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Zantetsuken
Joined: 21 Dec 2008
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 Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 5:19 pm Post subject: Korean English teachers who hate English |
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| Over the years, this is something that I still can't get my head around sometimes. You know those hagwon teachers or even worse the public school teachers that don't like/hate English. I always ask why they would get into a field they don't care for. The usual answers are generally that they need to make money and that it is easy to get a job. However, couldn't you have been a 수학 or 국어 teacher? Imagine going to the auto repair shop and the guy working on your car hates cars. Makes no sense to me. |
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Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 5:22 pm Post subject: |
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| What gets me more is the ones who hate foreigners and have a bizarre inferiority / superiority complex. Why would you want to learn the language of people you despise and get into a game where you'll never be as good as them, except perhaps at prepping for grammar-translation based tests. |
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Zantetsuken
Joined: 21 Dec 2008
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| Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 5:35 pm Post subject: |
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| Yu_Bum_suk wrote: |
| What gets me more is the ones who hate foreigners and have a bizarre inferiority / superiority complex. Why would you want to learn the language of people you despise and get into a game where you'll never be as good as them, except perhaps at prepping for grammar-translation based tests. |
Yeah that's crazy dude. I was actually thinking of using that idea for the thread topic. I used to work for a place in 2005 and the owners would admit to hating white people (My wife was an employee there and they would discuss this during the meetings). They just viewed them as a necessary evil and hoped that soon they would be done with them. Imagine a white dude back in the states...hates Korean people,Kimchi,Big-Bang, Korean Language etc. But decides to make his livelyhood off the very people and culture he despises. Doesn't sound right to me. |
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ekul
Joined: 04 Mar 2009
Location: [Mod Edit]
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| Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 5:36 pm Post subject: |
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I think that alot of teachers kinda get pushed into roles as English teachers. Especially in public elementary schools. They usually start out as home room teachers, then when people realise they are not awful at English they get promoted. At that point you either like English or start to really hate it.
To expand on the mechanic analogy, imagine a lorry driver who happened to be able to maintain his vehicle well, the boss notices it, and a previous mechanic has just retired, so he hires the driver to take over. Unable to say no they take the new job. |
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jdog2050
Joined: 17 Dec 2006
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| Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 5:40 pm Post subject: |
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| Yu_Bum_suk wrote: |
| What gets me more is the ones who hate foreigners and have a bizarre inferiority / superiority complex. Why would you want to learn the language of people you despise and get into a game where you'll never be as good as them, except perhaps at prepping for grammar-translation based tests. |
There's way too many of them. I think it's because they're doing what they've been told was "important" all their lives, and they just don't like it. Personally, I really don't like learning languages myself; it took me a loooonnngggg time to find Italian, which I love, but is ultimately useless.
And thus we get to a very pertinent point about ESL in Korea. Learning languages is a skill/hobby, and it's not for everyone. And yet you guys are supposed to teach something that's essentially a hobby to a mass audience. It's stupid. |
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Zantetsuken
Joined: 21 Dec 2008
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| Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 5:41 pm Post subject: |
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| ekul wrote: |
I think that alot of teachers kinda get pushed into roles as English teachers. Especially in public elementary schools. They usually start out as home room teachers, then when people realise they are not awful at English they get promoted. At that point you either like English or start to really hate it.
To expand on the mechanic analogy, imagine a lorry driver who happened to be able to maintain his vehicle well, the boss notices it, and a previous mechanic has just retired, so he hires the driver to take over. Unable to say no they take the new job. |
A Korean English teacher is akin to an "auto-mechanic" who has studied the ins and outs of automobile engineering. He knows the engine specs on most makes/models. He can tell you all about the drivetrain, horsepower, rear differential etc. He knows everything about it. But the guy has never turned a wrench or changed oil or a tire in his life. Essentially he has never even touched a car. Would you consider him to be a real mechanic? |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 5:45 pm Post subject: |
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| Zantetsuken wrote: |
| [. Imagine a white dude back in the states...hates Korean people,Kimchi,Big-Bang, Korean Language etc. But decides to make his livelyhood off the very people and culture he despises. Doesn't sound right to me. |
No need to go to the states to find such people...you can find several of them on these very forums.  |
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Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 5:55 pm Post subject: |
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| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
| Zantetsuken wrote: |
| [. Imagine a white dude back in the states...hates Korean people,Kimchi,Big-Bang, Korean Language etc. But decides to make his livelyhood off the very people and culture he despises. Doesn't sound right to me. |
No need to go to the states to find such people...you can find several of them on these very forums. |
That's true. Korean English teachers who hate foreigners are in many ways just like foreigners who hate almost everything about Korea / Koreans yet sign up for another bloody year. |
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cdninkorea
Joined: 27 Jan 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 6:11 pm Post subject: |
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A friend of mine teaches at a multi-branch school whose owner hates English and refuses to speak it at all.
The man used to be an English teacher, then decided to go into business for himself. Over the past decade he's expanded into more branches and has made the main branch bigger. Yet he refuses to speak English at all, and my friend, who has worked there for almost 5 years, has never even once spoken to him. |
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Zantetsuken
Joined: 21 Dec 2008
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| Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 6:41 pm Post subject: |
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| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
| Zantetsuken wrote: |
| [. Imagine a white dude back in the states...hates Korean people,Kimchi,Big-Bang, Korean Language etc. But decides to make his livelyhood off the very people and culture he despises. Doesn't sound right to me. |
No need to go to the states to find such people...you can find several of them on these very forums. |
Yeah I can see where you're getting at. But, the white dudes here are teaching English and a little western culture stuff. They're not making money off teaching Korean...or Korean culture related things.
Honestly I wouldn't think it would be really bad if a Korean guy was teaching Korean language/culture to Americans/Canadians in their homelands...and didn't really give a damn about Canadian or American culture/people. It's worse when you got a Korean guy teaching something he truly despises...thats my point. |
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Zantetsuken
Joined: 21 Dec 2008
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| Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 6:45 pm Post subject: |
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| cdninkorea wrote: |
A friend of mine teaches at a multi-branch school whose owner hates English and refuses to speak it at all.
The man used to be an English teacher, then decided to go into business for himself. Over the past decade he's expanded into more branches and has made the main branch bigger. Yet he refuses to speak English at all, and my friend, who has worked there for almost 5 years, has never even once spoken to him. |
I wonder if a Canadian/American dude opened a Korean language learning center and employed only Korean language 원어민 would only speak English to them and never give a damn about their Korean employees. I'd be interested to know how other Canadians/Americans would perceive the school owner....just like I would like to know other Koreans perceive these hakwon/PS school Korean English teachers who hate English/western culture. I wonder if other Koreans are critical of them at all..... |
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Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 6:54 pm Post subject: |
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| Zantetsuken wrote: |
They're not making money off teaching Korean...or Korean culture related things.
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The English language lerning 'industry' here is very much a Korean culture-related thing. |
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kasain
Joined: 25 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 7:21 pm Post subject: |
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I dont know about countries outside the USA, but most people who get a college degree DO NOT work in the field they got a degree in.
About 20% do. Most realize they cant make money with the degee they have. Others have dead end jobs and the pay and benefits supports one lifestyle.
I never thought I be an English teacher, but after working for many nonprofits and always wondering if there be enough money to pay me the following month and not really getting ahead in my life changing jobs has helped me out.
People arent susposed to love there work. It is a benefit if they do. But most people work to support there life and happiness outside of work. Or to help them reach long term goals and dreams. |
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Brooks
Joined: 08 Apr 2003
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| Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 7:33 pm Post subject: |
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in Japan a lot of these people are grammar nerds.
It is weird to find people who don't want to speak English.
My boss went to the US for his MA in TESOL, and every vacation he just headed to the airport. I heard he spent most of his time in the university library.
My school sends teachers to Hawaii for training and they stopped sending Japanese English teachers since they were considered asocial (only went to class and missed all the free outings since they would have to speak English to the Americans).
So now they send foreign teachers - Americans, Brits, etc. Pathetic. |
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oldfatfarang
Joined: 19 May 2005
Location: On the road to somewhere.
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| Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 7:34 pm Post subject: |
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I had this once. When introduced to a SMOE co-teacher, she said: "Did you know that many Koreans don't like English? And I'm one of those people." Frankly, I was gobsmacked and didn't know what to say.
She sure didn't like English. It was a very tough year. She just sat at the back of the class - never spoke English - and just took kids names (for after class beatings).
How these people stay employed is beyond me. |
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