Korean Job Discussion Forums

[flotsam]

[alexh]

Here's the skinny. The one person was right. Kamsahamnida or however you want to spell it in English (I don't have McCune-Reusheuer memorized) is the Sino-Korean version of "thank you". Komapsumnida (G or K) is the Pure version. They have the same meaning. Why is there a difference, you might ask? Koreans don't know! My theory is that most likely the Koguryo Kingdom used Sino-Korean due to their close proximity with China and their expansion into Manchuria. It is possible that the Baekje and Shilla Kingdoms weren't as heavily influenced by the Chinese. The Shilla Kingdom was more heavily influenced by the Japanese, thus the dialect difference. If you listen to someone from Kyeongsang-Do speak, it almost sounds like a mixture of Korean/Japanese. Hope this answers your question! I really enjoy unpropagandized Korean History.

[Woland]

First of all, the basic difference between the two forms is that they involve different verbs. The verb 'gomabda' is different from the verb 'gamsa hada'. The first of these is an honorific verb, used with people considered superior in status, while the other is non-honorific, used with equals or inferiors. The honorific forms are a grammatical complexity that will be dealt with later in the book you are using. Right now, it's best just to get some forms in memory and worry about sorting them out later.

Second, transliterations of Korean do vary. The government recently replaced the traditional McCune-Rukheyser system with a new transliteration that they felt would produce more accurate pronunciation by foreigners (among other things). 'Foreigners' here largely means English speakers. The problem is, the system is not applied with one hundred percent consistency. Many people are used to the old system and still use it (I'm used to it and still find many of the new transliterations odd), signage has not been completely replaced around the country, and many people have developed personal transliterations of their names. It can all be confusing for the learner. I would try to initially learn the new transliteration system, but be prepared for variation. Unfortunately, the book you are using (which, btw, I think is pretty good; used it myself) uses a variant of the old system.

Third, I agree with all the posters who have said that it is important to learn to read Korean. One thing it will help you with which will help you in the classroom is learning to pronounce your students' names correctly. Doing that, rather than butchering them from the various transliterations people have created, will create good will on the first day, and that can go a long way.

The catch is, though, that to get the names right from the Korean spellings, you have to know what sounds the letters represent (and what variations are involved in combinations). And here, Beaver is right, the direct equivalances to English are limited. You will need to open yourself to the possibilities of sounds you hadn't imagined.

The good news is, Koreans are very patient about this and will give you a lot of leeway for error, if you seem to be sincerely trying to learn their language. That is the key, and the fact that you are studying already is a sign that you will do fine on this point. Keep working at it and use the CDs that accompany the book to hone your ear as best you can. Don't worry about being perfect; the effort is the important thing.

A good place to look for concise information ABOUT Korean grammar and pronunciation is the wikipedia page on the language:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_language

It won't make you immediately better at Korean, but it may help you understand what is going on as you learn the language.

If you have any questions about all this, pm me. I can explain a the phonology of Korean in a lot more detail which might be boring for many people here.

[mindmetoo]

[VanIslander]

[Son Deureo!]

I second, third, and fourth everyone who is telling the OP to learn hangeul, and try to learn prononciation from native sources.

An excellent beginner book is [url]Elementary Korean[/url], by Ross King:

[doggyji]

Many people made good points, especially Woland.

[Qinella]

[ellamarie]

Hmmm....Can anyone recommend a good CD set so that I can hear the language?

[Newbie]

[ajgeddes]

[Wangja]

The first 10 Pimsleur CD's can be downloaded free I think. A great audio starting point.

Then that "elementary Korean" mentioned above to start the grammar.

[alexh]

Sorry, but komapda or gomabda is not honorific. If it were people would not say komowo, or gomowo.

Strictly Komapda is pure Korean. Kamsahamnida is Sino-Korean. Just realize the difference as with numbers.

I would suggest listening to the radio or watching television to pick up on the correct pronunciation. The latter might include an enormous amount of whining by women, as they tend to overkill the stereotypical korean woman whining to her "oppa".

[mindmetoo]

[Hater Depot]