Korean Job Discussion Forums

Harin · Joined: 03 May 2004 Location: Garden of Eden

Has anyone mentioned, "in my opinion"??????

uberscheisse · Joined: 02 Dec 2003 Location: japan is better than korea.

"in my opinion" is the most annoying.

i had a director who used to preface EVERYTHING with "in my opinion".

"we're ordering food, in my opinion we should get sundubu"

can't you just use "i think"?

i also hate "(sucks teeth)... maybe..."

Swiss James · Joined: 26 Nov 2003 Location: Shanghai

Does no-one else see the irony in English teachers bitching about their students poor English ability?

I'm ashamed to say that I swallow all the dodgy English phrases and spit them right back out when I talk to Koreans:

"OK I might take a rest now, as I have an appointment later",
"Japanese people, how do you think?"-
to me it's the same as using phrases like "soccer cleats" and "are you all set?" when talking to North Americans- you could have the uphill struggle of speaking correctly, or just go with the flow.

visviva · Joined: 03 Feb 2003 Location: Daegu

Many of these annoying Konglicisms (woo hoo! Google-whack!) are a product of Half-Assed Language Teaching (HALT), the predominant method here among K and NS teachers alike. For myself, I try to teach using my whole ass, but it ain't easy.

Why do some learners use "in my opinion" all the time? Probably because they have not received proper instruction in using this and similar rhetorical softeners. Same for "Why don't you..." People who learned English from some other teacher might use "You must" all the time.

And a lot of Konglicisms are just signs that the learner hasn't learned very much yet, like "twelven" and "I am hamburger." One doesn't pick up English all at once, especially not in an EVFL context like Korea.

Leslie Cheswyck · Joined: 31 May 2003 Location: University of Western Chile

Leslie: Now we all know the earth is round, right?
Student: OK

Students saying OK as if saying "If you say so."

thorin · Joined: 14 Apr 2003

Koreabound2004 · Joined: 19 Nov 2003

I also hate the term "Konglish"

"My Konglish no so good."

WTF is Konglish?

Also, today, my coteacher(who has been an "English" teacher for 15 years), told a class today...."Ok, say hello, and tell her nice to MEET you."

I met them long ago......I see them everyday!!!

Someone already mentioned this, but I think it is just so annoying, I had to mention it again!!!

thorin · Joined: 14 Apr 2003

Koreabound2004 · Joined: 19 Nov 2003

I KNOW WHAT IT IS......I am being sarcastic....... Evil or Very Mad

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krats1976 · Joined: 14 May 2003

I'm sure I could compile a list, although it's smaller now that I'm at a foreign school instead of a hagwon.

Learning Korean has given me an appreciation for a lot of the common mistakes. Partly it's because it's made me see how different our languages are and how hard it is for the native speaker of one to learn the other. But also, I can see why they make the mistakes that they make.

On the other hand, there are a lot of cliche's that seem inordinately popular. Confused

peppermint · Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2004 8:11 pm Post subject:

Actuallly- the thing that really bugs me isn't one phrase by itself, it's the the random idiom generator. The guy that spends a ton of time memorizing idioms, answers every question with them, but it's never the right one

Sliver · Joined: 04 May 2003 Location: The third dimension

Often stock phrases used at the start of a sentence help the non native speaker create some time in which to process what they want to say.

I would rather hear a stock phrase as opposed to ��?

thorin · Joined: 14 Apr 2003

ChooChooPongPong · Joined: 15 Jun 2003

i would rather sit and listen to Koreans ask me if I think ddawk (rice cake) is delicious than have to sit and listen to a bunch of high and mighty ESL 'teachers' complain about the way Koreans talk. Until you walk a mile in someone else's shoes, S.T.F.U. If they spoke perfect English, not many of us would have jobs. Sometimes it is annoying indeed, but I also know for a fact that we annoy them equally at times. Can you imagine being witness to the constant mockery and contempt some foriegnors have while in the work place? And listening to a so-called teacher substitute an F sharp for any and every word possible? Being around Koreans I begin to forget how guttaral and obnoxious we can be at times, and then I hit Itaewon and I hear the fowl mouth and I begin to start doing it to. I'll take boring politeness anyday over some Canadian or whomever blabbing on and on about his F-ing problems/complaints. I havent visited this site in ages and I'm reminded how much I detest myself for being just like most of you. The only difference is that I'm bored of complaining and thinking I'm hot stuff here in the ROK. I've accepted my humanity and I want to be cool anymore. im sorry to say it but as a former "newbie" im starting to dislike them

thorin · Joined: 14 Apr 2003