Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Dev]

They say that the sweetest word that one can hear is their own name. So, how do Koreans feel when we calll them with English names not even remotely sounding like their Korean names?

Hi! My name is Su-jin, but please call me Emily. You people out there don't find this weird?

The reason for this name-changing is apparently because Korean names are unpronounceable to English teachers. I think that's just rubbish. It's laziness on the part of the foreign teacher.

The whole thing makes as much sense as me walking into a classroom and saying. Hi! I'm Peter, but please call me Sung-hyun.

My new group of students already have English names from the previous foreign teacher, but I refuse to use them. If some Korean given names are tough at times, I'll ask the students to help me say them.

[flotsam]

At least post your tripe in the right forum.

[bluelake]

One reason Western names are used by some Koreans, with Westerners, is that there is not the same social apprehension with using them as with their Korean given names. At the same time, many Westerners have Korean names they were given or adopted; I have one I received twenty-three years ago, but it is seldom used.

[bobbyhanlon]

i completely agree with the OP. i have absolutely no problem with korean names and i think any westerner in korea who can't remember two short syllables is either lazy or dumb. and even if our pronunciation isn't perfect, do korean people pronounce our names correctly? i would rather have someone mangle my name slightly than actually call me something completely different.
when i met japanese, africans, russians, etc. etc., none of them ever said 'hi, my name is sally/dave/whatever', so why should koreans have to change either? i think its basic politeness to remember a person's name when you make their acquaintance, and that goes for any country.

[Bibbitybop]

I know a lot of Koreans that like their western name and preferred to be called by their western name. If they didn't want to be called their name, they wouldn't say "you can call me Peter." They would say, "I like to be called Mr. Kim."

When I was in elementary school, we studied Native Americans and got Native American names. Mine was "white cloud." It was fun. Maybe Koreans get the same joy out of being called "Tom" or "Manuel."

[Peter Jackson]

I had no problems with Korean names when I worked at my last hagwon. Of course I only had six students in a class and I saw them 3 to 4 times a week. I work in a public high school now, where classes are around 30 students. I only see each class once a week and have had several classes cancelled, weeks off for exams and holidays, and I have had a hard time trying to learn their names. In the senior class, their Korean English teacher gave them all nicknames, some of them quite funny, and the students loved them. I must admit, it did make it easier to remember them and I would call them by both their real names and nicknames.

The other classes only had their real names. I find girls names harder to recall because they sound similar. And with their uniforms, similar haircuts, nearly identical glasses, and similar giddy personalities I still struggle.

But in a hagwon: no excuse for not learning their names.

[Dev]

When I first came to Korea, I was not fast at reading hangul, so I had the students write their names using the English alphabet.

This is actually a good exercise for them because they need to get used to it for their future travels (such as when they write out customs forms in foreign countries).

[Wrench]

I see over 400 students I can't remember all their names. English or otherwiser.

[Smee]

I prefer to call Koreans by their real names. When people introduce themselves with an English name---or worse yet, by "Kim"---it's not only insulting but disingenuous (sp?).

[JongnoGuru]

I prefer calling Koreans by the exact English translation of their names (when possible).

"Oh, Riverside-Pearl -- would you fax this invoice for me, please?"

[SirFink]

[huffdaddy]

[Son Deureo!]

[Paji eh Wong]

I've gone back and forth a lot on this. These days I just ask what they want to be called and call them that. A lot of time the name changes as I get to know them better.

I think a lot of Koreans feel like their Korean identity is threatened by learning English, so they invent English identities to cope. Yet another reason why they struggle with it, and why their usage is so shallow.

[jajdude]

I've heard the nickname is often the Christian name, and they prefer this, usually only hearing their real name from family.