The Ladder of Being

[dreamer_easy]

The other day I remarked (and take anything I saw with a grain of salt, as I'm hardly an expert) that strict hierarchy is a major difference between Korean and Western society. On the other hand, of course, the West has plenty of social hierarchy of its own. English doesn't have formal and informal speech levels or an elaborate system of honorifics

Comments

[flemmings]

That's a fascinating quote. And now I (finally, after twenty years) understand how the Japanese 'just knew' what level to address other people at. Also why Japanese who'd lived abroad for any length of time lost that fine-tuning.

(Here from Friends' FL, btw.)

[dreamer_easy]

Hi there. :) There's a book called Watching the English which goes into the fine gradations of English class in great detail - it helps you pick up on all sorts of small details in British television, for example.

[flemmings]

Thank you. Have just put in a request for it to the library.