Korean Job Discussion Forums

BoholDiver · Joined: 03 Oct 2009 Location: Canada

I want to have a civilized discussion about the effect of the sheer number of Konglish words in Korean, and how that affects our work.

I would argue that it is detrimental to our work. I find I have to take class time to unteaching the improper Konglish words, meanings, or pronunciations. Then after class, they forget everything they just learned, and go back to their old habits.

Also, it makes certain kind of lessons less effective. If teaching kindies or very basic beginners, something like food is a good lesson. More than 50% of common foods are Konglish. Orange. Pineapple. Kiwi. Banana. Pizza. Hamburger.

Then with Konglish comes newly created abbreviations that are just wrong. When bird flu became a big scare, if I said 'bird flu' or 'avian influenza', my adult students didn't understand. But if I said 'AI', they knew. Except that AI means Artificial Intelligence, not bird flu.

I appreciate Konglish sometimes when learning Korean. But unteaching it, I have half-way given up.

jdog2050 · Joined: 17 Dec 2006

I don't think it's Konglish per-se that hampers Koreans...I think it's the fact that they simply don't even try to accomodate other languages and just try to cram whatever pronunciation into Korean.

If I had my druthers, I'd force a few extra hangeul letters--like a Z, F, R analogue that would be taught from Kindergarten up. Kids would basically grow up with English analogues and within a couple of decades it would naturalize.

On to actual Konglish...well, I definitely don't think it's positive although languages evolve and you can't change that. My problem with Konglish is that it's just so damned lazy; it's not particularly inventive. Meh, nitpicking.

The Gipkik · Joined: 30 Mar 2009

Don't fight against Konglish too stridently, even if your intentions are honorable. Each EFL country will inevitably form its own English in accordance to its own unique language and culture. You can't stop this wave, and there is nothing inherently wrong with it. English doesn't belong to any one country anymore. It will transmogrify as it passes through the filter of another L1. Use the Konglish as a frame of reference, but understand that if Korea continues to sustain itself as an independent and self-referential country, then the Konglish will not disappear--and I truly hope it does maintain its cultural idiosyncrasies for all intents and purposes. The idea of English as a global language involves all kinds of nuances and that means letting go of ownership or place of origin. Use your position of being a teacher to let them see how multifaceted the language can be--just listen to L2 speakers from various countries speak to each other. They get by and they understand each other even better than they understand native English speakers. That should be your frame of reference.

dltmdgk0711 · Joined: 20 Apr 2007

Konglish is my saving grace. Without this here fair language, I might be in the poop-chute survival wise. I find it's great because every time I don't know the word I just add "eeeh" or "uuhhh" after the world. Like this!!

"Wash-uuhhh!!"

"English-eeeh!!"

"Coff-eeeh!!"

"T-eeeh V-eeeh"

"Switch-eeeh!!"

"Hand-uuhhh!!"

The word "Please" is a good one because its what I call a double-whammy with cheese Konglish burger. You use both "eeeh" and "uuhhh" to form together "Pl-eeeh-ease-uuhhh."

Thanks Konglish, and all the Konglish people out there in Konglia or wherever you're from! I also find waving your arms frantically and making funny facial expressions help the Konglish people understanding you. Sometimes, widening your mouth and flapping your tongue more when speaking helps, to show the Konglish people the physical characteristic of your language. Sadly, I'm not quite an expert in Konglish yet. After that, I will try to learn Korean, but everytime I learn Korean I feel like my head's gonna explode... We should get a big Konglish dictionary up here on ole' Daves!

crossmr · Joined: 22 Nov 2008 Location: Hwayangdong, Seoul

Smee · Joined: 24 Dec 2004 Location: Jeollanam-do

Konglish is used to mean a variety of things: English words imported into Korean, Korean pronunciation of English/foreign words, Korean errors in English, and the type of nonsense we commonly associate with "Engrish."

I think the overuse of "English" in Korean has consequences. As already been said, it throws off pronunciation of English because they're so used to hearing the words pronounced in Korean. I fully understand the Korean pronunciation is acceptable for Korean, but there's no denying it certainly interferes with them trying to speak English. And when pretty much all their "English" input comes from K-pop songs, TV commercials, and Korean English teachers who can't pronounce 33% of the sounds in our language, yeah, you've got trouble.

I've written about this before:
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/NEWKHSITE/data/html_dir/2009/11/11/200911110012.asp
http://briandeutsch.blogspot.com/2009/11/korean-language-evolves-into-konglish.html

VanIslander · Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2010 5:55 pm Post subject:

PROBLEM: Students thinking konglish IS English, righteously maintaining it can be used when speaking English in Korea even though it often communicates nothing to anyone other than Koreans!

Use Konglish in speaking Korean, but learn and use English when speaking with nonKoreans. They don't get that many Konglish terms are useless for communication. Worse: Since they use these words with other Koreans and even their Korean ESL teachers don't drop the konglish when teaching English, they feel entitled to use the terms like some sort of nationalistic badge of honor. It's not kimchi fellas. Drop the konglish when speaking with English speakers! It causes a lot of confusion.