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Dev
Joined: 18 Apr 2006
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 Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 5:19 am Post subject: What Percentage of Koreans Can Speak English? |
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Seems like almost nobody in Korea can speak English. To answer my own question, I'd say about 10% can speak it (and maybe that's even too high an estimate).
I'm not talking about perfect fluency here. Just to be able to carry a simple conversation. Do you think the number is this low or are they simply unwilling to speak to foreigners?
I ask this question because there's an old lady near my school that often waves me over to talk. Her English is quite elementary, but she can express herself for the most part.
What's your opinion on the English speaking ability of Koreans?
I'd really like to get replies from professionals working for international corporations. Surely someone speaks English in these companies. Or have they all fled to the United States?  |
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garykasparov
Joined: 27 May 2007
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| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 5:32 am Post subject: Re: What Percentage of Koreans Can Speak English? |
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| Dev wrote: |
Seems like almost nobody in Korea can speak English. To answer my own question, I'd say about 10% can speak it (and maybe that's even too high an estimate).
I'm not talking about perfect fluency here. Just to be able to carry a simple conversation. Do you think the number is this low or are they simply unwilling to speak to foreigners?
I ask this question because there's an old lady near my school that often waves me over to talk. Her English is quite elementary, but she can express herself for the most part.
What's your opinion on the English speaking ability of Koreans?
I'd really like to get replies from professionals working for international corporations. Surely someone speaks English in these companies. Or have they all fled to the United States? |
Troll |
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Richard Krainium
Joined: 12 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 5:37 am Post subject: |
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What percentage of foreign English teachers can speak Korean?
Kettle=Black? |
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Dev
Joined: 18 Apr 2006
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| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 5:43 am Post subject: |
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| Richard Krainium wrote: |
What percentage of foreign English teachers can speak Korean?
Kettle=Black? |
We don't spend 6 years studying Korean in public schools.
We also don't use university textbooks witten in Korean in our universities.
There's another peculiar thing. I often see Korean university students reading English language science and business books on subways, but miraculously, they can't speak a word of English.
You don't find that weird? |
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Ginormousaurus
Joined: 27 Jul 2006
Location: 700 Ft. Pulpit
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| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 5:48 am Post subject: |
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| Dev wrote: |
| Richard Krainium wrote: |
What percentage of foreign English teachers can speak Korean?
Kettle=Black? |
We don't spend 6 years studying Korean in public schools.
We also don't use university textbooks witten in Korean in our universities.
There's another peculiar thing. I often see Korean university students reading English language science and business books on subways, but miraculously, they can't speak a word of English.
You don't find that weird? |
I'm assuming you talk to these people and are in the position to be able to judge their abilities, right? |
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Dev
Joined: 18 Apr 2006
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| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 5:50 am Post subject: |
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| Ginormousaurus wrote: |
| Dev wrote: |
| Richard Krainium wrote: |
What percentage of foreign English teachers can speak Korean?
Kettle=Black? |
We don't spend 6 years studying Korean in public schools.
We also don't use university textbooks witten in Korean in our universities.
There's another peculiar thing. I often see Korean university students reading English language science and business books on subways, but miraculously, they can't speak a word of English.
You don't find that weird? |
I'm assuming you talk to these people and are in the position to be able to judge their abilities, right? |
Oops! I should have written "don't".
Thanks for calling me on that. I'm getting careless with my writing. |
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HighTreason
Joined: 15 Jun 2007
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| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 6:02 am Post subject: |
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| Dev wrote: |
| Ginormousaurus wrote: |
| Dev wrote: |
| Richard Krainium wrote: |
What percentage of foreign English teachers can speak Korean?
Kettle=Black? |
We don't spend 6 years studying Korean in public schools.
We also don't use university textbooks witten in Korean in our universities.
There's another peculiar thing. I often see Korean university students reading English language science and business books on subways, but miraculously, they can't speak a word of English.
You don't find that weird? |
I'm assuming you talk to these people and are in the position to be able to judge their abilities, right? |
Oops! I should have written "don't".
Thanks for calling me on that. I'm getting careless with my writing. |
I thought your initial post was a reasonable question and don't know what's up with the hostility. This, I have to take issue with, however. If I saw a Korean on a subway in Korea, why would I expect that they would be speaking English?? The fact that they don't speak English in front of you on the subway does not indicate anything about their ability to do so. I speak German quite well, but unless you engage me in a conversation in German, will you see me speaking it? Probably not! because I live in the USA and everyone around me speaks English! |
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Dev
Joined: 18 Apr 2006
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| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 6:10 am Post subject: |
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| HighTreason wrote: |
| Dev wrote: |
| Ginormousaurus wrote: |
| Dev wrote: |
| Richard Krainium wrote: |
What percentage of foreign English teachers can speak Korean?
Kettle=Black? |
We don't spend 6 years studying Korean in public schools.
We also don't use university textbooks witten in Korean in our universities.
There's another peculiar thing. I often see Korean university students reading English language science and business books on subways, but miraculously, they can't speak a word of English.
You don't find that weird? |
I'm assuming you talk to these people and are in the position to be able to judge their abilities, right? |
Oops! I should have written "don't".
Thanks for calling me on that. I'm getting careless with my writing. |
I thought your initial post was a reasonable question and don't know what's up with the hostility. This, I have to take issue with, however. If I saw a Korean on a subway in Korea, why would I expect that they would be speaking English?? The fact that they don't speak English in front of you on the subway does not indicate anything about their ability to do so. I speak German quite well, but unless you engage me in a conversation in German, will you see me speaking it? Probably not! because I live in the USA and everyone around me speaks English! |
These are the same people who have part-time jobs in convenience stores, restaurants, and shops. How often can you get service in English? It doesn't take much English to sell you a shirt or an ice cream cone.
They show no desire to even practice the English they learn. You think if they had a chance to serve a foreigner, they's be glad to give it a shot.
I've called 119 and was told "Sorry, no speak English" God help any foreigner who has an emergency situation in Korea. |
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LuckyNomad
Joined: 28 May 2007
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| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 6:42 am Post subject: |
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| Why can't Korea just give up the Korean language and culture??!!! Foreign english teachers now make up .004% of the population and typically stay for a whopping 1 year or less on average while the majority of Koreans only stay for their entire lives. It's time for the country to adapt to this distinct and valuable part of Korea's population. |
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Dev
Joined: 18 Apr 2006
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| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 6:46 am Post subject: |
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| LuckyNomad wrote: |
| Why can't Korea just give up the Korean language and culture??!!! Foreign english teachers now make up .004% of the population and typically stay for a whopping 1 year or less on average while the majority of Koreans only stay for their entire lives. It's time for the country to adapt to this distinct and valuable part of Korea's population. |
Following your argument, here's a better idea. Stop teaching English in all public, private and academies. There ya go smart guy!  |
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LuckyNomad
Joined: 28 May 2007
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| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 6:47 am Post subject: |
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| No. Then we'd be unemployed. |
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HighTreason
Joined: 15 Jun 2007
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| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 6:48 am Post subject: |
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| LuckyNomad wrote: |
| Why can't Korea just give up the Korean language and culture??!!! Foreign english teachers now make up .004% of the population and typically stay for a whopping 1 year or less on average while the majority of Koreans only stay for their entire lives. It's time for the country to adapt to this distinct and valuable part of Korea's population. |
Wow, this thread really does attract some nutcases with piss in their Cheerios... |
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caniff
Joined: 03 Feb 2004
Location: All over the map
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| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 6:52 am Post subject: |
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| LuckyNomad wrote: |
| Why can't Korea just give up the Korean language and culture??!!! Foreign english teachers now make up .004% of the population and typically stay for a whopping 1 year or less on average while the majority of Koreans only stay for their entire lives. It's time for the country to adapt to this distinct and valuable part of Korea's population. |
Well, they have already started in terms of fashion. When was the last time you saw a Korean person wearing clothing with writing where it wasn't written in (often mangled, nonsensical, or hilarious) English?
EFLers are the new faces of colonialism. And most aren't pretty. |
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Dev
Joined: 18 Apr 2006
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| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 6:56 am Post subject: |
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| caniff wrote: |
| LuckyNomad wrote: |
| Why can't Korea just give up the Korean language and culture??!!! Foreign english teachers now make up .004% of the population and typically stay for a whopping 1 year or less on average while the majority of Koreans only stay for their entire lives. It's time for the country to adapt to this distinct and valuable part of Korea's population. |
Well, they have already started in terms of fashion. When was the last time you saw a Korean person wearing clothing with writing where it wasn't written in (often mangled, nonsensical, or hilarious) English?
EFLers are the new faces of colonialism. And most aren't pretty. |
Why are you saying this? You're sounding as superficial as Koreans.
Or maybe that was a joke. Ha, Ha. |
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LuckyNomad
Joined: 28 May 2007
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| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 6:58 am Post subject: |
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| How many westerners have you met that have Japanese Kanji tattooed on their bodies? |
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