Korean Job Discussion Forums

[haleynicole14]

Hello! Elementary teacher in the US here. I have a Korean student who writes her name with a comma in the middle. First name, Last. For example, "Megan, Kim". It's a little thing, but she's such a bright kid, and I can't get her to kick the habit! She used to go to school in Korea, and says that that's how names are written there. Is that true? Just wondering.

[Bongotruck]

It is not normal here. Her teacher was a yutz.

[thrylos]

Her teacher may have been a yutz, but it is common and not a one-off.

OP, Koreans are....special...in many ways.

All that you're dealing with is the convention of listing family name first, first name last, separated by a comma. ie, Kim, Megan. A normal punctuation situation in English. Dates and addresses work the same way, big-small.

Somewhere along the line, when they are taught to use first name first when writing their names, they can't seem to get rid of the comma between first and last names even if it's totally wrong. Whether it's in instruction of just habit, IDK. But it is as common as asking 'what's the singular of shirts' "Shirts" (same) and how do you say orange? (orangeeeee).

Good luck, and let us know how (and if) you get her to kick the habit!

[haleynicole14]

[Bongotruck]

Wait until you see how she writes the numbrr 9.

[schwa]

Conversely, if I were asked to write my name family name first then my given name, I'd be tempted to use a comma too.

[Jake_Kim]

When Koreans write their names in Korean, the order is family name before given name, but NO COMMA is used anywhere, ever. Period.

Teach her the right convention of writing names in English, point out and contrast the difference with the Korean convention if you can, but know that your student is currently failing in both conventions.

If she insists on her being correct, have her look at her parents' Korean ID and find a comma in the middle, because there isn't any.

[thrylos]

[Who's Your Daddy?]

It's wrong, but it sounds like one of those situations where only a Korean will be listened to. Foreigners couldn't know:)

[Wife my wife, I'd tell her something, she'd ignore it. Then later, a Korean would tell her the same thing, and she'd be like "do you know x, Mr. Kim told me." And I'd be like, "I told you that months ago."]

And I don't think it has to do with status, a Korean shoe-shiner's opinion would hold more weight that a foreign CEO.

===
So glad SR is no longer around.

[yodanole]

I'd have more confidence in a Korean shoe shiner than a foreign CEO myself.

[young_clinton]

Just tell her the protocol she is following is correct being that Koreans write their names is reverse order, however let her know Westerners don't do it that way at all and it will cause confusion in the future for her.

[The Cosmic Hum]

[Underwaterbob]

When a western name is written in reverse order LastName, FirstName, we use a comma between them. It does make kind of sense that a Korean would use a comma between their Firstname and LastName when writing them out of order that is typical for them.

Too bad convention in Korea is to turn western names into LASTNAMEFIRSTNAMEMIDDLENAME. Unless privacy is a concern, then it's L*STNAMEFIRSTNAMEMIDDLENAME.

[Steelrails]

[drcrazy]

Given I have a BA in French/Spanish, MA in French, MA TESOL, PhD in Foreign and Second Language Education, and 30+ years of teaching from Pre-school to post doctoral students; teaching ESL, EFL, French, Spanish, Language Education, etc., I have thought long and hard about this situation.

Here is what I think: Big hair, why give a flying rip how she does it? .

Thank you teacher for reading.

I love you, give me A+.