Danielle O. Pyun, professor in the Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures, gives a lecture titled "More Than Words: Comprehending Idioms and L2 Korean Learning."
Idioms are abundant across languages, and their meanings cannot always be derived from their literal definitions. While idioms offer insight into the cultural practices and social values of a speech community, they also present a learning challenge for L2 (second/foreign language) learners. In this presentation, I introduce a set of Korean idioms categorized by their perceived degree of transparency, such as idioms whose literal meanings appear to contribute to their figurative meanings and those whose literal meanings have relatively little connection to their figurative meanings. I then report on which types of idioms American learners of Korean comprehend and retain more effectively.
Inaugural lectures celebrate Arts and Humanities faculty who have been promoted to the rank of professor. All lectures are held in the Faculty Club Grand Lounge from 4-6 p.m. and are preceded by a reception and followed by Q&A and discussion. All lectures are free and open to the public.
The Arts and Humanities Inaugural Lecture Series is sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences.