Generational Gap in Foreign Language Comprehension Widens Significantly: "Elderly Face Information Exclusion"

Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Conducts Public Survey on Foreign Language Expressions
General Public Understanding Score 61.8, Age 70 and Above Score 28.4

[Asia Economy Reporter Jonggil Lee] The general public's understanding of foreign language expressions used by the government, public institutions, and the media was found to be generally low.

According to the "General Public Perception Survey on Foreign Language Expressions" released by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on the 23rd, the average understanding score of 3,500 foreign language expressions by the general public was 61.8 points. Information deprivation among the elderly was severe. Those aged 60 and below scored 66.9 points, whereas those aged 70 and above scored only 28.4 points. This generational gap appeared even in relatively easy-to-understand foreign language expressions.

The stark difference was also evident in the number of foreign words understood. Over 60% of respondents answered that they understood 1,080 (30.8%) out of the 3,500 foreign language expressions, but among those aged 70 and above, over 60% only understood 242 (6.9%). In contrast, over 60% of those aged 60 and below understood 1,378 (39.4%).

The gap in understanding was also seen in relatively easy foreign language expressions such as QR code, popup window, keyword, mobile app, password, school zone, and no-kids zone. Those aged 60 and below generally answered that these were easy to understand, but those aged 70 and above did not. For words related to information and communication, the percentage of respondents who said they understood was sometimes below 10%.

This survey was conducted from January 29 to February 13, targeting 11,074 people aged 14 to 79 across sixteen regions nationwide. The understanding of 3,500 foreign language expressions used in government press releases and media articles was measured online (for those in their 10s to 60s) and through individual interviews (for those in their 70s). Seventy-four percent of respondents said foreign language expressions are frequently used in daily life. However, only 36.1% had a positive perception of this. The older the age, the more negative the perception of foreign language expressions.

A Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism official stated, "In situations where social communication is important, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, efforts by the government and media to use easy Korean are urgently needed for swift and accurate communication." He added, "If difficult foreign words like cohort isolation and drive-thru continue to be used, the elderly, who are most vulnerable to infectious diseases, may be excluded from information. We will strengthen evaluation and promotion to reduce the use of difficult foreign words in government and local government press releases and reports, and continuously encourage the media not to use difficult foreign words in article headlines."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.