According to the IPA – International Phonetic Alphabet – the...

American fast food has certainly affected Korea. You can find American fast food restaurants everywhere and many young people don’t appreciate traditional Korean food anymore. Koreans are now using western ingredients such as ketchup, mayonnaise and butter to cook regular meals. Salad dressing, something we never used before, is also popular now.

The problem is that American companies sell their food along with American culture. Manners in restaurants are not the same before. I can give you two examples of this. Traditionally Koreans don’t use individual plates for eating main dishes. We have always eaten from one bowl, but now some people think that this habit is unsanitary.

Tipping is also new for us. Before, we had never rewarded good service with money, but now we are supposed to give a tip to waiter in some restaurants. I fear our traditional way of doing things will soon be forgotten.

By Jeong Kim, from Korea.

(PLATERO, Luciana & DONNINI, Lívia. All Set, vol. 2, student book. Boston, USA: Thompson Heinle, 2008. Adaptado.)