Korean Job Discussion Forums

[GirlFromMars]

sorry how do you spell that word correctly?

i've seen so many different versions on this site but never really thought about it till I just used it in another post.

[schwa]

Maybe none of the above. I lean toward hakwon.

Latest spelling rules, which many dislike, suggest 'g' for initial placements, 'k' for terminal.

'a' before 'o' though for sure.

[GirlFromMars]

yeh, I was going to edit it for the "k" and then I got lazy. Thanks for clarifying that.

[Son Deureo!]

How do you spell it correctly? Easy! �п�, and that's the only correct spelling there is.

But as for romanizing it, there are a few different conventions out there, and a lot of people, Korean and Western, just use whatever spelling they think sounds right.

The system of romanization that was the official system before 2000 was called McCune-Reischauer. By this system "hakwon" with an accent mark over the "o" would have been correct (I think). Under the newer Ministry of Education system I'm pretty sure it would be "hagweon".

However, I prefer "hogwon", due to the swinelike nature of many of the owners of these institutions, and it still conveys the sound of the original Korean just about as accurately as any of the other spellings.

GFM, the best advice I can give you is to learn how to read Korean script before you get here. It's pretty easy to do, and will make your life much easier for you even if you don't know how to speak much, or even any, Korean.

[GirlFromMars]

hi, yeh, i've already made a start on that, it does seem simple... gotta love all them vowel sounds

[schwa]

Too true, romanization sucks.

That said, I think 'hakweon' would be wrong. The 'oo' plus short 'o' vowels together = 'wo.' As in won the money, Gangwondo, Wonju, etc.

[Anda]

I used to spell it with a O but somewhere I was told it was an A not an O.

Here is an overview on the matter. Um, it's not mine!

........................................................................................................

What's a hagwon?
It's a private, commercial academy. You'll see it spelled hagwan, hogwon, hagwon, and hakwon (there's supposed to be a standard for Romanizing Korean, but in practice it varies a lot). Though I'm no expert in pronunciation, I suggest "hah-GWAHN" -- add a bit of a "k" sound to the g. That should get you somewhere in the neighborhood.

The Korean government says there are about 3,000 English hagwons in South Korea. They come in all sizes, from tiny mom-and-pop operations to huge enterprises teaching as many students as a small-town US elementary school. There are even corporate chains that run hagwons in multiple cities. Some hagwons actually look like schools from the outside, but most are housed in ordinary downtown buildings that could just as well be home to accounting firms or export brokerages.

A hagwon doesn't have to teach English. You'll find that many of your students also go to computer hagwons and math hagwons. Some of the large hagwons teach multiple subjects.

[Canuck]

[yodanole]

I use "hogpen" when I'm thinking about its purpose.

But I think "hakwon" is the best Romanization choice.

[some waygug-in]

I personally prefer hogwon because it best describes the attitute of the majority of directors/managers/owners of those illustrious institutions.

ex: hogwon = hog + won which is what they love to do and their reason for existence.
Cheers

[Gord]

[mack the knife]

"Phonically", Gord?

Surely you mean "phonetically"...

I realize we all make simple mistakes on this board, but, a-hem, we don't want outsiders who visit to think we're complete maroons!

[gang ah jee]

[William Beckerson]

I use hogwan because some gyopo I knew used it.