Korean Job Discussion Forums

[princess]

I have also had many kids in my classes with funny names.

Zola...As in Zolaman.

Hermione

Zadu

Psy..as in famous singer

Big

[tmcurro]

In no particular order: Green, Case, Bear, Spanky, Mint (sounds like a pro!), Smithers, Dream On, Hippo, and Glory (all I could think of was Gloria, but this is a guy). All except for the last three were children whose Korean teachers allowed these names or in some cases GAVE these names. The last three are all adult men.

I also had a class three years back that was formed by merging two or three small classes. Out of ten kids in the class, we ended up with three boys named Harry and three or four girls named Sally. It seems that whenever a new kid joined out hagwon, the (inept) Korean teacher (who had to speak Korean for me to understand her) would name them either Harry or Sally, after I complained about names such as Bear.

Also, I have had two boys (brothers) named Ochun, which I am told is a cartoon character. I had refused to call them this and used their original names of Andy and Jimmy, or I would calll them "five thousand."

[tmcurro]

Oh, how could I forget? We used to have a teacher who went by Eunice, only she spelled it "Eunic," until I pointed out that that would sound a bit like "eunuch" and then proceeded to translate the word eunuch for her. She promptly corrected her spelling.

As for kids telling ME that I AM mispronouncing their English names, I am direct and tell them that no, THEY are mispronouncing and that the Korean teacher taught them the wrong way to say it. I've been at the same hagwon for more than 5 years and so I am not afraid if I offend the other teachers (some of whom should be in class LEARNING English, not TEACHING it).

[Hotel Cheonan]

I had a kid I called Chicken Guy because his father owned a chicken shop. A friend of mine had a student in his class named Elbow.

[Zed]

I vaguely recall posting on another thread that I had a student named Ramses. Another one was Airheart.

[RedRob]

I've got a mantis and a guy who wouldn't ever say anything bar"NO'...so I called him Dr No...Then I kept him after class a bit and showed him who Dr No was and he really dug it , now he's opened up a bit and I can tease him about his name, and get a response which is neat.

And I had a girl who just would not change her spelling from Lose to Rose, even after I got her to say it properly.

[Zed]

[ratslash]

i've had bell, monster, blue, hallo and other names so ridicoulous that my mind has erased them.

[Len8]

I'm at a university, and I get the students to choose nicknames so I can call the roll in English. You wouldn't believe some of the names they give themselves.

Pooh ( Didn't have the heart to tell him that there
was another meaning for the word besides the bear)
Korando (That was a girl's name)
Bin Laden
Musso ( I don't know where that came from)
Bob (A girl chose that)
Atom
Antonio
Poll
Ever
Brittany
One
Sorrento
Spiers

And of course the wold cup hero names like "Beckam" and "Zidane"

[tmcurro]

[Medic]

I had a "Diabalo" and a "Tough Guy" amongst my older students

[Ilsanman]

How about Vladistavin? He wouldn't accept Vlad. Only Vladistavin.

[My 2 Cent]

Apollo
Socrates
Zico
Beckham
Nixon
Thatcher
Putin
Rudager
Mao
Castro
and Adolf were some of the better ones i have used.

[beebay007]

I know a Korean girl called Joshua...

[jiffy]

Apple, Barbie, Nelson, Sage..

some of the ones from my taiwan days - same idea tho - there are some real classics on this thread!