Korea Times published an article I wrote on the early English teachers in Korea and I thought it would be a great opportunity to also post this picture of English being taught in Japan to Koreans in 1948. (I like that bottom question – “Which key are you? Monkey or Yankee?”
While some of the material in the article has been discussed before – I think this article mentions for the first time Westerners who were teaching English on the side.
UPDATE – some of you were asking for the picture’s annotation – here it is:
(NY2 – May 1) KOREAN CHILDREN LEARN ENGLISH IN JAPAN – An instructor conducts a class in English for Korean children in Tokyo. Demonstrations followed closing of the Korean schools in Japan for non-compliance with a law requiring private institutions to have licenses to teach. (APWirephoto)(OB70700tokyo) 48
Picture Credit: AP Wire photograph – my collection.
{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
Why do the girls hair looked badly-photoshopped?
indeed, poorly done.
To be honest – I have no idea. Wasn’t sure if it was a problem in its original wire transfer or not….it does distract from an otherwise nice photograph (meaning subject matter).
The notes stamped on the photograph indicate that it was taken for a story dealing with the academies in Japan reacting to new laws on education (need to go back and transcribe the whole thing – if someone is interested).
How many co-ed classes were there in that time period? My guess… an all-male class but some female heads clipped in… why? Probably the editor said “that looks gay – put some females in there.”
Hey, Mofo, who are you calling Monkeys, Monkeys! (I call the Japanese Fuji mountain Monkeys)
I guess it takes one to know one.
I wonder if that photo was taken in a Chosensoren school, or whatever the pro-North organization was called back then. Communists were early adopters of co-ed education in Asia.
Yeah, I didn’t notice it at first but it looks like all the girls bar the girl in the front row have been photoshopped into the photo – for whatever reason.
Interesting use of phonics by the way, too.
#5 – I think #4 is completely correct.
It was a class full of boys – and they decided to turn half the class into girls, hence the girls hair pasted on.
Was Japanese and Chinese really spelt “Japanece” and “Chinece” back then?
What “nece” are you?
@3 Yes please, would be interested to see a transcription. Any more info on what appears to be “race” lesson? e.g. “Which race are you? Chinese or Japanese?” You’d think by the end of WWII the Japanese and Koreans would have lost their enthusiasm for this sort of thing. Of course, you’d be wrong.
@8 it probably is “nece” isn’t it? which “key,” which “nece” — rather than race. makes sense.
I think Sonagi is on to something. The picture was probably edited for propaganda purposes. According to the South Korean government’s own statistics, the vast majority of Koreans were illiterate at the end of WW2. So, I would imagine that access to education became an important social and ideological issue shortly after WW2. I’m guessing boys were edited out and/or empty seats were filled in to create the impression that a greater number of girls were attending the class. I can’t tell if the picture was taken at a communist run school or not, but communists do like to pretend that they give equal rights to women—as long as their rights don’t conflict with the interests of the communist part, that is.
I assume that was supposed to be a joke, but the question does not make sense unless 키 was the old way of writing 띠 (zodiac sign).
I think 키 was inserted so that the joke would make sense. As Someguy noted, this looks more like a staged propaganda photo than an actual English lesson. The girls were pasted in either to fill empty seats or to balance the gender ratio.
Here is a photo of Korean author Yi Hyo-seok (이효석, penname 가산), who taught English at schools in northern Korea. He died in 1942.
I think Sonagi is correct.
The teacher probably was a Nork sympathizer. He wanted to tell the students that Koreans are different from the Chinese and the Japanese. And, he wanted to make fun of the USAF by equating with Monkeys.
His Korean writing supports my theory.
Communists are not known for their intelligence. However, they are good in exciting human emotions and in inciting riots. That is why they are into making movies and propaganda.
KJI was and maybe still is a movie fan.
#14,
“What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._H._Davies
And, yes, Supertramp (the band) was named after a book by W. H. Davies.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8711573684382532752#
I think it reads:
Which nese are you? Japanese or Chinese?
Which key are you? Monkey or Yankee
Someguy: thanks for that. I did wonder where what he wrote from the board came from. For a man who never went to a western country, he knew quite a bit and he was quite cosmopolitan.
Anyone who wants to read a story in which themes of homosexuality, bisexuality, incest and such are dealt with in Korea in 1939, check out his 화분 (Pollen).
# 18
I am sure it is –
Which nece are you? Japanece or Chinece?
Which key are you? Monkey or Yankee
(Japanece dolls) – http://my.opera.com/NazilaBebo/albums/show.dml?id=2381651
Wow Robert, the spam postings to this thread (filtered out) are legendary.
Still the article is an interesting read.
My last comment still awaiting moderation, apparently.
@#8-Craash, they did spell it right…that’s not a “c” but an “s” in cursive.
Also, why is everybody analyzing the “key” joke so much? That’s just Asian humor when they play with foreign words. Haven’t any of you heard those corny jokes Asians make when they play with English words? There’s a ton of them. Actually, that mon”key”/yan”kee” joke is kind of funny in a corny old-fashioned way.
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