2006, Vol.14, No.1

The Sociolinguistic Journal of Korea 2023 KCI Impact Factor : 0.57

pISSN : 1226-4822
https://journal.kci.go.kr/socioling

Kim, Jung-woo. 2006. A Study on the Aspects of Expression of Identity in E-mail IDs. The Sociolinguistic Journal of Korea, 14(1). The aim of this study is to uncover the characteristics of expression of identity in e-mail identification (ID). At the present, people live in two societies. One is the real society and the other is virtual society. To live in each society, people must have their own unique identity. A person's identity in real society is ascribed by his/her social status. However, in virtual society, one can create an identity in his/her individual way. Name and e-mail ID are very effective ways to distinguish one from others in each society. Therefore, in this study, the ways of creating an e-mail ID are researched and nine aspects of making an identity by using language is examined. As a result of this research, it is concluded that an e-mail ID has distinctive characteristics that a family name does not, which stem from spontaneity and creativity.

Yu, Kyong-ae. 2006. Impact of Culture in Communication: Different Verbal Styles and Miscommunications. The Sociolinguistic Journal of Korea 14(1). Verbal interaction styles reflect the overall values and patterns of a culture. As Hall (1976) suggests, meaning or intention in low-context communication is best expressed through explicit verbal messages, while in high-context communication it is best conveyed through context and non-verbal channels such as pauses, silence and tone of voice. If different verbal styles are ignored or not understood, miscommunication may occur in cross-cultural communication, which may contribute to communication conflict or even hostile stereotyping (Milroy 1984: 26). Understanding of communication rules, sociocultural norms, and inferences involved in conversation are being accorded greater importance in language teaching and learning for effective communication in intercultural interactions. This paper introduces different communication styles based on cultural diversity, discusses the extent to which Korean EFL students are concerned with English pragmatic strategies, and analyzes Korean language and culture influence on their communication styles in English speech. This paper shows that Korean EFL students attempt to follow English styles in English conversation but their communication styles in English are largely influenced by their native language and culture, which can lead to miscommunication and conflict in intercultural interactions.

Lee, Keun-mo. 2006. Ambiguous Words in the Lives of Japanese People. The Sociolinguistic Journal of Korea 14(1). There are many ambiguous words amid the linguistic lives of the Japanese people, and the reasons include the following. First, in terms of the Japanese language, its vocabulary is comprised of over 720,000 words, compared to that of syllables, the minimal unit in pronunciation, consisting of just 112 units. The structure of the Japanese language is composed of (1) wago, the original Japanese language of history, (2) Chinese characters, introduced from China, (3) borrowings, originating from the West, and (4) hybrid words, formed by a combination of these languages. Thus, there are many points in which vocabulary use is complex and confusing. Second, compared to the West being nations of hunting and livestock rearing, the Japanese people are an agricultural nation, and as such, priority is placed on the goal of achieving group unity and harmony rather than on the individual. As a result, the linguistic behavior has developed towards a direction that emphasizes politeness and deference and prescribes taciturnity or reserved speaking. Consequently, verbal communication becomes ambiguous due to consideration of others.