구어와 문어의 구분에 대한 일고찰 - 디지털 언어 콘텐츠 구분의 용이함을 위하여

Abstract

In an increasingly complex and diverse digital environment, distinguishing between spoken and written language content is not a straightforward task. This is because contemporary language content does not strictly adhere to either spoken or written forms but rather changes according to the characteristics of the medium used and the user's objectives. However, in the field of Korean language education, the binary distinction between spoken and written language continues to be maintained, and discussions about spoken and written language have fallen by the wayside. The establishment of the binary distinction between spoken and written language as a convention in school education can be traced back to the 1st National Curriculum of 1955. At that time, the Ministry of Education classified spoken and written language into ‘speaking’ and ‘listening,’ ‘reading’ and ‘writing,’ and formalized these distinctions as the foundation of the curriculum. This binary approach to spoken and written language has retained an absolute status in educational law up to the present day. This study originated from the awareness of the gap between linguistic reality and Korean language education concerning the distinction between spoken and written language. Recognizing that the binary distinction between spoken and written language has various benefits in terms of teaching methods and that changing established practices is not easy, it is believed that, above all, clearly differentiating the concepts of spoken and written language will help minimize learner confusion and, more broadly, establish a foundational basis for effective digital literacy education. The paper first examines the causes of conceptual confusion between spoken and written language within the curriculum. As an alternative, it proposes distinguishing the concepts of spoken and written language on the levels of ‘language form,’ ‘language style,’ and ‘text,’ while further dividing the ‘text’ level into ‘production’ and ‘consumption’ stages. Today's digital language content increasingly exhibits spoken language traits, and among the post-COVID generation, low literacy has emerged as a significant issue in education. For effective digital literacy education to be realized in this context, accurate conceptual and terminological clarification of spoken and written language is essential. Only then can language education properly assess learners' literacy and provide balanced communication training encompassing both spoken and written forms. Furthermore, both educators and learners are expected to develop a critical perspective on contemporary communication phenomena.