Abstract
This chapter examines motivations behind English language learning among English-Korean female translators and interpreters from a gender perspective. Specifically, it examines factors that influenced their career decisions in relation to local cultural norms that emphasize traditional gender roles and differing individual perceptions of the normative female biographies. According to their individual interpretations of gendered roles, the participants are divided into three different groups: women who pursue English as a tool to write normative gender biographies; women who view English as a key to pursue female individuation; and women who wish to actualize outbound mobility through English. The examination of the language journeys of the participants reveals how gendered norms and expectations are constructed, negotiated, and at times rejected by Korean women who are eager to fashion themselves with English as a key to achieving their desired gender agendas.
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Notes
- 1.
One thousand won is roughly equivalent to one U.S. dollar.
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Cho, J. (2017). Fashioning Selves: Gender Bias in Language and Mobility. In: English Language Ideologies in Korea . Multilingual Education, vol 23. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-59018-9_5
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