PERFORMANCE > LANGUAGE:WORDS

Language Words
Language Words
2009


In this performance, I sat at a table and invited people to help me practice Korean using 3 dialogues I selected from a dated language phrasebook, “Gateway to Speaking Korean: Practical Text for Foreigners by the Association of Foreign Language Propagation”, published in 1973. No translation for the dialogues was available for me during the intervention. All participants were passersby who read my sign and decided to take part. The sign asked people to help me practice Korean, have a seat, and select a dialogue. The experience between us was highlighted by the awkwardness of communicating without full command of any language. The dialogues used very formal and outdated phrases for most contemporary Korean speakers.