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sadguy
Joined: 13 Feb 2011
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 Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 6:51 pm Post subject: rude or not- speaking to a native korean in english |
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my friend brought up a question this weekend if it's rude to ask a question in english if you're speaking to a native korean stranger. he needed a chair at a food court and asked a stranger in english.
what do you do in that situation? make grunting caveman noises while pointing to the chair then to your chest? or do you try to impress them with your mediocre broken korean? or just straight up ask them "can i use this chair?" |
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ChrisLamp
Joined: 27 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 6:58 pm Post subject: |
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I was hired and brought to this country to teach English, the people of this country are going to have to put up with me speaking English.
It couldn't be more rude than the countless times I'm used by random strangers who spark up awkward and useless small talk. |
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eamo
Joined: 08 Mar 2003
Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.
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| Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 7:03 pm Post subject: |
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| I'm imagining being in my home country and being asked in French or German for a chair.........and the answer is, no. I certainly wouldn't be offended or think it's rude......I'd probably think it an amusing little break from the ordinary. |
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Radius
Joined: 20 Dec 2009
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| Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 7:12 pm Post subject: |
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| Don't be one of those foreigners that have been here for 2 years and doesn't know simple Korean. At least learn "juseyo" and point to what you want. To me, it makes you look unwilling to learn their language, and it also makes you look like you demand them to understand your language while you're in their country. It sort of, to me, makes you look pretentious. |
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cj1976
Joined: 26 Oct 2005
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| Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 7:23 pm Post subject: |
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| It doesn't look rude, pretentious or offensive. They have no idea who you are, or why you are in Korea. They might think you're a tourist or here on business for a couple of days. The fact you don't speak Korean shouldn't surprise them, neither should hearing English - considering the time and money invested in English education over here. English is the lingua franca of the world so it makes sense to default to it in a foreign country. |
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edwardcatflap
Joined: 22 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 8:45 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| It doesn't look rude, pretentious or offensive. They have no idea who you are, or why you are in Korea. They might think you're a tourist or here on business for a couple of days. The fact you don't speak Korean shouldn't surprise them, neither should hearing English - considering the time and money invested in English education over here. English is the lingua franca of the world so it makes sense to default to it in a foreign country. |
+1
I don't see what the issue is. If you know the local language use that, if not, ask in English. Just like you'd do in any foreign country. |
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sadguy
Joined: 13 Feb 2011
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| Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 8:56 pm Post subject: |
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| i forgot to mention that my friend and i are asians. to a lot of koreans, they think you speak korean because you look asian. |
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eamo
Joined: 08 Mar 2003
Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.
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| Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 9:20 pm Post subject: |
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| sadguy wrote: |
| i forgot to mention that my friend and i are asians. to a lot of koreans, they think you speak korean because you look asian. |
I've heard Koreans say they are very self-conscious to speak English in front of other Koreans because they might be judged to be too smug and smarty-pants.
Some Koreans resent other Koreans good English ability because English can open up a lot of doors in Korea career-wise.
If the guy thought you were two Koreans using English to show off then he might get pissy. |
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Mariella713
Joined: 22 May 2010
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| Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 7:51 am Post subject: |
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| cj1976 wrote: |
| It doesn't look rude, pretentious or offensive. They have no idea who you are, or why you are in Korea. They might think you're a tourist or here on business for a couple of days. The fact you don't speak Korean shouldn't surprise them, neither should hearing English - considering the time and money invested in English education over here. English is the lingua franca of the world so it makes sense to default to it in a foreign country. |
I wholeheartedly agree with this. |
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Steelrails
Joined: 12 Mar 2009
Location: Earth, Solar System
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| Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 2:50 pm Post subject: |
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| Bah, anything but Latin is completely rude and intolerable. |
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Louis VI
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
Location: In my Kingdom
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| Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 3:29 pm Post subject: |
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| Don't assume just because you see a native Korean that they don't understand English. A lot of Koreans understand well but have difficulty speaking. This is a generational issue. If the person is over 50 years old, I might not use English but instead gesture and use a word or two of broken Korean. But for someone half that age I would use English then follow it up with other means. |
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AmericanExile
Joined: 04 May 2009
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| Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 4:09 pm Post subject: |
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| This seems like a questions someone new to Korea would ask. I know when I first got here I was caught up in "being a good ambassador." Now, I just live my life. Do what you can to be polite and hope for the best. |
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tiger fancini
Joined: 21 Mar 2006
Location: Testicles for Eyes
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| Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 6:40 pm Post subject: |
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| ChrisLamp wrote: |
| I was hired and brought to this country to teach English, the people of this country are going to have to put up with me speaking English. |
You chose to come to this country to teach English. Having made the choice to come to a country where English is not the first language, or indeed widely-spoken in some areas, then expecting the locals to put up with you speaking English may not be such a good idea. It wouldn't hurt to learn a little survival Korean if you're going to be here for at least one year.
| ChrisLamp wrote: |
| It couldn't be more rude than the countless times I'm used by random strangers who spark up awkward and useless small talk. |
If you'd done some research before coming here, you'd have known that this practice is highly common in Korea, and other parts of East Asia too. And hey at least they're trying to use English, which is what the first part of your post implies you want/expect.  |
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mj roach
Joined: 16 Mar 2003
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| Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 7:10 pm Post subject: |
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speaking eng. is only considered rude in..... france
most koreans (ultra-nationalists excepted) just get a giggle out of it
and you might get a response in japanese from some older people which
always makes for fun all around |
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Kaypea
Joined: 09 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 7:32 pm Post subject: |
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If you honestly don't know how to say it in good or broken Korean, then just say it in English. Otherwise, TRY. I can't count all the times I've said something in crappy broken Korean to people, even older people, and they respond in grade school level English. It's fun  |
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