First, the length of one's tongue has nothing to do with English pronunciation. All Asian-Americans, including Korean-Americans, speak fluent English without any accent whatsoever. This tongue surgery is a child-abuse. Those who advertise or recommend such a surgery is committing fraud and medical malpractice.
Second, one's ablility to speak English without an accent has nothing to do with one's ability to communicate effectively with others in English. An example is Henry Kissinger. He had a real bad accent, but his English was effective and powerful enough to change the course of American History. Korean people tend to worry too much about the accent, rather than the substance of speech.
Finally, a person who can effectively communicate his/her idea is a person who takes pride in himself or herself. We don't need to surgically correct ourselves (and especially our children) to speak the language of Americans. Average Koreans speak far better English than average Americans can speak Korean.
The tongue surgery will never work. It will never make anyone speak better English. It was probably invented by those who want to make money. I would say let those foolish enough to disfigure their children's body do what they want to do, if the whole idea was not so offensive to my Korean identity. I respectfully suggest that those doctors who perform these surgery should be boycotted, and/or sued for fraud and medical malpractice.
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When I heard the news, I was a little bit upset.
That would not be unimaginable considering Korean mothers'
over-excitement for their children education.
It is too far...
Many mother may say to me,
"Go on. But if you become a mother, you will behave same as other mothers who were blamed by you."
To some extent, it could be right, but that cannot justify those
hysterical behaviors. I feel I would not be a mother as long as I will bring my child(ren) just like an artificial thing produced by high-tech factory.
Sometimes, I am afraid of our future society.
A lot of parents lead their children to think about themselves and their family regardless other people's rights and values.
I alreday find various discrimination and abnormal competativeness.
And there is serious gap among children from rich family, average family, and below average family. And this gap exists through the world with various appearance, I think. Though, this might not
be a new and temporary phenomena, nor seems improved at all.
I wish people can realize when we regard other people (and other living things) also we will be regarded and the world can be a little bit better to live...
Today's young parents seem almost obsessed in teaching English to their children in Korea.
According to digital Chosun newspaper, some Koreans believe their tongue is relatively too short to speak English propery than Westerners. Therefore, recently, many anxious parents drag frightened toddlers into doctor's office for tongue surgery which they believe improve accurate English pronounciation.
This is a phenomenon in Korea nowadays and many mothers think this operation would guarantee their children fluent in English.
An ear, nose and throat specialists in Seoul say this operation is very simple and takes only about 10 minutes and can be done as outpatient surgery with local anesthetic, and the operation is most often performed under age of 5 children.
I fully understand that Korean parents are very eagar to have their children speak English like a native to prepare for the 21st century globalization, but today's excessive symtom over speaking English extreamly well seem too reluctant and beyond my knowledge. Some linguists also sneer at this idea, and the operation lengthens the tongue by only a millimeter or two doesen't necessarily do anything with proper prounciation.
In my thought, Korean young mothers look too competitive each other and seem to infulence too easily by others. I wonder if they aware all childrens are very different, and, above all, today's tendency over-teaching English to preschooler is young Korean mother's ambition for the advantage of their children or reckless vanity for herself...