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lostandforgotten
Joined: 19 Sep 2006
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 Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 1:27 am Post subject: Are you bilingual/bicultural? |
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| If you are bilingual in English and Korean, do you pretend to not know much Korean to your students and teachers? Does it make a difference whether you pretend or not? Have you realized that Koreans like to use your ability to speak Korean as an excuse to justify their inability to speak English? Please don't stoop down to their standards my biligual friends! |
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ChuckECheese
Joined: 20 Jul 2006
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| Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 1:51 am Post subject: |
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I'm bilingual in cursing.  |
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bluelake
Joined: 01 Dec 2005
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| Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 7:40 pm Post subject: |
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Personally, after all the years I've lived in Korea, I scrape by in the Korean language and I would consider myself as bicultural as someone who was not born in Korea can be.
My twenty y.o. son, on the other hand, is completely bilingual/bicultural. He uses Korean when it's convenient/necessary and English when it's convenient/necessary. When he speaks Korean to friends, he often does so in Kyongsang dialect, but uses "standard" Korean with others. He's had three books he translated published (one has been out a couple years and the other two are pending, the last I knew) and more in the works. He manages both of his languages and cultures well. |
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JD1982
Joined: 19 Apr 2007
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| Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 7:44 pm Post subject: |
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Yes, I am fully bilingual and bicultural.
At my public school, I act like I am not. I just love listening on people at my work place talking behind my back not knowing I understand everything they say. |
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lostandforgotten
Joined: 19 Sep 2006
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| Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 7:56 pm Post subject: |
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| JD1982 wrote: |
Yes, I am fully bilingual and bicultural.
At my public school, I act like I am not. I just love listening on people at my work place talking behind my back not knowing I understand everything they say. |
That must be really frustrating. Having to act like you don't understand! I did that for a year and I didn't think it made an ounce of a difference in getting them to speak in English. I think bilinguals should just come out of the closet and not hide the fact that they are bilingual. |
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lostandforgotten
Joined: 19 Sep 2006
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| Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 8:16 pm Post subject: |
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| bluelake wrote: |
Personally, after all the years I've lived in Korea, I scrape by in the Korean language and I would consider myself as bicultural as someone who was not born in Korea can be.
My twenty y.o. son, on the other hand, is completely bilingual/bicultural. He uses Korean when it's convenient/necessary and English when it's convenient/necessary. When he speaks Korean to friends, he often does so in Kyongsang dialect, but uses "standard" Korean with others. He's had three books he translated published (one has been out a couple years and the other two are pending, the last I knew) and more in the works. He manages both of his languages and cultures well. |
The point of my post was not about how well bilinguals manage both languges and cultures, the point is whether it's necessary as a bilingual to pretend to not understand Korean and stoop down to Koreans' general lack of understanding in the issue of biculturalism, bilingualism and multiculturalism in general.
Last edited by lostandforgotten on Mon Jun 11, 2007 8:18 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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lostandforgotten
Joined: 19 Sep 2006
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| Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 8:17 pm Post subject: |
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| bluelake wrote: |
Personally, after all the years I've lived in Korea, I scrape by in the Korean language and I would consider myself as bicultural as someone who was not born in Korea can be.
My twenty y.o. son, on the other hand, is completely bilingual/bicultural. He uses Korean when it's convenient/necessary and English when it's convenient/necessary. When he speaks Korean to friends, he often does so in Kyongsang dialect, but uses "standard" Korean with others. He's had three books he translated published (one has been out a couple years and the other two are pending, the last I knew) and more in the works. He manages both of his languages and cultures well. |
The point of my post was not about how well bilinguals manage both languges and cultures, the point is whether you think it's necessary as a bilingual to pretend to not understand Korean and stoop down to Koreans' general lack of understanding in the issue of biculturalism, bilingualism and multiculturalism in general. |
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JD1982
Joined: 19 Apr 2007
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| Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 8:45 pm Post subject: |
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| lostandforgotten wrote: |
| JD1982 wrote: |
Yes, I am fully bilingual and bicultural.
At my public school, I act like I am not. I just love listening on people at my work place talking behind my back not knowing I understand everything they say. |
That must be really frustrating. Having to act like you don't understand! I did that for a year and I didn't think it made an ounce of a difference in getting them to speak in English. I think bilinguals should just come out of the closet and not hide the fact that they are bilingual. |
Yeah, I've met several experienced gyopos during orientation and they all adviced me not to speak Korean at work and better to pretend that I don't speak any Korean. In their experience, speaking Korean would only lower my treatment to the level of Koreans or even worse. |
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lostandforgotten
Joined: 19 Sep 2006
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| Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 9:16 pm Post subject: |
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[quote="JD1982"][quote="lostandforgotten"]
| JD1982 wrote: |
Yeah, I've met several experienced gyopos during orientation and they all adviced me not to speak Korean at work and better to pretend that I don't speak any Korean. In their experience, speaking Korean would only lower my treatment to the level of Koreans or even worse. |
It's also the other way around where Koreans treat non-Korean speaking foreigners like aliens. Basically, it doesn't matter if you come out as a bilingual or not, you're still different in their eye and you don't ever have to worry about Koreans treating you and perceiving you as one of them. Koreans just don't know how to deal with anyone who is different than they are. It's as simple as that. You are the one who should be in the condescending position as someone who is linguistically superior. |
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bluelake
Joined: 01 Dec 2005
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| Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 3:25 am Post subject: |
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| lostandforgotten wrote: |
| bluelake wrote: |
Personally, after all the years I've lived in Korea, I scrape by in the Korean language and I would consider myself as bicultural as someone who was not born in Korea can be.
My twenty y.o. son, on the other hand, is completely bilingual/bicultural. He uses Korean when it's convenient/necessary and English when it's convenient/necessary. When he speaks Korean to friends, he often does so in Kyongsang dialect, but uses "standard" Korean with others. He's had three books he translated published (one has been out a couple years and the other two are pending, the last I knew) and more in the works. He manages both of his languages and cultures well. |
The point of my post was not about how well bilinguals manage both languges and cultures, the point is whether it's necessary as a bilingual to pretend to not understand Korean and stoop down to Koreans' general lack of understanding in the issue of biculturalism, bilingualism and multiculturalism in general. |
And I was pointing out that it is not necessary to pretend you don't understand a language/culture when you do; you adjust to the situation. Speak Korean when necessary and speak English when necessary. |
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lostandforgotten
Joined: 19 Sep 2006
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| Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 5:37 am Post subject: |
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| bluelake wrote: |
| lostandforgotten wrote: |
| bluelake wrote: |
Personally, after all the years I've lived in Korea, I scrape by in the Korean language and I would consider myself as bicultural as someone who was not born in Korea can be.
My twenty y.o. son, on the other hand, is completely bilingual/bicultural. He uses Korean when it's convenient/necessary and English when it's convenient/necessary. When he speaks Korean to friends, he often does so in Kyongsang dialect, but uses "standard" Korean with others. He's had three books he translated published (one has been out a couple years and the other two are pending, the last I knew) and more in the works. He manages both of his languages and cultures well. |
The point of my post was not about how well bilinguals manage both languges and cultures, the point is whether it's necessary as a bilingual to pretend to not understand Korean and stoop down to Koreans' general lack of understanding in the issue of biculturalism, bilingualism and multiculturalism in general. |
And I was pointing out that it is not necessary to pretend you don't understand a language/culture when you do; you adjust to the situation. Speak Korean when necessary and speak English when necessary. |
But it's not as simple if you are hired as a Native English Teacher. People react with surprise when they hear you speak Korean. Sometimes, they are envious and it's this jealousy and envy that makes it hard to speak Korean comfortably. |
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bluelake
Joined: 01 Dec 2005
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| Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 6:37 am Post subject: |
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| lostandforgotten wrote: |
| bluelake wrote: |
| lostandforgotten wrote: |
| bluelake wrote: |
Personally, after all the years I've lived in Korea, I scrape by in the Korean language and I would consider myself as bicultural as someone who was not born in Korea can be.
My twenty y.o. son, on the other hand, is completely bilingual/bicultural. He uses Korean when it's convenient/necessary and English when it's convenient/necessary. When he speaks Korean to friends, he often does so in Kyongsang dialect, but uses "standard" Korean with others. He's had three books he translated published (one has been out a couple years and the other two are pending, the last I knew) and more in the works. He manages both of his languages and cultures well. |
The point of my post was not about how well bilinguals manage both languges and cultures, the point is whether it's necessary as a bilingual to pretend to not understand Korean and stoop down to Koreans' general lack of understanding in the issue of biculturalism, bilingualism and multiculturalism in general. |
And I was pointing out that it is not necessary to pretend you don't understand a language/culture when you do; you adjust to the situation. Speak Korean when necessary and speak English when necessary. |
But it's not as simple if you are hired as a Native English Teacher. People react with surprise when they hear you speak Korean. Sometimes, they are envious and it's this jealousy and envy that makes it hard to speak Korean comfortably. |
I've never had a problem... |
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