Korean Job Discussion Forums

[suzhou2010]

I find it interesting to hear how often Westerners use the word 'delicious' here, yet back at home its only usually used on special occasions. I know myself I often started saying because my students didn't understand if I asked 'How is it?' or 'Is it good?' when eating together, so I switched to the Korean 'Is it delicious?'

Yet as my career develops I'm trying hard to teach them 'North American' or 'British English', not Korean English or Asian English.

So some words that pop into mind as 'Asian English' are

1. Overuse of 'Delicious' instead of 'good' or 'tasty'
2. Overuse of 'Diligent' instead of 'hard working'
3. Use of 'expect' when the students mean 'look forward to'

What other words are overused (like delicious or diligent) or what other translations have led to just improper use (like 'expect', which they learn means to be excited for something, in Korean - gi dae hada, which should be translated as 'look forward to')

I guess I hope we can make an effort to not speak Korean English, not because there is anything wrong with it, but because they want to learn North American or British English. I moved back to the US a few years ago after teaching in Korea, then taught Korean students in the US, and even some advanced students were having trouble in simple social situations because they weren't used to 'real' North American English questions like 'How is it?' to ask if the food is good . .

[oldfatfarang]

After nearly 5 years of hearing broken Englisheee: "I English no!"

[mmstyle]

Living in Korea hasn't changed my English at all, although I do modify my use of it in order to be understood, at times. This is not part of my normal speech, however.

Of course, I married an Aussie, and that changed the way I spoke English quite a bit!

[redaxe]

I started saying "sorry, my condition is bad" as an excuse to get out of onerous social obligations.

[Gaber]

I sometimes do an inadvertent r/l switch. My girlfriend gets a laugh out of that

[Bloopity Bloop]

I definitely say delicious a lot more here. Also, I think I speak with a more Korean accent. Perhaps it's because I do it so often to help my co-teachers/school admin understand me.

[redaxe]

[schlotzy]

I hear myself sometimes saying "many" instead of "a lot of". *shudder*
The word many has started to drive me crazy. Oh...which reminds me..I try to avoid the word crazy too.

[OneWayTraffic]

I picked up a fake American accent, which almost a year after leaving Korea, still prompts people in my home town to ask me where I'm from, and if I'm a New Zealander.

[geldedgoat]

Negative: I speak slower and use less of my vocabulary.

Positive: I can now properly distinquish between and pronounce pin and pen, can more quickly find appropriate synonyms, and am better at charades.

[Nadia_M]

One time I was talking to my Korean teacher about something, and I was trying to say "I washed my face"....but I said "I washed my pace." We had a good laugh about that one.

[suzhou2010]

[Vagabundo]

[coralreefer_1]

I have had several Koreans tell me that over the years my English has changed so that I even speak English with a Gyeongsando accent (meaning that I put power or stress in certain parts of a sentence, particularly just before a comma).

[SinclairLondon]

Frankly speaking, these days my English condition is poor.