Korean Job Discussion Forums

Tiger Beer · Joined: 07 Feb 2003

Koreans who say 'you are in Korea, speak Korean'

Every once in awhile I get one of these.. i mean 99.9% of the day everyone who comes up to me is practicing English.. speaking in English.. go into a bar.. everyone expects you can't speak Korean.. get your change in a restaurant and they quote stuff in English, etc.

Then all of a sudden.. some guy comes up and says 'you are in korea, you must speak korean'..

No comments.. just observation here..

matthews_world · Joined: 15 Feb 2003

Never happens to me.

Very Happy

The Bobster · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

NOt even once in going on 5 years in this place ...

Mashimaro · Joined: 31 Jan 2003 Location: location, location

I found it really annoying when I first got here and people are like 'speak korean' and I'm like, sorry I can't master a language in 3 weeks, hell you studied english for 10 years in school & can hardly speak a word! In fairness I guess the dolts don't know (or care) how long you've been here, but too accost newbies with this stuff is pretty off putting and is only makes you think, why I'm studying my A** off to communicate with people like you?

kimcheeking · Guest

I've had it happen maybe 4-5 times in 6 years.

jurassic5 · Joined: 02 Apr 2003 Location: PA

it happens to me all the time...it kinda sux since they expect me to be fluent in korean, even though i grew up in the states all my life. but if they keep insisting that i speak korean, i speak my elementary korean and explain to them that i was adopted...that usually makes them stop making me speak korean and gives me a lil' leeway...

jajdude · Joined: 18 Jan 2003

Yep,

I say let's go to Russia and magically speak Russian together.

On the other hand · Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Location: I walk along the avenue

I have a ritual of sitting outside my school and smoking between classes, so I tend to attract my share of wayward drunks et al, looking for a "friend". The rare times I get the hostile "You're in my country dammit" spiel, I usually just smile, shrug, and perhaps offer the guy a smoke. Usually, these street-corner patriots are total strangers to me, so I really don't see why I would get too worked up about it one way or another.

IconsFanatic · Joined: 19 Jan 2003

Hahah, tell these people to go to Toronto or Vancouver and listen to what language the Koreans staying there on a short-term basis are speaking in.

I can understand their anxiety over "linguistic imperialism" with their past 100 years and all, but this all seems a little over the top.

If they don't like the effects of globalism, they should go live on a mountain.

The King of Kwangju · Joined: 10 Feb 2003 Location: New York City

FierceInvalid · Joined: 16 Mar 2003

Happened to me tonight. Not "you must speak Korean", but "You should try". Athough, this came out only after they found out I'd been here for almost two years, and I reckon fair enough. If you've been here for quite a while you probably should be able to speak a certain amount - not fluent, but more than "maekju chwuseyo". It's a matter of courtesy I think. So, I busted out what Korean I could, made small talk, and they were satisfied...though I do think I should be able to do more. Soon...

Trinny · Joined: 01 Feb 2003

Guys and gals,

Turn the table and you can tell the Koreans in Canada or US the very same thing you heard from the Koreans in Korea. Some Koreans just can't be bothered with learning English, even though they've lived in North America for decades.

My husband's nephew who is in Vancouver learned conversational Korean so that he can talk to his girlfriend's mother who doesn't speak a word of English 20 years after she immigrated to Canada. Learning Korean and embracing Korean value, whatever it is, were prerequisite to dating this Korean girl imposed by her parents. To make a long story short, this Canadian Korean girl broke up with my husband's nephew in the end, because he was not Korean. Rolling Eyes

So the moral of this story I presume is that it is ok to hold on to your language and culture to the exclusion of those of your host country.

crazylemongirl · Joined: 23 Mar 2003 Location: almost there...

Trinny you make a good point... I try to make sure that I at least say please and thank you (the first few words of korean) when shopping etc.

I don't have any problem with people speaking their mother tounge when they are in country where most of the population doesn't... however if your looking anywhere long term (over a decade) then I think you should make some effort to learn the language.

CLg

jajdude · Joined: 18 Jan 2003

20 years in Canada and no English... must be fun for her shopping etc...

weatherman · Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Location: Korea

It happens every so often, if it seems like they cared about me, which isn't the case I would be embarrassed, but he, (always a man) is pushing for a cheap point to make, which makes the whole situation, which could be educational, confrontational. I usually try to make some small joke, and get away from the dude.