Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Atramentous]

While looking through different job postings for jobs in Korea, I noticed that they sometimes prefer and/or request a certain nationality for their applicants. Is there a bias that is in favour of or against certain english speaking countries? If so, what are they? I am curious as I hold dual citizenship to two english-speaking countries.


*edited for stupid mistake

[ajgeddes]

In the end, it doesn't really matter.

[jen_the_great]

It doesn't matter, but hagwons, especially smaller hagwons, like to show off their foreigners and the more American movie star they look, the better. I got a minimal amount of flack for being half Asian but it's not a big deal.

[Whistleblower]

I've been declined some jobs because I am British and not North American. After phoning some hagwons, the boss said "umm, I can't understand your accent. You're not American, are you?" I said, "Does it matter?" And he replied by saying, "Well North American English is important." I laughed and asked him, "Who invented the language?" and he replied "the Americans did." I put the phone down.

[Ramen]

[Atramentous]

Sorry, that just makes me laugh. My parents have been waging that war about who speaks the most correctly since they married. My mum is a naturalized Brit and Dad is an American. She spent loads of time correcting her childrens' "horrendous" speech patterns and accent.
I should opt to be of the American persuasion then, I take it? Sorry, Mum.

[Davew125]

[SirFink]

[ReeseDog]

There's a whole lot of "I love being English" on this thread.

[cazzy3]

OP- if you have to claim one 'accent', it's better to just say you speak American English to avoid any problems. even though many regional american accents can be just as difficult to understand for koreans (deep south, hard NYC accent).
it's getting better though- 5 years ago many places ONLY would hire american/canadian people but now there seems to be more irish, south africans, et.al.

[ReeseDog]

American southern is tough, granted. So is Brooklyn. Then again, cockney is hard to understand (for me), and has anyone ever heard someone from Newcastle speak? I'm sure Aussies and New Zealanders have regional accents as well (though they all sound the same to me).

This topic must have been previously addressed.

Everyone has an accent. There is no such thing as having unaccented English.

Question: Is it really true that Koreans learning the language cannot distinguish between accents?

[mnhnhyouh]

[cj1976]

The thing about the British accent is that there are so many and they are all very different. In the south-east we speak in a much clearer and more comprehensible manner than our northern scally counterparts.

[hugekebab]

[hugekebab]