View previous topic :: View next topic |
Author |
Message |
Monty_
Joined: 16 Aug 2003
|
Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2003 3:42 am Post subject: Many brits in korea? |
|
|
Don't get me wrong, Im not one of those people who goes abroad just to fraternise with people from the same neck of the woods as me, but after reading these boards for the last couple of months it seems like there are plenty of Yanks, Canucks, Aussies & Kiwis in Korea, and a lot less Brits.
I know that the posters on here are only a tiny proportion of the ESL teacher population, but surely it must be quite a representative sample.
So are there many brits in Korea, and how are they looked upon in the expat community?
Im coming to Seoul soon, and I'd like to think there would be a few limeys to watch the premiership with while sinking a few bevvies. It'd also be nice to see a few of our beautiful british girls out there... |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Tiger Beer
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
|
Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2003 4:05 am Post subject: |
|
|
I seldom meet British blokes.. but I would believe they would be very well-received.. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
eamo
Joined: 08 Mar 2003 Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.
|
Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2003 4:11 am Post subject: |
|
|
Of course there's a lot more Canadians, Americans, Kiwi's and Aussies but there is a significant amount of Brits and Irish.
Koreans seem very positive about my nationality (Irish) as we are more of a novelty than, "just another American/Canadian". However, thats only after they learn your nationality. They will presume you are American at first.
Anyway, I know a lot of Brits in Seoul and they love it here. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Squid
Joined: 25 Jul 2003 Location: Sunny Anyang
|
Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2003 4:12 am Post subject: |
|
|
According to some posters here, all Brits in Korea are 50+ year old pisspots.
I have concluded however, that I am not a 50 year old pisspot, though I did see them all once at YBM in Jongno.
When you get here, I'll wander out for a foaming ale over the World Cup.
Squid the Brit. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Holyjoe
Joined: 03 Mar 2003 Location: Away for a cuppa
|
Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2003 4:45 am Post subject: |
|
|
Have to hold my hands up and admit I'm from Aberdeen (and support the fitba team passionately, for my sins...)
There's a fair few of us misguided fools who support the boys in red, usually end up going to Itaewon every Saturday night to watch the Premiership football on telly and follow the Aberdeen game via the internet. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Son Deureo!
Joined: 30 Apr 2003
|
Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2003 5:42 am Post subject: |
|
|
Sure, I see several dozen of them everyday, and I wish they would stop approaching me in the streets to say "hello". There are way too many of them in this country if you ask me. Some days I just want to beat them senseless.
Oh... BRITS! I thought you meant "brats". |
|
Back to top |
|
|
rapier
Joined: 16 Feb 2003
|
Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2003 5:45 am Post subject: |
|
|
I have a british passport thanks to the fact my parents were born in london.
Thus, i've noticed a lot of employer prejudice against me, and in favour of Americans/ canadians. Never mind that many of them have had less teaching experience and no qualifications. It gets a bit sad. I've also given up on the idea of a University job here as I keep hearing that such cushy placements are reserved for Americans.
Many koreans note that they can understand me a lot better than most English people because i have a clearer accent. I never tell them i'm actually from Zimbabwe, it only confuses the hell out of them. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Tiger Beer
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
|
Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2003 6:06 am Post subject: |
|
|
rapier wrote: |
Thus, i've noticed a lot of employer prejudice against me, and in favour of Americans/ canadians. |
I read once that northeast Asia is more in favor of North American accent.. whereas southeast asia (hong kong, singapore, malaysia, etc) and the obvious link is most interested in British English.. and then of course the EU nations is British-English oriented as well.
That being said.. there is definetely a hodgepodge of all the different English-speaking countries out there.
Just curious.. what would everyone's 'guesstimate' on what percentage of English-speaking nationalities are teaching English here.. here is my guess..
Canadian 45%
American 30%
Austrailian 7-8%
New Zealand 7-8%
Ireland 7-8%
UK 5%
South Africa 1%
No facts to back that up.. but just a personal guess.. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
mo
Joined: 14 Sep 2003 Location: A place where messageboards aren't life.
|
Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2003 7:20 am Post subject: |
|
|
Quote: |
Have to hold my hands up and admit I'm from Aberdeen (and support the fitba team passionately, for my sins...) |
Rather large sins too, obviously. I reckon we must have been mass murderers in a past life.
Anyway Monty, there's always plenty of folk watching the Premiership games in a pub called Hollywoods in Itaewon. If Arsenal or ManYoo are on then you see all of the gloryhunters crawling out of the woodwork. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Monty_
Joined: 16 Aug 2003
|
Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2003 8:54 am Post subject: |
|
|
Im a manU red through and through Mo....although at least im from Manchester.
Tiger, those estimates are interesting - is it really that high a proportion from North America? Seems crazy to me that we spent 100+ years subjegating vast swathes of the globe and forcing our language and culture upon them, and now we leave it up to the Americans (and in korea the canadians) to carry on spreading the message (albeit in a slightly modified version of the language )
When I tell people in Britain that im off to Korea to teach English I get vacant stares and 'Wow! What an adventure - where is Korea again?', wheras it sounds like it's a right of passage for canadian university graduates! |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Tiger Beer
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
|
Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2003 9:30 am Post subject: |
|
|
Let's see actually we did a poll.. which I just searched for.. apparently there are more Americans than Canadians.. either way though.. quite a few North Americans..
http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?t=6344&highlight=whats+nationality
On the poll looks like there are 6 of 66 who took the poll who were from the UK however.. 10%.. not bad . Thats basically the ESL posting community though.. not sure the actual numbers.. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Goldfish
Joined: 07 May 2003 Location: South Korea
|
Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2003 5:53 pm Post subject: Many brits in Korea? |
|
|
I haven't met many fellow brits and haven't met a lot of opposition to my accent - Korean colleagues seem to have more trouble with it than the students I do have to answer a lot of questions about smog, fog, rain, English gentlemen, burberries and Beckham though! Where do Koreans' ideas of Britain come from? |
|
Back to top |
|
|
inexhile
Joined: 18 Feb 2003
|
Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2003 6:24 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I estimate Pohang teachers to be about 50% Brits. Pohang is the Blackpool of Korea though so go figure.
Don't cry for me Pohang |
|
Back to top |
|
|
The evil penguin
Joined: 24 May 2003 Location: Doing something naughty near you.....
|
Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2003 8:11 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Quote: |
Just curious.. what would everyone's 'guesstimate' on what percentage of English-speaking nationalities are teaching English here.. here is my guess..
Canadian 45%
American 30%
Austrailian 7-8%
New Zealand 7-8%
Ireland 7-8%
UK 5%
South Africa 1% |
Maybe in Soeul or the other big cities. Here in Jinju it seems to be almost the reverse. I now have met 7 other foreigners here. 3 have been kiwi and one pommy and a couple of Canadians. Also met a german bloke but I think he was lost and not actually here teaching. I'm an Aussie.
Its actually pretty surprising the number of kiwis I've met in other parts of Korea. For such a small country (compared to Canada and USA and even Aussie) they are here in a fair force. Good on 'em. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
waggo
Joined: 18 May 2003 Location: pusan baby!
|
Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2003 9:35 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Oh my God! rapiers got a British passport!!!
Who gave him that? |
|
Back to top |
|
|
|