부산대학교 도서관

This paper aims to suggest the direction that should be taken in preserving and protecting the Korean language based on an analysis of foreign loan words used in elementary school textbooks. Textbooks serve as a reasonable reflection of the language people use in their daily lives and the results of Korean language policy. They also indicate the direction that language use may take in the future. Of the foreign loan words found in elementary school textbooks, 156 words were directly used without any modification or refinement although there are already “refined words” for those foreign loan words, a list of which is published by the National Institute of Korean Language. Although critics say that not enough refined words are used in school textbooks, it would be unrealistic to use some of the refined words. For example, the refined words “otbon” and “munui,” meaning “pattern,” used in mathematics textbooks are actually intended to be used by tailors, making them inappropriate for mathematics textbooks. Of the 156 refined words listed by the National Institute of Korean Language, only 12, or 7.7 percent, are purely native Korean words. The fact that most refined words are from Chinese characters indicate that native Korean words are not properly taught. Moreover, although the National Institute of Korean Language recommended the use of refined words in school textbooks, they were not adopted when the textbooks were developed. To increase the use of refined words and decrease the use of loan words in school textbooks, it is important to foster an environment where foreign loan words are not used or used less. Furthermore, a “Korean Language Refinement Committee,” tasked with refining foreign loan words, should be created, and the National Institute of Korean Language should be promoted to an institution under the direct control of prime minister. In addition, “making new words” may be included in the Korean language curriculum to create refined words that are similar to native Korean words.