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LL Moonmanhead
Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Location: yo momma
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 Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 7:43 am Post subject: 'Why do you study Korean??!!' |
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This question is seriously starting to piss me off. But I'm sure it wouldn't if i had a GOOD reason why I was studying.
Is it a geniune feeling held by most foreigners here? Or are some people jealous?
I've had 3 different foreigners (plus my father) ask me this question this week. it makes me question my motivation.
I study 20 hours a week at university and spend around 10-15 hours a week on homework. And have been doing so for 18 months. Too much time decidated to it? Should I take a break?
ARRGGHH, my father asking me was the final straw tonight i think. |
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OnTheOtherSide
Joined: 29 Feb 2008
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| Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 7:51 am Post subject: Re: 'Why do you study Korean??!!' |
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| LL Moonmanhead wrote: |
This question is seriously starting to piss me off. But I'm sure it wouldn't if i had a GOOD reason why I was studying.
Is it a geniune feeling held by most foreigners here? Or are some people jealous?
I've had 3 different foreigners (plus my father) ask me this question this week. it makes me question my motivation.
I study 20 hours a week at university and spend around 10-15 hours a week on homework. And have been doing so for 18 months. Too much time decidated to it? Should I take a break?
ARRGGHH, my father asking me was the final straw tonight i think. |
Well, why are you studying? You're the best person to answer that question. That is a lot of hours to study, why are you doing it?
If you want to learn a useful language, Korean isn't it. I look forward to going back home and learning more Spanish myself. |
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mee
Joined: 08 Sep 2007
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| Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 7:51 am Post subject: |
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maybe they are a little intimidated or feeling inadequate that you may become bilingual or even trilingual.
it may be some jealousy or even they just don't see any use for the language. Some people think enriching yourself without a concrete objective is a waste of time. Like those who think certain degrees are worthless unless the current job market has a demand for it, nevermind, it may actually interest you personally. |
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LL Moonmanhead
Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Location: yo momma
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| Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 7:56 am Post subject: |
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| Of course I enjoy studying it. I wouldn't drag my ass out of bed at 8am every weekday if i didn't. I've always seen it as a kind of hobby. But as you said there doesn't seem to be any real concrete objective to it all, so alas maybe it's all for nothing. |
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mee
Joined: 08 Sep 2007
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| Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 7:57 am Post subject: Re: 'Why do you study Korean??!!' |
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| OnTheOtherSide wrote: |
| LL Moonmanhead wrote: |
This question is seriously starting to piss me off. But I'm sure it wouldn't if i had a GOOD reason why I was studying.
Is it a geniune feeling held by most foreigners here? Or are some people jealous?
I've had 3 different foreigners (plus my father) ask me this question this week. it makes me question my motivation.
I study 20 hours a week at university and spend around 10-15 hours a week on homework. And have been doing so for 18 months. Too much time decidated to it? Should I take a break?
ARRGGHH, my father asking me was the final straw tonight i think. |
Well, why are you studying? You're the best person to answer that question. That is a lot of hours to study, why are you doing it?
If you want to learn a useful language, Korean isn't it. I look forward to going back home and learning more Spanish myself. |
That's a matter of opinion and where you will be residing and working. Actually I would think chinese, especially mandarin would be a useful language to learn currently. But then, I also think french is such a pretty language I would like to learn a bit of it just for that reason alone and no other. I also think japanese is pretty to my ears. |
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mee
Joined: 08 Sep 2007
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| Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 7:59 am Post subject: |
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| LL Moonmanhead wrote: |
| Of course I enjoy studying it. I wouldn't drag my ass out of bed at 8am every weekday if i didn't. I've always seen it as a kind of hobby. But as you said there doesn't seem to be any real concrete objective to it all, so alas maybe it's all for nothing. |
You are not thinking in the long-term. Knowing different languages is always a plus, no matter what. It opens opportunities you can't foresee that you could take advantage of in the future, if you choose to. |
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OnTheOtherSide
Joined: 29 Feb 2008
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| Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 8:05 am Post subject: Re: 'Why do you study Korean??!!' |
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| mee wrote: |
| OnTheOtherSide wrote: |
| LL Moonmanhead wrote: |
This question is seriously starting to piss me off. But I'm sure it wouldn't if i had a GOOD reason why I was studying.
Is it a geniune feeling held by most foreigners here? Or are some people jealous?
I've had 3 different foreigners (plus my father) ask me this question this week. it makes me question my motivation.
I study 20 hours a week at university and spend around 10-15 hours a week on homework. And have been doing so for 18 months. Too much time decidated to it? Should I take a break?
ARRGGHH, my father asking me was the final straw tonight i think. |
Well, why are you studying? You're the best person to answer that question. That is a lot of hours to study, why are you doing it?
If you want to learn a useful language, Korean isn't it. I look forward to going back home and learning more Spanish myself. |
That's a matter of opinion and where you will be residing and working. Actually I would think chinese, especially mandarin would be a useful language to learn currently. But then, I also think french is such a pretty language I would like to learn a bit of it just for that reason alone and no other. I also think japanese is pretty to my ears. |
Mandarin is also a very good language to learn. It's the most widely spoken language on Earth, and China is quickly becoming a superpower.
I think that for Americans who plan and planting roots back home. Spanish is the most important language to learn. In many border states, knowing Spanish and English gives job applicants a big edge, and is genuinely useful. And this trend is spreading North in the US. |
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Ukon
Joined: 29 Jan 2008
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| Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 8:12 am Post subject: |
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Becuase I live n Korea  |
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RACETRAITOR
Joined: 24 Oct 2005
Location: Seoul, South Korea
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| Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 8:28 am Post subject: Re: 'Why do you study Korean??!!' |
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| LL Moonmanhead wrote: |
This question is seriously starting to piss me off. But I'm sure it wouldn't if i had a GOOD reason why I was studying.
Is it a geniune feeling held by most foreigners here? Or are some people jealous?
I've had 3 different foreigners (plus my father) ask me this question this week. it makes me question my motivation.
I study 20 hours a week at university and spend around 10-15 hours a week on homework. And have been doing so for 18 months. Too much time decidated to it? Should I take a break?
ARRGGHH, my father asking me was the final straw tonight i think. |
It is a pretty stupid question. I could understand asking "Why aren't you studying Korean?" to a lot of foreigners in this country. You're living in a foreign country; people should assume you're going to be learning the language. |
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Alyssa
Joined: 15 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 8:32 am Post subject: |
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| Now that I am out of korea, I am glad I did not study it. It is worthless to me. However, Spanish is great, and so is Japanese. I really think it depends on the person. If someone is going to stay in korea forever they should learn it. If someone is short term, what is the use, time is gold and should be spent on something the person has a dream of doing. Some people are into music, art, writing, etc...spending that much time (like the op) would take away from creative energy they could be put into something worthwhile for them. |
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littlelisa
Joined: 12 Jun 2007
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 9:29 am Post subject: |
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Learning any language is a plus. Heck, I've studied some classical chinese, which must be the most useless language to learn on the planet (1. It's really hard, 2. it's a dead language...). But I enjoyed doing it. I would do it again, and more importantly, I would continue to learn it if I had the opportunity.
But learning the main language of a place where you're living (even if it's only for a year) could never be useless. I am currently looking to go back to Korea in February (took a year to go travel, etc), and right now I'm back in Canada studying Korean because I know I'll be going back and want to improve.
If you like learning Korean, don't let any of these people make you lose your motivation. I am surprised that some people don't make an effort to learn ANY Korean when they live in Korea. |
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Whistleblower
Joined: 03 Feb 2007
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| Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 9:32 am Post subject: |
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Why do I study Korean?
Because I live in Korea. |
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EuroFunk
Joined: 09 Oct 2008
Location: jobless in Busan
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| Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 12:18 pm Post subject: |
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Why not? I think the stay in Korea would be much easier with the knowledge of the language.
Plus being Korean and not being able to speak/write/read it, means I "gotta" do it |
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tomato
Joined: 31 Jan 2003
Location: I get so little foreign language experience, I must be in Koreatown, Los Angeles.
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princess
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: soul of Asia
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| Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 2:59 pm Post subject: |
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Getting asked "why do you study Korean"? is nowhere near as bad and annoying as getting asked by a Korean "Oh, really? You've been here X amount of years and you still don't speak Korean fluently"?  No, because I spend soooo much time teaching Englishee, that's why I'm still not fluent. |
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