Korean Job Discussion Forums

Talbain · Joined: 28 Aug 2006 Location: Cedar Park, TX

I don't really find anything derisive about cursing, but then, I don't really believe that the curse word actually implies that curse due to tone. Of course, I'm sure it's taken the wrong way because while there is tone in English, most don't really understand it.

Just a quick example.

Damn.

Damn!

You get the idea.

There's a level of subtlety to English that really is lost in translation.

Thunndarr · Joined: 30 Sep 2003

If you look up the phrase "shut up" in some (or perhaps most, even) Korean-English dictionaries, it translates as "입닥쳐." (Shut the f*ck up.)

Now, let's re-examine the story, replacing "shut up" with "shut the f*ck up" and see if the reactions were a little saner.

TheUrbanMyth · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Location: Retired

Hyeon Een · Joined: 24 Jun 2005

At this bus station none of them are squat toilets.

But I guess the sign is left over from when some of them were.

Muffin · Joined: 01 Mar 2006 Location: Turkey

I am absolutely amazed by the strong feelings those two little words 'shut up' have aroused on this thread.

I am British, when I was at school, teachers often used it. I say 'shut up' daily to my classes AND in the hearing of my director who thinks I am a good teacher. The difference is that it is in a jokey tone of voice. Same with 'crazy' I am always telling kids they are crazy and I am crazy, I have one student called Daisy, well you can imagine what I call her and she thinks it is hilarious.

The first time I realised that 'shut up' was slightly shocking was when I was eating out with an American couple during my first week here, I wanted to pay as it was my turn, but the husband wanted to pay, I said 'shut up and take the money'. The wife was laughing but also shocked she said 'that is the first time anyone has told my husband to shut up.'

I will certainly be more careful in future!

Qinella, I think you have put the situation as right as you can. I certainly don't think you made any great mistake.

It is my observation here that although kids get the living daylights beaten out of them for low test scores, behaviour and manners receive little correction. I thought Koreans respected older people but having seen kids clambering all over my director and poking him up the bum, I don't think so.

Junior · Joined: 18 Nov 2005 Location: the eye

Qinella · Joined: 25 Feb 2005 Location: the crib

Qinella · Joined: 25 Feb 2005 Location: the crib

mumblebee · Joined: 26 Jun 2004 Location: Andong

I occasionally have said "shut up" to my students. I said it twice situation of a really naughty class that was running around the room like baboons. When I shouted 'sit down and shut up" the students were shocked into compliance. They were all poking each other and saying "shut up?" really quietly. They knew what it meant, and I was afraid that I would get complaints, but I never heard anything (my school filters most of the complaints from moms as nonsense...we only hear about the really serious stuff.)

The other few times were in response an individual student, who was persistantly disruptive...I said the students name, and quietly told him to Shut Up very clearly and slowly. He got it, and so did the rest of the class.
No complaints, but I think it isn't the best way to get your students to trust you. On the other hand, it's nice to have something that lets the students know they are out of line...

JongnoGuru · Joined: 25 May 2004 Location: peeing on your doorstep

Okay, thinking about this again, if I were a teacher of small children, I think I'd say "Be quiet!" to individual disrupters, and I'd save "Shut up!" for when the whole class is out of control.

philthy · Joined: 02 Sep 2005 Location: Incheon

We all seem to agree that the term "Shut up" should be used sparingly, if at all. I have used it once in a third year Middle-School class which had no respect for either me nor the substitute Korean teacher. She was a substitute for the regular teacher who was out for one semester on maternity leave. The sub had problems of classroom management especially concerning discipline, and the students would constantly walk all over her (and me). I realize my position here is to teach and not to discipline, but finally after about two months (8 classes) I had enough! I felt it was appropriate at the time as they would continue talking in Korean and ignore both my and the sub's repeated warnings.

I agree it was a last resort, but they got the message. Perhaps I was wrong, but given the circumstances I don't believe I was. Nothing came of this, as I'm sure the students knew they were wrong (15-16 years old).

For a child to say "shut up" to an adult is HIGHLY inappropriate, but for one in authority to say it only on the most remote of occasions is sometimes necessary.

At least I don't whack them with a stick or pull their hair, or knock them in the head, etc. I find this practice more inappropriate.

As for their translation of the term, it's OUR language and NOT theirs to judge whether or not it is offensive to the point of retribution. Blame the Korean dictionary companies. It is not a swear word.

In closing, I'd like to say that even though "shut up" is a harsh term, it is not a cuss and can be used ONLY under certain circumstances. To say it to Elementary students would be wrong as they'd just parrot the expression and not understand that when used sparingly, it can be effective and warranted.

TheUrbanMyth · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Location: Retired

captain kirk · Joined: 29 Jan 2003

Shut Up is a bad thing to say here. It's like saying, 'you are dirt'.

About Korean teachers smacking kids and foreign teachers getting pulled aside re; stupid little crap like 'don't say shut up; students mother is VERY upset. One more time and she will pull him OUT of the school Rolling Eyes

'. Yes, it's true. The Korean teachers all have long wooden sticks in their rooms.

The head teacher says, 'you must be very careful what you do and say because you are a foreigner. Your ways are different. The children report to their mothers all that you do...'.

While a Korean kid smacked with a stick by a Korean teacher won't tell Mom. Because Mom will ask, 'Why did you have to be smacked?', immediately siding with the Korean teacher.

And I agree with what Corporal said. Complaints over the phone Korean mother to Korean teacher click, then Korean head teacher bursts upon the foreign teacher wanting to know WHAT the HECK is going on? The kid has been lying his head off and his/her mother believing it, passed on to the Korean head teacher, slapdown attempt on the foreign teacher!