Korean Job Discussion Forums

[IncognitoHFX]

I confirmed with my Korean teacher that my pronunciation isn't terrible or anything. I can speak some Korean and it's getting better everyday. My pronunciation has taken a huge leap in the last six months but I'm still having the same problem.

Problem being, with the exception of very basic sentences and requests (stuff ending in -주새요), it's rare for a Korean to understand my sentences. I went to charge my cell phone the other day, and there was a new clerk working in the store. He said I can't charge phones there, but I had done it before so I told him: 전에 했어요... The guy couldn't understand me. I had to repeat myself twenty times.

Next example is with a taxi driver. I wanted him to stop under the bridge, so I said -그 다리에서 밑에 가지 마새요 about five times... he didn't understand. I simplified it, he didn't understand. I ended up just saying "here" about three blocks after we past it.

Then there are the times when I had trouble using a sentence I've been using since my first week here. Like when I try asking for cigarettes at the convenience store and need to repeat myself fourteen times and then finally give up, crawl on the counter and point directly at what I want. That doesn't happen too often but it does happen.

Is it just me, or are Koreans more finicky than most about pronunciation? I've asked a few people about this (it bugs me) and they said it was because they expect me to speak English. Another thing I've been told is that it's because Koreans aren't used to accents. I'm not sure what, but I'm wondering if anyone else is in the same boat...

[the ireland]

it's the accent thing, we are used to English being spoken by countries all over the world, they are only used to it being spoken in Korea so are not used to, or perhaps ignorant of others, especially those with very different accents speaking their language.

I lived on an island and even asking for homeplus or mpark was a difficult task for about 60% of the time, if i didn't say "mpark-eu" or "homeplushee" then I wasn't getting there. what gets me is that there is absolutly nowhere else in the town that sounds like these places so how did they not figure out what i was talking about, it's not like they were caught in two minds over which place i was describing.

I did once get asked by a friendly taxi driver if i was american, when i said no, i'm irish, he asked me did we speak american there? I just said yes, it saved time and heartache!!

[eunjeong]

전에 is used when you are talking about before doing something.
The second one you actually said don't go under the bridge. ^^;;;

[IncognitoHFX]

[T-J]

제가 여기에서 해본적 있는데요

제가 여기에서 해봤는데요

Both of these convey the fact that you have experience doing it there before.

What you said was I did it earlier or before without specifying that you had done it there.

[eunjeong]

[IncognitoHFX]

[T-J]

With the bridge example, you said don't go under the bridge.

저 다리 지나가지 마세요
Don't go past the bridge.

저 다리 밑에 세워 주세요
Please stop under that bridge.

Seems to be a problem with syntax not pronunciation.

[IncognitoHFX]

[T-J]

[IncognitoHFX]

[Faunaki]

Many people don't realize that learning a language involves not just learning words but also picking up the correct tone and accent.

I've had your problem before - mainly with Chinese. To solve it I started to mimic how Chinese women would speak and add the aaaa sound at the end of every sentence. It worked. I had a friend who wouldn't add the extra sounds needed and no one could understand a word she said.

To solve your problem you need to continue speaking even though no one understands you, you need to copy sounds rather than thinking about how a word is spelled and you need to get more speaking practice. It'll happen for u.

[crazy_arcade]

The sentence "please don't go under the bridge" doesn't make any sense.

The driver probably thought...."well the only way to go IS under the bridge"

You're experimenting with language and making mistakes...it's a pretty normal part of the learning process. It's an important part of making connections. Some people will pick up from the context and work with you...some people will just look at you like you're crazy. Generally, I think people who speak English are much more used to people learning their language and are able to pick up on the clues from the context.

My only advice for the OP is to stop the defensive act for once and just accept peoples' help in this thread. They're help is right and can be a useful learning tool.

btw:

In the taxi, most Koreans will just say 여기요 or 여기서세와(워???) 주세요.

[crossmr]

The worst was at a restaurant. The waitress had come up to me in near perfect english and asked to take my order, but I said the korean name of it anyway:
쇠고기버섯죽

I had to repeat it 3 times because she kept staring at me going "what?"

now I've ordered 쇠고기(something) a lot of times in Korea and never once had a problem with anyone understanding me, let alone the fact that they only have one 쇠고기anything on the menu. If I was something how butchering 버섯죽 she should have been able to guess it. I finally had to slow it down to about the level of a 3 year old for her to get it.

[Whistleblower]

From my experience from learning this complicated language is that the majority of Koreans would help you when you wish to try to learn the language. If they don't understand you, they will try to help you but you must learn to lose face when learning the language.

I was in the taxi the other day and ask the taxi driver to drop me off near a high school and I said "태안학교으로가요." The taxi driver didn't know what school it was and I mentioned in Korean it is beside Seongnam Art Centre and he said "아~ 태원학교". I made a mistake in the name but he knew where I wanted to go and I just thanked him for the correction and remembered the name.

Koreans will generally act confused or freaked out if you make a mistake and would be willing to help you only if you can help yourself. Don't make yourself a fool by shouting at them, it will cause them not to help future expats in their language quest.