Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Ya-ta Boy]

[gypsyfish]

[The Great Wall of Whiner]

[dulouz]

I teach American because the Koreans are not interested in learning English, they are interested in learning the language of international commerce and that would be American.

[Veronica]

English of course, but I will point out differences in spellings and pronunciation as and when I need to. They seem quite happy to have British English in the school as opposed to American.

[SPINOZA]

I'm English and teach English, but I use American spellings and American words like 'server' and other stuff. I use American spellings a lot anyway (like 'rationalize') because I prefer it and welcome changes to English spelling within reason. I don't feel any bitterness about accepting American English as the dominant or the standard form abroad for the simple reason that the English language, and indeed the North American accent, originated in my country and we have a history and a culture to be proud of.

Very occasionally, when students can't understand what the f__k I'm saying even though what I'm saying seems relatively straightforward and I'm fairly standard English, I'll put on an American accent and...be perfectly understood!

They're more used to hearing it because of business reasons and also American English has presitige because the USA is a political and economic hegemon. Not least, America is the reason they're not a miserable totalitarian desert...so America has influenced the country considerably and this is reflected in the accents that Korean kids speak English in. South Korea is an extremely desirable place to live largely because of the USA.

[Bo Peabody]

[deleted]

[thursdays child]

As far as language goes - I mix it up - it's all correct after all. With pronunciation i teach what i speak - and i'm a real mongrel British+New Zealand+Canada = me. But I'm always understood and many people complement me on my spoken English and then ask "so where ARE you from????"

English is multi-cultural language spoken and heard in weird and wonderful tones and that's why it is what it is. Enhance and accept it for it's craziness and don't put it in a box.... It's OUR language and we are many!!! ok rant over.

[fusionbarnone]

I taught any form the punters requested even English with foreign accents for fun.

[ddeubel]

and of course Europe which prefers British English (except Dutch & Scandinavians which seem to love American accents for reasons unknown).

[Wangja]

Oh yes, "mallable" american (sic) English (whatever that is) permitting French women visiting USA to be spared the embarassment of asking for nappies and not diapers.

Now that's a bandwagon not to be missed.

[OiGirl]

I teach my native mid-American dialect, however my youngest students have been spening a lot of time on BBC websites, listening to e-books narrated with a British accent, and have not had any trouble understanding them. Nor has a single child told me that the stories sound funny.

The listening section of our assessment features a guy straight out of New Jersey...I would say they need some practice with that dialect, however they have shown me that dialect matters little.

[fusionbarnone]

I like to study foreign accents as a hobby. One site I've looked at has a wide range of native nationalities reading from the same text.

The very act of attempting to read the text correctly(because obviously English isn't their first language and I suspect they try too hard to read the passage) forces the readers/speakers to deviate from how they would sound in actual conversation.

Apart from the Vietnamese speakers, the readers ended up sounding like slightly distinctive accented foreigners.

Therefore it seems, speaking slowly forces everyone to speak "school teacher English" with a minimalized accent(american T's no longer sound like D's in slow-mo.,etc).

[Summer Wine]

Quote:

myself, an australian with a rather british accent.

Sacrilige, did you just say that. Here's the soap, here's your mouth, put both in extreme close proximity.

Aussies have at least 3-4 or more accents, that I have noticed. Only the Victorian/South Australian sounds anywhere near British.

Here I am supporting Aussies own independent english and I am your worst supporter. Damm, here comes the soap my way.

[Natalia]

Oh, Canberra accents are far closer to British than Victorian accents. The Canberrans make fun of the Victorians' broad accents (my father's from Victoria, and he's our family yobbo).

And, having lived in both England and Australia, I do have more and more trouble telling the difference between some accents these days, as much as the British probably hate to hear that.





I'm not English and I'm not American, but I must say I get sick of hearing people accuse English people of not being able to speak English. Seeing as it's THEIR language first and foremost, I think maybe some people have to accept that maybe they can speak English.

I have real problems sometimes with the American I am supposed to teach. I come accross spelling I didn't even know existed. For example, I was having a hard time trying to explain 'tire', when to me that means you need a rest, not something you put on your car (for the record, we use 'tyre').

I think Koreans could really benefit from a broader English education. There are many Koreans heading out to Australia to study or work, and the American they are learning isn't really helping them in over there.
For example, one of the Korean teachers at my school left for an extended break in Australia. I asked him a number of times in his final week when he was leaving for his holiday, and was met with blank looks every time. At his farewell party, he asked me what I meant when I said, "holiday". He finally had a lightbulb flash and said, "Oh you mean VACATION." I told him, no, I meant HOLIDAY, a word he should be familiar seing as he is supposed to be an English teacher. And especially as he has visions of settling in Australia, where American isn't going to get you very far.