrating the New Year with such a diverse group was unique.
Jiwu :
That warms my heart! Was your night in the hanok comfortable?
Andy :
Quite cozy. However, my cell phone battery died last night, and I couldn’t find an outlet in the room. Can you show me an outlet where I can charge it?
Jiwu :
Oh, your handphone died? By the way, why are you suddenly talking about a clothing discount store?
Nicole :
I think Andy meant “outlet” as in a “socket” to plug into.
Jiwu :
A socket to plug into? I got it! Andy is looking for a “consent” for charging.
Lukas :
Consent? I see! In Korea, what’s referred to as a “socket” is called a “consent”. Come to think of it, Jiwu calls a cell phone a “handphone”. Actually, in Germany we call it “handy” or “mobile telephone”. It’s amusing how the same thing has various English names.
Jiwu :
That's funny! When Andy called it an outlet, I just thought of a discount store. Indeed, English expressions differ by region. We call an outlet or a socket a “consent” in Korea. For your phone, Andy, there’s a consent under the chair.
Andy :
Thanks! When I first came to Korea, I was confused by some Korean English words. For instance, I heard words such as “handphone”, “vinyl bag”, and “eye shopping”. I eventually figured out what these meant: cell phone, plastic bag, and window shopping. However, when I heard the word “consent”, it wasn’t obvious to me that it referred to an “outlet”.
Nicole :
We don’t need to feel ashamed about the different variations of English in each country. As English is used globally, it’s natural for unique expressions to emerge in different regions. This diversity in English should be respected. That’s why the concept of “World Englishes” was introduced.
Fah :
World Englishes? Can there be multiple forms of English? I learned in school that English is the language used by people in the UK and the US and knew it as “English” in the singular form.
Nicole :
As Fah mentioned, in the past, we didn’t use the term “Englishes”. Today, many people around the world speak English, whether as a native language, an official language, or a foreign language. This signifies that English isn’t merely the language of the US or the UK, but a global language.
Lukas :
Even though English isn’t our native language, the way we speak it is valid and valuable. That’s why we believe that non-native English speakers can also legitimately have their own versions of English.
Fah :
After listening to what you said, I think I’ll start using English freely even though my Thai English is often different from your Englishes.
Lukas :
Right. Even among native-speaking countries, there are various English expressions. In the UK, they say “queue” for “line” and “loo” for “toilet”.
I had to wait in a long “queue” to buy the tickets.
Andy :
Exactly. Come to think of it, my Australian friend I met last year said “arvo” for “afternoon” and “defo” for “definitely”. At first, I had no idea what he meant.
Jiwu :
Even among native speakers, there are English expressions that can be misunderstood between people. Even though we come from different countries, we can communicate in English, introduce our New Year’s traditions to one another, and even experience them together! I’m really proud of that.
Andy :
Just like with “consent” for “outlet”, there might be miscommunication. However, if we approach one another’s English with respect and make an effort to understand one another, we can convey our intended meanings effectively.
Nicole :
Precisely! Just as all cultures should be respected, all the variations of English deserve the same respect.