This study discusses the representation of women and the use of discriminatory language expressions regarding them in movies. This study analyzed female characters and the language expressions used in relation to these female characters in the films between 2014 and 2019. Considering features of each character, the following types of discrimination were observed: “treating women as sexual objects” and “subordinating wife to husband” on the subject of right and violence, “treating women as men’s subordinates” for labor and in positions of leaderships, “excluding women” in terms of race and disabilities, “restricting women to gender-specific roles such as housewives” in motherhood and image of women, and “treating women’s behavior or personality differently’ in abilities and occupations. In the result of discriminatory language expressions, “degrading of women” was most frequently observed. And “treating women’s behavior or personality differently” was observed in few movies, exhibiting the lowest frequency. “Treating women as subordinates to men” and “excluding women” were expressions of discrimination in public spheres against social advancement, and “restricting women to gender-specific roles such as housewives” and “subordinating wife to husband” can be considered expressions of patriarchy.

The purpose of this study is to examine a corpus regarding the use of discriminatory language and its perceptions. First, we examined informal job titles that indicate social views regarding the respective workers, and then we analyzed expressions indicating negative perceptions as well as negative expressions about occupations and tasks to determine negative views or attitudes toward the workers. Summarizing the results of the analysis, ganhowon(nurse) and cheongsobu(cleaner) as inappropriate titles, nogada(physical labor) and gongdori/gongsuni(factory boy/girl) as expressions of negative perception, and nogada and wunjeonsu(driver) in negative expressions related to occupations and work occur with high frequency. Ganhowon is used with titles for women like eonni(older sister), agassi(lady), and Miss ○, cheongsobu and pachulbu(day maids) with the titles ajumma(tannie) and ajeossi(older man), wunjeonsu and gongsuni with the epithets nom(jerk) and nyeon(bitch), and nogada with the titles ilggun(workers) and inbu(laborers), and such terms as jjapsae(the fuss) with a epithet saeggi(jerk/bleeder) are used mainly as inappropriate titles. Bad behavior, deprecatory social treatment, and negligent discrimination are conveyed in these expressions of negative perception. The expressions related to occupation and work were mainly used for professionals doing less respected or socially lower work or who do not work well, and there were many expressions indicative of low status or lower rank in the job hierarchy. Lastly, references to appearance and sexuality were those most frequently used in expressions conveying other occupational discrimination, and were found to be used mainly for ganhowon and gongsuni who are young women.

The language threshold effect on comprehending an L2 (second language) text was experimentally examined, using two types of measurement tool, multiple-choice & true/false questions and a recall task for L2 reading comprehension. Cognitive processes implicated in each measure were delineated to allow a finer analysis on the role of L1 reading competence and L2 proficiency in comprehending an L2 text. In order to observe how one aspect of L2 proficiency, vocabulary knowledge, is related to language threshold effect, thirty-two 9th grade Korean students in Korea were given a vocabulary knowledge acquisition activity in a treatment condition between a pretest and a posttest. The relative contributions that L1 reading competence and L2 proficiency made to L2 reading comprehension were analyzed before the treatment and after the treatment using multiple-regression analysis technique. The findings of this repeated measure design were consistent with previous correlational studies showing that the role of L1 reading competence became stronger as L2 proficiency operationalized via vocabulary knowledge improved. What is elaborated in the present study is the fact that cognitive processes, initiated by a recall task, are more sensitive to the weakening of language threshold effects.