Korean Job Discussion Forums

[tomato]

Why do we learn a foreign language more quickly overseas than in the classroom?

One reason, of course, is that you are immersed in the foreign language--unless you're stuck in an English teaching job.

Another reason, though, is that you learn from a variety of experiences overseas.
Nature never intended for us to learn from 100 2-dimensional pages in a textbook.

Given a variety of experiences, there is less confusion between the words which we learn.
What are some words and expressions which you have learned in Korea?
And how did you learn them?

I'll go first:

���� (mommy)

This is the first word which I learned on the field.
When I was waiting for the plane in the Atlanta airport, a child called his mommy, and someone told me what the word meant.

��û�� (fool)

I learned this one from the unlikeliest source.
A new teacher at my school was showing us some South Park videos which he brought over.
One episode concerned a police chief who didn't know how to read.
There was a quick subjective view of a stop sign with what most Anglophones would see as nonsensical letters.
I said, "Wait. Rewind and freeze on that stop sign. I think it was in Korean."
I copied down the word, looked it up, and that's how I learned it.

In the next episode, the Spanish teacher wrote something on the board which a Mexican-American teacher in our school recognized. It said--well, never mind what it said.

������ (Wednesday)

On my first job, my schedule was different on Wednesday.
So I learned this word specifically.
Little by little, one by one, I learned all the other six.
That was probably more efficient than learning all seven from a page in the textbook, remembering them until the next test, and forgetting them.

�������� (paper-folding)

One of my kindergarten students showed an interest in paper-folding, so I intended to strike while the iron was hot.
I went to the bookstore and asked, "���ꪬ�� å �ֽ��ϱ�?"
The clerk frowned and said, "��?"
I picked up a piece of paper from the counter, simulated folding it, and said, "���ꪬ��."
She smiled and said, "�ƾƾƾƾ�! ��������!"

Since then, I have been careful not to say that naughty word.

���� (scissors) ���� (rock) �� (paper)

I had to learn that the Koreans claim this pasttime, too.

���� (odor)

One of my students drew a picture of me, exuding fumes, and which this inscription added.
Could the student be trying to tell me something?

�ƺ� �ٸ� (cross-legged), �ο��� �� (don't fight), ���ϳ� (well done)

These are a few of the most frequent utterances from my Korean teaching opponent--I mean assistant.

�ٺ� (fool), �޷� (na na na boo boo)

I won't even bother to tell you where I learned these.

[SPINOZA]

Great thread dude.

I just cannot for the life of me understand why some of the folks I know have learnt NO Korean whatsoever. When you're living in a country and you hear the language every day, every minute of every day sometimes, it's impossible not to pick some of it up. I'm convinced that, immensely difficult though they are, if I were in Japan or China, I'd pick those languages up too. In this regard, one or two people I know are either seriously stupid or lack confidence. It doesn't require effort.

����ź - nuclear weapons

�������ּ��� - guess (literally 'guess, do, give me-yo' I think)

���ǹٸ� - polite

�����ǿ� - King of the World

�����ǿ��� - Queen of the World

�ܰ��� - alien/ET

���������Ѵ� - favorite

....�����ؿ�? - (is something) available?

�׾��� - dead (say to a student who's sleeping....."�������������̿���?")

�����Ͼ��? - do you believe in God?

������� - I don't care (impolitely; say it to Ajoshi who won't shut up and leave you alone and let you eat your SODDING dinner in peace!)

(all the above was learnt in school - me asking folks what stuff is in Korean. Feel free to correct my spelling, anyone)

[korian]

not to hijack, but it's perfectly reasonable why some people don't pick up languages. if you have no need for it, no use for it, no desire to learn it, and it has no future for you, then why would you learn it?

before you get on my case, i'm not saying it's a good thing at all. i lived in korea for over 2 years and my korean was ok. i now live in japan and my japanese is coming along well. but i know heaps of guys here who speak almost zero. because they don't have to.

case in point. one english guy has been here 2 years. married to a thai woman with a little daughter. they speak either english or thai at home. they watch cable t.v in english and surf the net in english or thai for her. at work he teaches english, speaks english with students, speaks english with colleagues and conducts all affairs in english. he rides his bike to and from work. now he has a smattering of absolute essentials of japanese but beyond that why would he pick any japanese up just by being here? he has absolutely no need for it and functions perfectly well here without it. it's not my cup of tea but it's more than feasible. just because you're around computers every day doesn't mean you can become a programmer.

anyway, me-so-shiggi-hi-so-shiggi-da (sp?) means no news is good news. was sick and my boss at the time took me to hospital. that's how i learnt all the kwas.

i-bi-in-hu-kwa
ne-kwa
shin-gyoun-kwa

etc etc hospital departments

[OiGirl]

Restroom...after spending more than 10 minutes politely pantomiming this one in a church (I mimed washing my hands...and someone brought me a hose!) I soon learned this one!

[SPINOZA]

[OiGirl]

[steveohan]

^ agreed. how can someone live in a country for one, two, three...years and not even know the basic phrases.

steve.

[korian]

well spinoza, now you're talking about character and not learning abilities.

in a sense you answered your own question. you pick up phrases because you're inquisitive and you want to know what things are or mean. i am too. others simply aren't. they may hear the same word every day but if they don't care to learn it they won't.

to say they are inferior people is a bit much. everyone has different motivations for different things, including working in korea, japan, china or wherever.

back on topic - chae-shik-ju-i-ja. means vegetarian. needed that one many a time when i was there. got tired of acting like a cow and then crossing my arms.

[SPINOZA]

[laogaiguk]

[SuperHero]

[Hater Depot]

I'm terrible at learning vocabulary so from conversations I tend to pick up grammar instead. Probably the number of words I just picked up could be counted on one hand.

[canuckistan]

I learned so much just from wading through the English/Korean-Korean/English dictionary together with students. Quite frustratingly, I was just starting to hit critical mass on stringing it all together when I had to leave Korea.

[Pak Yu Man]

My first word....ah I remember.

��������.

I learned this on a Monday. During the weekend I'd went to the each with my friend. He hooked up so I though...screw it...other people are sleeping on the beach I can too.

So around 8:00 this guy came around renting sun umbrellas. I got one...went back to sleep.

Around 11:00 I woke up with my chest in the shade and my very red legs sitting out in the sun.

So Monday rolls around and I'm in so much pain. Go to class and a little girl hugs my leg. Ouch. I yelled "Don't touch me....ouch...how do I say that"

I only had to be told it once.

[Son Deureo!]

One painless way to build your Korean vocabulary is to turn on and pay attention to the Korean subtitles when you are watching English videos and DVDs. I've picked up quite a bit of vocabulary that way.