Korean Job Discussion Forums

Forever · Joined: 12 Nov 2009

http://asiancorrespondent.com/korea-beat/seoul%20government%20creating%20new%20volunteer%20english%20lessons#comments

so this guy is teaching Korean children

including - "Americans can't speak Korean"

and "answers questions from the children, who sit on their desks just like in an American classroom"

ChopChaeJoe · Joined: 05 Mar 2006 Location: Seoul

I speak a little Korean, and I'm often asked if I'm Russian. I really look nothing like a Russian. Irish-German.

PigeonFart · Joined: 27 Apr 2006

Those Irish-Germans do tend to look quite Russian though, so that mistake is understandable.

ChopChaeJoe · Joined: 05 Mar 2006 Location: Seoul

I really don't see any similarity. The Irish have an upturned nose.

beercanman · Joined: 16 May 2009

One of my, um, triumphant moments, was once on a bus, I heard the Korean guy telling his mate how foreigners cannot speak Korean. They were sitting next to the door, I was just across. The bus was pretty much empty. Just before getting out I said to them in Korean something like, "yeah, foreigner, Korean cannot do, too difficult" (easy expressions to learn really) Nothing special, but felt good to see their expressions. Actually they just smiled and had a laugh. They had said nothing offensive, but still, I had my little moment. Yeah I'm petty like that sometimes.

Watch what you say in public.

mc_jc · Joined: 13 Aug 2009 Location: C4B- Cp Red Cloud, Area-I

I got one for you~
I was on a date once with this woman who answered her phone in front of me. The person on the other end was her husband. She was talking all lovey-dovey in Korean as if I couldn't understand a word she was saying.
As soon as she finished her conversation, I excused myself by saying I was going to the bathroom. She didn't think nothing of it and continued eating. I carefully snuck out the door- screw that! The date was over!
Anyway- she called me about fifteen minutes later asking where I was and I told her in Korean I was home getting ready for bed. She tried to get all loud about it, but I hung up and blocked her calls.

Yeah- knowing Korean is VERY handy when meeting girls and sorting them out Wink

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Observe · Joined: 28 Nov 2008

Old Gil · Joined: 26 Sep 2009 Location: Got out! olleh!

Observe · Joined: 28 Nov 2008

Old Gil · Joined: 26 Sep 2009 Location: Got out! olleh!

What are those levels? What does elementary mean?

santafly · Joined: 20 Feb 2008

It's a bit of a dilemma for me really -

I spent last year in Korea. I can read and write in Hanguel. I have probably a hundred word vocabulary, maybe more, but mostly food items. I can count, pay for stuff, order food.

I didn't think I would ever go back to Korea so I really didn't bother trying to learn Korean, it's not exactly a useful language. If I'm going to be taking classes or spending time studying shouldn't I do something worthwhile. The 3 most widely used languages are, in order, Chinese, Spanish, and English. I already speak Spanish. If I were working in China I would be psyched to learn Chinese (although I would probably settle for being illiterate). While I was in Korea I worked 44 hours a week in an office with 15 other people that all spoke English fluently. When I wasn't at work I was either with my girlfriend (again, fluent in English) or enjoying some private time.

But now I'm returning to Korea for another year and my relationship with my girlfriend is more serious. I want to learn some Korean - it's not a top priority but I would feel ridiculous not trying - especially because I love languages (especially Brazilian Portuguese). Hmmmm.......