Korean Job Discussion Forums

[fustiancorduroy]

...

[VanIslander]

no more than my future depends on learning Japanese

YOUR future might,... and so more power to you

the side benefits of learning any language are numerous

if that's what you want to spend your free time on, go for it, to each their own

[Yaya]

I wouldn't say learning KOREAN determines your future but learning a foreign language is so crucial. It's funny how many people here refuse to learn even a little Korean or any other language period.

And it's not just for job or social prospects, either.

Can Language Skills Ward Off Alzheimer's Disease?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20090711/hl_time/08599190942000

[phoneboothface]

[Cheonmunka]

If you are married with kids settling down (even just a few years) here - you should learn enough to get around.
You know, as in anything, it's not what you know but who you know - when it comes to scoring the good deals or the good job. Regardless of language ability if you don't know the people then you won't be in to win.
Saying that, you can often meet people thru your course of study etc.
As for me, I have had a background in the language since '94. It has opened doors, heaps of 'em, but elusive is the type of success I think you are talking about - like becoming a TV personality et al. Perhaps because I'm not a go-getter, just a regular guy, like most of the people I studied with for that matter. Most of us couldn't really give a hoot about 'getting ahead.' Just having happy kids in the house and a happy not too taxing job to go to is better.

[eIn07912]

wasnt fustiancorduroy the same one that was on here a few weeks back, waggin his e-wang around sayin how big it was while talkin about how "slammin'" life is here?

sorry, ur opinion is incredibly biased. therefore, no importance can be placed upon it. ur kind of like fox news, in forum form.

as for learning korean? meh, if u want to stay here forever, like the OP, then yes, ur future might very well depend on it. but 90% of us will leave after a set time. so learning anything more than the basics is worthless. fact is, korean isnt spoken anywhere else in the world off the peninsula (except for random korea towns in major cities in other countries) its not like chinese or japanese, that are actually practical in the outside world.

i know some people will give u crap about not learning, but brush them off. i have. even my boss gets on my case about learning it. but i just ignore her. hell, im leavin in 6 months, why would i want to spend that much time learning a language i hopefully wont have to use ever again? i know enough: i can order food (better than most waegooks), i can get directions, and i understand a lot of whats being said to me. luckily, as other posts have pointed out, korean isnt really a deep language. u'll hear the same handful of words spoken 10 times a day by everyone u meet. its not like english with our 50,000-60,000 words, thats being added to literally everyday.

so, what have we learned? that, A.) anything fustiancorduroy says can't be taken too seriously. he got incredibly lucky and scored a once in a lifetime job. while thats great for him, it also isolates him from the majority of people here. and B.) korean can be important while ur here (though, many people have lived here for years just fine and never learned more than a handful of phrases, me included) and if u want to devote ur time to learning a language, unless u just have some unbound love and admiration for it, its better to choose something more practical. like: japanese, chinese, french, or spanish

[Yaya]

Plenty say they're not staying long in Korea, and then renew year after year after year after year...

Then when they admit to how long they've REALLY been in Korea and yet cannot say much outside of "hello," "how much," and other basic phrases...

[Jeweltone]

I have been back in the US for a little over a year, and I got a part-time tutoring position (I was laid-off from my regular teaching job...sigh...) because of my understanding of Korean culture and language. I lived and worked in Korea for a bit over two years.

I am tutoring Korean middle and high school students (with a couple of rugrats on occasion) who have just entered the USA and need help improving their English skills before being thrown headfirst into California public schools. ESL education SUCKS in California big time; the parents are complaining, and ELD/ESL education is getting chopped anyway.

It probably helps that Santa Clara County (Northern CA), where I live now, has the second largest K-town in America.

My point is, you never know when a foreign language will come in handy, even Korean. I am by no means fluent, but I can get by well enough to impress the mothers, who are probably NOT expecting a blonde chic in the USA to greet them in Korean, LOL!

Although this is just a part-time job (I will most likely keep it even after I start teaching full time again), I feel blessed to be using my experience in a way that is useful and fun, if not exactly lucrative (although my client list is getting larger as words spreads! ).

[Emeliu]

[Ruraljuror]

[phoneboothface]

yea it's not worth learning a new language if noone will want to talk with you. i kid, i kid.

[jinks]

[kiwiduncan]

For me, learning Korean is not because I want some high-flying business or trading job in the future. Nor is it because I'm a Korea-phile who admires every aspect of Korean culture, watches Korean dramas religiously, listens to K-Pop and wears a Dokdo Is Ours t-shirt.

It's simply because it's kind of cool learning a foreign language, it makes living in Korea a great deal easier, and it's a good way of showing a degree of respect for (think more of Cordelia than Regan or Goneril here) and connection with our host country.

Also, by learning Korean you can meet a far wider range of people here. New friendships can sometimes feel more balanced and natural when you find yourself speaking as much Korean as your friend is speaking English.

[ThingsComeAround]

I learn Korean for the ability to speak to my gf's mom.
Also to speak with my K friends back home.
It could help with networking for a job (among friends back home) however I could see how many wouldn't want to use it. But since Koreans are so close-knit outside of Korea, why not? The Korean people do travel, and they feel comforted when non-Koreans know their language. Kind of puts the pressure on them to take their head out of their ass and learn English or another language...

[Manner of Speaking]