Korean Job Discussion Forums

[truthfulchat]

You know before I first came here I was told where I am, there would be a significant number of people that could speak English. That turned out to be very false. So what happens when I want to go to a concert, I do not get to go because of the language barrier. First, there is my bank. My bank is Nong Hyup, a bank my school required me to get if I wanted help (according to my coteacher). Unfortunately, Nong Hyup bank has no one that speaks English and does not inform my coteacher of the check card that is available so I could make purchases over the internet, even though my coteacher asked in Korean. Second, you can not buy the tickets in English because the websites and operator only use Korean. So when it comes to a time I want to purchase tickets to a Beyonce concert to take my fiancee, I can not do it. I ask my coteacher to buy the tickets a week in advance and I would pay him in cash, he says he would think about it and by the time he decides it is too late because it is all sold out. Now true my fiancee is Korean but she could not call because she has little break time at her job, which is why I asked my co-teacher. Finally, what happens, my fiancee and I have an argument because I did not get the tickets and she says it is my fault.

[Hellsmk2]

It's not hard to get past the language barrier. Be more creative and assertive next time.

Not really much else to say...

[truthfulchat]

As I said before I tried to get my coteacher to help he waited too late.

[seoulsucker]

Waaah.

Dude, come on. You have no one to blame but yourself here.

If your fiancee really wanted to go, she would have found the time to do it. Seriously, it would have taken her less than 3 minutes to book the tickets online. Are you saying her schedule is SO busy that she couldn't take 3 minutes out of her day to do this?

Relying on your co-worker? Way to take charge there, buddy. If she's sharting on you now because of Beyonce tickets, you're in for a very, very rough marriage.

[The_Eyeball_Kid]

[aaabank]

(Deleted by poster)

[aarontendo]

Steve McGarret? ;p

[sojourner1]

Yes, living in a foreign country involves challenges like language barriers with many people working in low paying retail service occupations. They are in these occupations, not because they communicate well, but because they are not qualified for the high paying jobs in the office which does require some English proficiency in order to be qualified to get. Yes, it's funny that it requires English proficiency to get a white collar job, but they incorporate only a very little amount of English into marketing and sales. The name of a store may be in ABC's, but usually there rarely is more English than that. Often, only doctors and the highest ranking people speak English enough to carry a conversation, but occasionally a young fast food worker can take an order in English. If Korea wants to learn English, they must incorporate it into everyday living as to get experience which is why travel to an English speaking country pays off big in their English learning. For Koreans and many other nationalities, this means the difference of getting a white collar position and staying in a low paying job all their life due to English being associated with high social status as a result of it being the global language for aviation and business.

I still manage to get by in foreign countries as long as I am being paid. To get banking, I went to KEB which is a more professional and higher status of bank that does have some English speaking staff. They specialize in FOREX trading, but do regular cash accounts with a bank card issued at the time of account opening. Don't expect a card that works outside of Korea and on the internet, just Korean ATM's and big box store purchases.

That's been my experience with English in Korea and many other countries such as Germany and France.

[blaseblasphemener]

Do you ask your co-teacher to wipe your butt for you too?

[Young FRANKenstein]

The solution to the OP's problem is to simply learn Korean. Since he has a finacee, he should want to communicate with her family at some point.

Korea is allowed to use their own language in their own country, and doesn't have to use English for your convenience. Start studying.

[isthisreally]

yeah really there are lots of things to whine about, but language isn't one of them.

[whatever]

[The_Eyeball_Kid]

[PeteJB]

Do you put straws in your girlfriends drinks and pick up her rubbish?? Geez.

[Atavistic]