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myenglishisno
Joined: 08 Mar 2011
Location: Geumchon
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 Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 8:21 am Post subject: Long timers that are illiterate |
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Met a few teachers the other night who've been here for more than a few years. We got talking and got on the topic of Korean. All of them divulged that they couldn't read a word of 한글 nor were they great at speaking.
My Korean is far from perfect but I have been studying since I've been here. My spoken Korean should be much better but anything to do with written Korean and I'm doing pretty well. I keep a journal in Korean, talk to Korean friends online in Korean, as well as read the news and so on. I actually thought I was well behind the average for people that have been there as long as I.
Anyway, not counting the people who have been here for fewer than two years, I keep running into long-timers who can't read 한글. Either they can't read it or they can barely read it. Sometimes they're proud of it like it is some kind of accomplishment and other times they hide it for awhile and it takes awhile to piece it together.
Part of me would write a person off for this as in the same way, I'd write someone off for believing that pro-wrestling was real. Then again, some of them seem like perfectly intelligent, normal people. That and it seems like more than 60% (rough estimate) of the long timers (2+ years) I meet can't read.
Is there any excuse for this? Why can't you read (assuming you can't)? |
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Pa Jan Jo A Hamnida
Joined: 27 Oct 2006
Location: Not Korea
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| Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 8:31 am Post subject: |
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| Do you walk on Soju too? |
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sadguy
Joined: 13 Feb 2011
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| Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 8:41 am Post subject: |
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funny you mention this... i recently met a guy who's been here for 3 years and can't read hangul.
he's in a long term relationship with a korean girl. his excuse is that he wants to learn it formally in a class... but... that's a crap excuse.
i thought people like him were just myths. but they do exist!! |
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Died By Bear
Joined: 13 Jul 2010
Location: On the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
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| Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 9:12 am Post subject: Re: Long timers that are illiterate |
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| myenglishisno wrote: |
Met a few teachers the other night who've been here for more than a few years. We got talking and got on the topic of Korean. All of them divulged that they couldn't read a word of 한글 nor were they great at speaking.
My Korean is far from perfect but I have been studying since I've been here. My spoken Korean should be much better but anything to do with written Korean and I'm doing pretty well. I keep a journal in Korean, talk to Korean friends online in Korean, as well as read the news and so on. I actually thought I was well behind the average for people that have been there as long as I.
Anyway, not counting the people who have been here for fewer than two years, I keep running into long-timers who can't read 한글. Either they can't read it or they can barely read it. Sometimes they're proud of it like it is some kind of accomplishment and other times they hide it for awhile and it takes awhile to piece it together.
Part of me would write a person off for this as in the same way, I'd write someone off for believing that pro-wrestling was real. Then again, some of them seem like perfectly intelligent, normal people. That and it seems like more than 60% (rough estimate) of the long timers (2+ years) I meet can't read.
Is there any excuse for this? Why can't you read (assuming you can't)? |
That's nothing. I know a guy well into his 10th year and never learned to read. Strange thing is that he's intelligent enough to learn reading and conversational Korean, but he just doesn't want to. Knowing enough Korean to talk your way out of a pinch can be a life saver in Korea.
I hung out with a guy that knew Korean so well, he argued with 2 officials for 20 minutes and they were so impressed with his Korean skills and honesty, they not only let us off the hook, they also invited us out to dinner. Awesome times. Learn as much as you can if you're going to live in Korea.
Last edited by Died By Bear on Wed Sep 28, 2011 9:27 am; edited 1 time in total |
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CentralCali
Joined: 17 May 2007
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| Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 9:20 am Post subject: |
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| OP: Here's something you might be interested in knowing. Not everyone can pick up a foreign language easily, regardless of where they happen to be living. |
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myenglishisno
Joined: 08 Mar 2011
Location: Geumchon
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| Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 9:52 am Post subject: |
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| CentralCali wrote: |
| OP: Here's something you might be interested in knowing. Not everyone can pick up a foreign language easily, regardless of where they happen to be living. |
I don't think learning how to read Korean script falls into this category. It isn't language acquisition. All it is, is memorizing shapes and matching them with sounds.
Memorizing takes a few hours followed by a few weeks of reading the occasional sign to get relatively comfortable with it.
One good excuse to me would be dyslexia. |
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calendar
Joined: 22 Sep 2011
Location: being a hermit
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| Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 12:03 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| i recently met a guy who's been here for 3 years |
3 years doesn't make a long timer.
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| Is there any excuse for this? Why can't you read (assuming you can't)? |
Being this generic really doesn't help your case.
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| My Korean is far from perfect but I have been studying since I've been here. My spoken Korean should be much better but anything to do with written Korean and I'm doing pretty well. I keep a journal in Korean, talk to Korean friends online in Korean, as well as read the news and so on. I actually thought I was well behind the average for people that have been there as long as I. |
Being a little 'holier than thou' aren't you? It is amazing how some people do things in this country then expect everyone to have the same desire/motivation and expect them to want to do the same things as them. Unrealiastic.
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| Here's something you might be interested in knowing. Not everyone can pick up a foreign language easily, regardless of where they happen to be living. |
This is correct and it applies to the Korean students as well Although many FTs think it doesn't when they complain about their students' English ability after studying it for years.
| Quote: |
| I don't think learning how to read Korean script falls into this category |
It does. You lack a lot of understanding and think just because you can do it, everyone can. They can't. You seem very condescending and arrogant with your posts and you forget that people have other interests that take up their time |
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Jack_Sarang
Joined: 13 Aug 2006
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| Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 12:30 pm Post subject: |
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Keep in mind OP is the the same idiot who couldn't navigate his way properly through Sadang Station without jumping turnstiles during a transfer.
I'm sure his "한글" amazing. |
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Garciua
Joined: 16 Sep 2011
Location: Iceland
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| Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 2:21 pm Post subject: |
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| If you plan to live in a country for years you should at least try to learn the language so you have a basic grasp of it. It's up to the individual of course but you should put some effort in to it and not totally disregard it. |
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