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peppermint

Joined: 13 May 2003 Location: traversing the minefields of caddishness.
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Posted: Thu Aug 26, 2004 9:34 pm Post subject: |
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I 'm from Canada so maybe not qualified, but I think Kiwis and Aussies get treated pretty much the same as Noprth Americans- though their payis sometimes(undeservedly) lower.
The people I've seen get really screwed around are Kyopos and people not from the usual English speaking countries. I worked with a guy originally from Hungary but he'd had Aussie citizenship for 20 years, who got treated like a 3D worker. |
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royjones

Joined: 26 Mar 2004 Location: post count: 512
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Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2004 9:59 am Post subject: Re: the point |
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| textin wrote: |
the point i think is that Korean would prefer Americans but cant get enough of them.
canadians are second choice due to accent...
kiwis and aussies just get *beep* around. |
Wow, you have the deduction skills of a worm. Where the hell hell do you come up with that. I am sure they would much rather have Canadians. I think they like Canadians better. Why else would we be able to stay in 6months on a travellers visa?? Because they hate us? |
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jamielives2000
Joined: 01 Feb 2004
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Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2004 6:34 pm Post subject: |
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im a nzer and i got relieved of my job because of my accent
but thats cool coz if they want and american accent thats what they should have |
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mindmetoo
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
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Posted: Sun Aug 29, 2004 3:10 am Post subject: |
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| jamielives2000 wrote: |
im a nzer and i got relieved of my job because of my accent
but thats cool coz if they want and american accent thats what they should have |
I had a woman asking me if it would be bad if her kid acquired a British accent as she had him on the Harvard track at age 5. I explained a British accent is an advantage. Nothing relaxes a North American like a nice British accent. It's very soothing and makes people pay attention.
I had a Korean friend in Toronto that learned English from a British nanny. When I first met her I noticed a very distinct British accent. But as I got to know her, the accent went away. It was only when we were out together and we met new people, she would turn the accent back on. What I realized is she had subconsciously learned that her British accent put people at ease, made them more favorably disposed to her. It was the funniest thing. |
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Sydney Rooster

Joined: 20 May 2004 Location: Sydney
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Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2004 5:51 am Post subject: |
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| You would have to either living under a rock or be Homer to not think that non North Americans are not discriminated against in Korea.. Just flick down the job classifieds for ESL Teachers and see the amount of advertisements that specify North American accents as a prerequisite of the job. |
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turtlepi1

Joined: 15 Jun 2004 Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE
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Posted: Tue Aug 31, 2004 5:02 pm Post subject: |
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I have actually spoken to several Koreans about "why Canadians?".
(they knew I was Canadian at the time so the response is likely biased.)
They said that Canadians have the same accent but are more modest. They also think Canada would be a great place to raise a family.
Having lived in the US and Canada I think overall they might have a point. Canada seems quite a bit more multicultural than the US.
This isn't a bag on Americans, just pointing out how (overall) society interprets minorities sets the mindset of people.
On another note...do only the crazy people from a country come to Korea to teach English? I'm sure there are normal people here (non-Korean) but I sure haven't met them yet.  |
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royjones

Joined: 26 Mar 2004 Location: post count: 512
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Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2004 11:12 am Post subject: |
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| turtlepi1 wrote: |
On another note...do only the crazy people from a country come to Korea to teach English? I'm sure there are normal people here (non-Korean) but I sure haven't met them yet.  |
You realize that asking this question, and you being in Korea, one might conclude that you yourself are crazy. |
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mindmetoo
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
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Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2004 3:49 pm Post subject: |
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| turtlepi1 wrote: |
On another note...do only the crazy people from a country come to Korea to teach English? I'm sure there are normal people here (non-Korean) but I sure haven't met them yet.  |
I think it breaks down 50/50. A lot of us are damaged people, especially us in the older set. We've all got a story. The other half are just young normal freshly scrubbed grads with a useless BA and no skills. They can't earn anything close to what they can earn/save in Korea. So here they are. |
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royjones

Joined: 26 Mar 2004 Location: post count: 512
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Posted: Sat Sep 04, 2004 11:32 am Post subject: |
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| mindmetoo wrote: |
| jamielives2000 wrote: |
im a nzer and i got relieved of my job because of my accent
but thats cool coz if they want and american accent thats what they should have |
I had a woman asking me if it would be bad if her kid acquired a British accent as she had him on the Harvard track at age 5. I explained a British accent is an advantage. Nothing relaxes a North American like a nice British accent. It's very soothing and makes people pay attention.
I had a Korean friend in Toronto that learned English from a British nanny. When I first met her I noticed a very distinct British accent. But as I got to know her, the accent went away. It was only when we were out together and we met new people, she would turn the accent back on. What I realized is she had subconsciously learned that her British accent put people at ease, made them more favorably disposed to her. It was the funniest thing. |
I dont think having a British accent is better, nor do I think it is "soothing." I think it can be down right annoying. As for it being "better" for Koreans its just not so. I think that a "wester" accent is much easier for them to understand. I have talked to different Korean friends who say that "Canadian/American" accents are easier for them to understand. |
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royjones

Joined: 26 Mar 2004 Location: post count: 512
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Posted: Sat Sep 04, 2004 11:33 am Post subject: |
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| mindmetoo wrote: |
| turtlepi1 wrote: |
On another note...do only the crazy people from a country come to Korea to teach English? I'm sure there are normal people here (non-Korean) but I sure haven't met them yet.  |
I think it breaks down 50/50. A lot of us are damaged people, especially us in the older set. We've all got a story. The other half are just young normal freshly scrubbed grads with a useless BA and no skills. They can't earn anything close to what they can earn/save in Korea. So here they are. |
Yep exactly, there are only 2 times of people in Korea
1 old and damaged
2 young and looking for money  |
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mindmetoo
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
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Posted: Sat Sep 04, 2004 4:17 pm Post subject: |
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| royjones wrote: |
| I dont think having a British accent is better, nor do I think it is "soothing." I think it can be down right annoying. |
You might be in the minority opinion. |
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royjones

Joined: 26 Mar 2004 Location: post count: 512
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Location: Retired
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Posted: Sat Sep 04, 2004 8:53 pm Post subject: Re: the point |
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| royjones wrote: |
| textin wrote: |
the point i think is that Korean would prefer Americans but cant get enough of them.
canadians are second choice due to accent...
kiwis and aussies just get *beep* around. |
Wow, you have the deduction skills of a worm. Where the hell hell do you come up with that. I am sure they would much rather have Canadians. I think they like Canadians better. Why else would we be able to stay in 6months on a travellers visa?? Because they hate us? |
I wouldn't be talking about deduction skills were I you. The reason Canadians have a six month stay is because we have a reciprocal agreement with Korea. They can stay in Canada for equally as long. |
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royjones

Joined: 26 Mar 2004 Location: post count: 512
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Posted: Sun Sep 05, 2004 4:53 am Post subject: Re: the point |
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| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
| royjones wrote: |
| textin wrote: |
the point i think is that Korean would prefer Americans but cant get enough of them.
canadians are second choice due to accent...
kiwis and aussies just get *beep* around. |
Wow, you have the deduction skills of a worm. Where the hell hell do you come up with that. I am sure they would much rather have Canadians. I think they like Canadians better. Why else would we be able to stay in 6months on a travellers visa?? Because they hate us? |
I wouldn't be talking about deduction skills were I you. The reason Canadians have a six month stay is because we have a reciprocal agreement with Korea. They can stay in Canada for equally as long. |
So would they sign a reciprocal agreement with a country they didn't like? |
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Wangja

Joined: 17 May 2004 Location: Seoul, Yongsan
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Posted: Sun Sep 05, 2004 5:14 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
im a nzer and i got relieved of my job because of my accent
but thats cool coz if they want and american accent thats what they should have |
Was it a job teaching English? |
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