Korean Job Discussion Forums

[mithridates]

I get this look from time to time on the subway from 20-something guys when I pull out a hanja textbook or Korean newspaper or something they usually wouldn't expect me to read. It's quite subtle but I'm quite sure I'm not imagining it; it's this kind of 'and what are you doing with *that*, little one?' kind of challenging/condescending look. It's a lot more subtle than the older men who just turn their heads and have a good read along with me. The sly look is quite interesting; I remember a Korean guy I knew back in Vancouver before I came here the first time. I was his English teacher and he told me that though his English was good, he didn't think it would ever be perfect, and besides, he wasn't sure if he wanted it to become perfect because the Canadians might think he was arrogant.
'Hm?'
That was my reaction then but it makes sense now.

[masuro]

When I worked at MBC I tried hard to speak Korean as well as I could. I worried about making mistakes but the producer told me not to worry about it. In fact, he said, people don't want to hear a foreigner speak perfect Korean. Strange to say, but when I meet a Korean who speaks English extremely fluently I like it less than when a Korean speaks English very well but with a few flaws. I don't know why.
I've never gotten sly looks when I open a Korean book but I do get some people looking at the book and then at me. Just surprised, I guess, since most foreigners here can't speak more than a few basic phrases of Korean.

[just because]

I find the opposite,
When i read the paper here people will be surprised at first and then say something positive about how I can read Korean and how it is good I make an effort. However, my reading comprehension is better than my listening so they start going at 1000 miles an hour which is a little embarresing for me but it reinforces how good it is to use the language here.
Not once have a recieved a negative comment and the sly looks you talk about I think are looks of wow, can a foreigner read Korea, well that means Korea is gettingmore important in the world.
I think you are reading to much into things.

[mithridates]

Well, 95% of the time I get the surprised/impressed look, usually from old people, 40+ men and women, and women from just about all ages. It's just the 20-something men that I occasionally get that feeling from. And I've never heard anything negative, but I do get the odd condescending/not too well thought out comment.
I.e. I'm on the subway studying for a hanja test. Man approaches and asks about the test and finds out that it requires a knowledge of 3500 written characters. Man: 'Wow, you might even know more Chinese characters than me!' So then I naturally ask how many he knows, to which he replies, 'Well, just my name and the days of the week'.
Which is fine of course, just odd.
Or comments like 'You know thousands of hanja, have you also picked up hangul?'

[masuro]

[mithridates]

Yeah, actually I'm over in Japan right now to take one of their Chinese character tests that requires 6000. It's really hard though, so I might have to try it again in February. Back in Korea on the 30th.
The test in Korea has some eight levels I believe, the first one (level being for children and requires a knowledge of 50. Then it goes up by a few hundred every time, something like 150, 350, 500, etc. The tests are quite nice because they're held a few times every year and the levels are quite varied so you can just take the one you're guaranteed to pass and go for the next one a few months down the road. Why, have you studied them too? I passed level 2 in August and now I'm taking level 1.

[buddy bradley]

[Arthur Fonzerelli]

no one is looking at you... it's all in that overactive head of yours...

[masuro]

[hellofaniceguy]

When they ask me "how is it that I can read korean and speak the language." "I tell them "how is it that you can't speak english or read english?" That quiets them quickly.