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For our upcoming session, we are pleased to welcome Dr Jinhyun Cho from Macquarie University, presenting:

English as Language Capital and American Dreams in South Korea

*NOTE THAT THIS IS A HYBRID EVENT ON MICROSOFT TEAMS AND IN-PERSON*

Teams Meeting ID: 434 013 317 471 078 | Password: XV9t6VM3

Abstract

This presentation explores how English has become powerful capital in South Korea from a sociohistorical perspective. It traces the evolution of English in Korean society from its arrival in the late 19th century, through the period of Japanese colonial rule and post-independence developments, to the modern era. Drawing on Bourdieu\\\'s theory of capital, it demonstrates that English has acquired significant value throughout Korea\\\'s history, particularly in relation to American influence on the peninsula. The presentation illuminates how the cultural, economic and political influence of the United States has turned English into an enabler of \\\'American dreams\\\' in the minds of Koreans.

 

About the speaker

Dr Jinhyun Cho is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Linguistics at Macquarie University. Her research cuts across translation/interpreting and sociolinguistics, with a particular focus on language ideologies, neoliberalism, language policies, and intercultural communication. Adopting a novel approach that conceptualises translation and interpreting as a socially situated activity infused with power hierarchies, Dr Cho\'s work captures the dynamics of cultural, linguistic, and racial power relations in diverse sociolinguistic contexts. Dr Cho has authored three monographs: English Language Ideologies in Korea: Interpreting the Past and Present (Springer, 2017); Intercultural Communication in Interpreting: Power and Choices (Routledge, 2021); and Multilingual Practices and Monolingual Mindsets: Critical Sociolinguistic Perspectives on Health Care Interpreting (Routledge, 2025).

Event details

Event: 2026 KRC Seminar Series #3

Date: Monday, 31 August 2026

Time: 12:00 pm AWST

Location: Building 402, Room 314, Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley

Online: Microsoft Teams

Teams Meeting ID: 434 013 317 471 078

Password: XV9t6VM3

Contact: Haiqing Li - haiqing.li@postgrad.curtin.edu.au

We look forward to seeing you there.

The Korea Research & Engagement Centre is supported by the Core University Program for Korean Studies through the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and Korean Studies Promotion Service of the Academy of Korean Studies (AKS-2022-OLU-2250005).