Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Rowdy]

Never has been an issue here in the States and I have trained folks from around the world. I have had very few Korean students in my classes so I am just curious, will this be an issue?

Oh, my main dialect is referred to as Piney Woods( Texas, Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina, and other regions of the south.). Folks that speak like me are: Albert Gore, George W. Bush, Diane Sawyer(when not on the air), Trace Adkins, and Bill Clinton. But like these folks my dialect is mixed with other dialects due to my travels. I have a Pittsburgh dialect at times. Yes, I am an American English speaker that is a mutt.

[Zackback]

When you teach can you speak like Diane Sawyer when she is on the air?

[Rowdy]

LOL. Diane Sawyer thing isn't possible. I am not full of myself and I honestly am proud of my dialect. I have business associates who are African American and they have paid to have their dialect reduced or illuminated. How sad IMHO.

[young_clinton]

I wouldn't fret about it. The only way you're not going to get hired is if an interviewer thinks "I don't like the way he talks". Just get your documents in order, and put out the applications. Make sure that you at least put your Hagwons through a search on Dave's to decide if they are worth going to and working at.

[mnjetter]

Depends on where you are. I teach adults, and they are actually quite interested when I explain about my own language habits. Coming from an urban area, they're pretty subtle, but coming from Minnesota, they can also be quite unique and even my most advanced students are surprised sometimes.

With kids, it's different. It doesn't come quite so much to the forefront, but as long as you avoid too many regional idioms, you'll be fine. The non-native speaking ear is actually pretty flexible when it comes to learning sounds. After spending three years in Japan in an area with an extremely (i.e., unintelligible to Tokyoites) thick dialect, my Japanese is just fine. I have a touch of an accent, I've been told, but I have no idea what I'm doing that is different from everybody else.

[Rowdy]

Mnjetter..I tried Russian with my dialect and it was funny. I just stuck with Latin.

[staygold]

I wouldn't worry too much about it. One of my friends is from Georgia and she had no problem getting multiple offers.

I actually have a bit of a Hawaiian accent, which most people seem to have trouble understanding. In my intro video and phone interviews, I tried to cover it up with the "standard American accent." It felt really awkward, but I think it worked in my favor. Lost some dignity, but Koreans can be terribly picky with accents. There are quite a few "North American accent only!" job listings, and Koreans equate that to Californian or whatchamacallit.