Korean Job Discussion Forums

[whatever]

...useless waste of my time of all the languages that I've set out to learn.

1. People react with shock when you say something. It prohibits normal communication. You have to repeat yourself, sometimes repeatedly so, or you won't be understood. When what you're saying is acknowledged, it's often too late to be significant.

2. People react with confusion over pronunciation in a way that belies their awareness of their own differences in vernacular. If you've lived in a country that is multicultural, you've gotten used to every manner of speaking the language. Here, taxi drivers...for example...can't seem to understand the most basic words in their own language, spoken slightly differently from their own family's or region's particular way of saying things...

3. Nobody wants to talk to you in Korean. Only those with no English skills whatsoever converse with you. In those cases, where you do hold a conversation, they are most likely to be very patronizing and weird. Everyone else wants to speak English because it's practice time.

4. Virtually nobody elsewhere except persons of Korean descent speak the language. I suppose I'll be better prepared to order food at a Korean restaurant--in a Korean neighborhood--next time I'm at home. It's anybody's guess as to whether they'll make the food spicy, as I asked, or ignore my request as I am a foreigner, who can't handle their one spice.

5. The expressive intonation in the language makes me want to puke. So many examples come to mind but are hard to express via the internet. "Wayayayayayayay?"

have a great weekend...

[wo buxihuan hanguoren]

Agree and disagree.

Yes, Korean is pretty much useless in other parts of the world, but if Koreans cannot understand you when you try and speak Korean to them, then that is really weird. Korean, unlike most other Asian countries, has no tones. Seriously, I was here for like 4 days before I tried ordering food in Korean; no probs understanding me.

Man, I hate to sound like an ass, but maybe put more effort into it?

There is no way I think Koreans will misunderstand you when speaking Korean, no way at all, unless you are saying something really off the hook.

[Homer]

Take it easy whatever...have a cold one, relax and do what you need to do to calm down...

As someone who is learning a new language you know what the hurdles are and should be able to deal with those as you progress through the levels of proficiency. It is very much trial and error.

I mean your points are well taken but many of us who speak Korean (fluently or not) could testify to very different experiences or to different explanations to the reactions you get.

Also, never over-estimate the quality of your pronounciation and keep context in mind when you interact with people....

Now if the language is not pleasant to you and you see no benefit...I suggest you stop learning it and save yourself the aggravation....unless of course you are one of those people who likes to go through frustrations just so he can complain about it later...

[whatever]

[the_beaver]

[Homer]

[whatever]

[wo buxihuan hanguoren]

Man, if people misunderstanding your pronunciation is your biggest problem here, then that is the least of your worries.

It is a Saturday night, get drunk, take care, as the rest of us try to do.

[whatever]

Don't worry. I'm drunk, or I wouldn't be posting here.

Now, go whack off to my avatar.

[Homer]

I agree whatever!

It can be annoying sometimes....but you either accept that this comes with the territory when learning new languages or give up because as I said...you will just suffer aggravation to what you see as being non-beneficial.....

The Korean language is not that simple...especially the levels of politeness. It i a very socially interactive language and is highly situationally dependent. Who you are and who you speak with dictates a lot of the vocabulary you should use. If you use the wrong level of politeness...this may lead people to ignore you as rude or to pretend not to understand you.

Getting too familiar with the cab driver if he is older than you might turn him off for example. This is not a right/wrong debate by the way...this is just some observations I am making.

The mon and pop shop on the corner....manned by that old halmoni or that old harabogi....you need to a certain level of politeness there as well...

Finally....some Koreans, when they see a foreigner, get keyed up to try and understand English or get nervous at the fact they migth not understand you...so when you roll out the Korean...they might not even be listening for it and it may take them by surprise...

Just my two rusty cents man....

[Ilsanman]

Way ahead of you, man.