Please Teach Me English
Encyclopedia
Please Teach Me English (영어완전정복
literally The Complete Mastering of English) is a 2003
South Korea
n comedy about a young woman who begins English
lessons after she is unable to help a foreigner at her government office.
) and Na Young-ju (Lee Na-young
) are classmates in a private English class. Mun-su frequently looks out for girls while working in his shoe shop. However, Young-ju has an unreciprocated interest in him. They eventually became friends, and frequently sit together in class.
One day, Young-ju boasts about a pig in her grandparents' farm who can recognize the English alphabet
. The class decide to visit the pig, only to discover it had been eaten the same day (Young-ju had invented it). Young-ju trains a piglet to recognize the alphabet; when her efforts are discovered by Mun-su, he helps. However, the pig escapes, and has to be recaptured. The class and Young-ju's family have a party that night.
Returning on the bus, Young-ju catches Mun-su showing a photo of a woman, who she mistakes as his girlfriend. Mun-su boasts that the photo is more beautiful than the real person.
A depressed Young-ju skips classes, and her teacher looks for her. Young-ju attends a farewell party with the class, but Mun-su is absent. Afterwards she meets Mun-su's mom looking for him. She discovers that his mum was meeting the girl in the photo.
The girl, known as Victoria or Moon-young, speaks no Korean and needs Young-ju to translate. As Mun-su's mum, wearing a hanbok
, talks to Victoria, Young-ju, who has only learnt simple English, is at a loss and utters: "she looked more beautiful in the photo". Victoria is astonished. Young-ju tells Victoria that everybody hates her because she is not Korean. Victoria asks her to say that she had good intentions and leaves.
Mun-su arrives to find his mother weeping. Young-ju hides. Victoria has checked out of the hotel, but Young-ju stops her car, and admits lying.
Victoria hugs Mun-su and his mother. Young-ju boards a train, but Mun-su leaves his family and confesses that Victoria is not his girlfriend, but his long-lost sister from New York. Mun-su finds Young-ju and helps her to put on her shoes. They kiss, and the entire train cheers. They marry and have a baby.
The film was first released in South Korea. Then it was released in China, with the title 『英語完全征服』, and a dub and sub in Cantonese. Next, it was released in Japan with the title 『英語完全克服』. In the United States, it has been released both with the original Korean audio track, the Yue Chinese dub, and subtitles in English and Cantonese.
Hangul
Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...
literally The Complete Mastering of English) is a 2003
2003 in film
The year 2003 in film involved some significant events. Releases of sequels took place with movies like The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, Pokémon Heroes, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines,...
South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n comedy about a young woman who begins English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
lessons after she is unable to help a foreigner at her government office.
Synopsis
Mun-su (Jang HyukJang Hyuk
- Career :As a child, Jang Hyuk spent most of his life in his birthplace Busan, before making his drama debut in the SBS drama Model in 1997. Besides the TV drama School and a minor role in the little-seen film Zzang, Jang appeared in g.o.d.'s music video of their 1999 debut single To My Mother...
) and Na Young-ju (Lee Na-young
Lee Na-young
Lee Na-young is one of Korean film, TV and CF industry's most popular actresses. She first made a name for herself as the star in the dramatic mini-series Ruler of Your Own World....
) are classmates in a private English class. Mun-su frequently looks out for girls while working in his shoe shop. However, Young-ju has an unreciprocated interest in him. They eventually became friends, and frequently sit together in class.
One day, Young-ju boasts about a pig in her grandparents' farm who can recognize the English alphabet
English alphabet
The modern English alphabet is a Latin alphabet consisting of 26 letters and 2 ligatures – the same letters that are found in the Basic modern Latin alphabet:...
. The class decide to visit the pig, only to discover it had been eaten the same day (Young-ju had invented it). Young-ju trains a piglet to recognize the alphabet; when her efforts are discovered by Mun-su, he helps. However, the pig escapes, and has to be recaptured. The class and Young-ju's family have a party that night.
Returning on the bus, Young-ju catches Mun-su showing a photo of a woman, who she mistakes as his girlfriend. Mun-su boasts that the photo is more beautiful than the real person.
A depressed Young-ju skips classes, and her teacher looks for her. Young-ju attends a farewell party with the class, but Mun-su is absent. Afterwards she meets Mun-su's mom looking for him. She discovers that his mum was meeting the girl in the photo.
The girl, known as Victoria or Moon-young, speaks no Korean and needs Young-ju to translate. As Mun-su's mum, wearing a hanbok
Hanbok
Hanbok or Chosŏn-ot is the traditional Korean dress. It is often characterized by vibrant colors and simple lines without pockets. Although the term literally means "Korean clothing", hanbok today often refers specifically to hanbok of Joseon Dynasty and is worn as semi-formal or formal wear...
, talks to Victoria, Young-ju, who has only learnt simple English, is at a loss and utters: "she looked more beautiful in the photo". Victoria is astonished. Young-ju tells Victoria that everybody hates her because she is not Korean. Victoria asks her to say that she had good intentions and leaves.
Mun-su arrives to find his mother weeping. Young-ju hides. Victoria has checked out of the hotel, but Young-ju stops her car, and admits lying.
Victoria hugs Mun-su and his mother. Young-ju boards a train, but Mun-su leaves his family and confesses that Victoria is not his girlfriend, but his long-lost sister from New York. Mun-su finds Young-ju and helps her to put on her shoes. They kiss, and the entire train cheers. They marry and have a baby.
Production and release
The film begins with an animated sequence.The film was first released in South Korea. Then it was released in China, with the title 『英語完全征服』, and a dub and sub in Cantonese. Next, it was released in Japan with the title 『英語完全克服』. In the United States, it has been released both with the original Korean audio track, the Yue Chinese dub, and subtitles in English and Cantonese.
External links
Cineseoul profile- Official Site (closed)