Korean Job Discussion Forums

[noelinkorea]

Koreans (and English teachers too, admittedly...) seem to have a thing for having an English name. My question is, if a Korean were to learn another language, do they also create a name in that language too...I'd imagine it's bloody hard to keep up with all the names a Korean could have...a name in Japanese, a name in Chinese, a name in German , A Russian name, a Spanish name, and so on - I pity the person who might decide to learn more than just English!!

[Ody]

it depends on the individual situation and the name(s) in question.
i rather enjoy it when my students say that they want a western name; for example, that has the same meaning as their Korean name. i do a search, hand them a list, and they pick a name (or not). mind you, these names are not always English. origins range from middle eastern to Spanish with all varieties in between, including English. The most recent being Melisenda.

it's groovy.

[crazylemongirl]

I have 1,100 students and not one of them goes by an english name.

[nev]

[Cedar]

[Css]

I dont like this western name thing....korean names sound much cooler.

[Randall Flagg]

Chill out Cedar!!!

1100 kids is a lot. I think Nev was just pointing this out. I think it would be quite difficult to remember that many names as well whether it be English or Korean. Are you going to claim I am a newbie too?

You are correct though in saying that an English name is nothing but a snakeskin. (I like that analogy) But I think you came off a little harsh on what seemed to me to be an innocent comment.

[nev]

Cedar, I'm very sorry you took so great offence at such light-hearted comments, and hope it was just because you misread my remark.

I've been studying Korean passionately for five months now, and am at a light-conversational stage. I love learning the language. I very much enjoy Korea, all the moreso for the slow revelation of the world around me as I understand more and more. Many times on this board I have participated in threads about the language.

I teach about 140 kids a week, and remember all their names, or English names rather. This was a school policy before I arrived. If their names were in Korean I would likewise endeavour to learn all their names.

I suppose I take offence that you are so quick to condemn me as an arrogant, lazy teacher. I actually take more offence at your condemnation of me as an "idjit" who has no regard for Korea or the language. You are wrong on all counts.

Have a wonderful day.

[phaedrus]

It's easier for me to remember English names, because English names are part of the English language. English is my native language.

I would guess I could remember about 700 English names after a few months, but only about 100-200 Korean names.

I would not put the effort required to remember 1100 names into my job. I teach many students, and I assign them seats. I have a seat map, and I use their name if I need to speak to them. I can't remember all the time, or even most of the time.

[ulsanchris]

I read in one english teaching book that students shouldn't be given English names. Something about them not needing a new idenity to learn a new language. I personally leave it up to the students. If they want a English name that is fine, but I never push them. THey have to come to me first.
Learning their Korean names is a bit more dificult than learning English names.

[Yangkho]

I too have been in situations where the policy was English names only. I was dying to know what their real names were.

So, go easy on people.

[peppermint]

My kids have trouble remembering my name, and I can assure you they don't see over 200 westerners a day. I don't remember many of my kids names now that I'm at a public school, but I made it a point to remember all of my students by name within the first week when I taught at a hagwon.

[bosintang]

[d503]

I teach mostly small children, between 4 and 7, but have some older classes in the evening too. And as far as learning all the students names I always try to learn the one that the student used with me. So if a kid writes his English name on the Paper I will use that, but if he writes His Korean I use that.

I have to say I was confused by the Korean teachers introducing themselves with their English names, I mean granted we would be speaking in English but when the other teachers spoke about them it would always be in using their Korean name, I spent a lot of time trying to match up who I knew in English with who they were in Korean.

As far as the OP goes though, when I learned other languages we always had the option of choosing a name of that language, it wasn't confusing. Its not like I went home and wrote My name is now clara (my high school Spanish name) but we were always given the option and by the time i got to college I just used my english name, and when non-English speakers had trouble with it I was never very picky on how it came out.

I think though a lot of people here think that westerners can't say korean names or won't try which i find frustrating, but sometimes isn't everything.

[crazylemongirl]

Actually I forgot I do have two kids with an english names but they are ones that their classmates come up with. Hang-rae who we call Hungry and Ho Jun who we call Australian.

Nope I don't know know all 1,100 names. I'd say I know about 3-400 names. Some of them I know because their names sound similar to european names (like yo-han, jae-min). The biggest problem I have is that so many names have the same syllables but in slightly different orders (I have a jae hak, jae yeong, yoeng jin and jin yong in one class).

I know it's impolite of me not to learn their names but unfourtantly I teach boys who wear the same clothes, have the same hair cut (school mandated) so it's hard to learn. Fourtantly they have little name tags on their uniforms for ease of identifcation. The student books also have pictures of students so that trouble makers can be readily identified.