Korean Job Discussion Forums

[lastat06513]

I have.

And I have met quite a few long tymers that adopted Korean names as well.
Do you have a Korean name too?


I can't wait to see the silly responses here, some people I know will totally ignore the censors by writing bad Korean words in Hangeul- cool!

[Mr. Pink]

Nope and I don't see a need for one.

Do you force Koreans to have English names?

Our parents gave us a name when we were born and well, I personally find it disrespectful NOT to use that name.

I always call my Korean students by their Korean names, and they call me by my English name.

I sometimes get a laugh out of people taking on a Korean name. I once pointed out the biggest problem with having a name that "isn't your real name." Situation one: A Korean student you have is called "Jimmy". You always call him by that name. One day, a couple years later you scream out "Hey Jimmy". He doesn't even turn around to look, because in his eyes his name is really ������. Situation two: Your name is Bill. For 20~30 years you were used to people calling you Bill. You decided for fun to make a Korean name, ������ for example. That could be a common name in Korea, if someone shouts that name would you turn around? If someone shouted Hey Bill, would you turn around?

Anyways, I thought it might be fun to have a Korean name, but I don't see it as being practical, as well as it is disrespectful to the name you were given at birth.

[Old fat expat]

I try to give them a name that has them practicing at least one of the difficult sounds.

I see no problem with them having a name in the target language. But then I never saw a problem with people adopting nick names on sports teams. As far as disrespect to their parents-I think they have respect crammed down their throat far too much.

Having an English name and responding to it as the role is called becomes part of a 'routine' that signals English is to be spoken. It is a discriminative stimulus.

I find most of my students are more than happy to have a name; but I never force an English name on a child that does not want one.

[MeanyMichi]

I have two Korean names, given to me by students.
One I can't even remember, the other one I remember but would never react to, because I simply don't associate it with me.

For the same reason I don't give any of my students English names. If they already have an English name (for example students who have lived in an English-speaking country for a few months or a year), they often ask me to call them by that name. It does make it easier for me to remember their names (I have a really hard time remembering Korean names... was it ����? ����? ����? ����?).

However, when I was teaching adults at a hagwon I found English names to be very useful, because they help eliminate the age and status barriers. It is a lot easier to have a conversation with Peggy, Julie, Peter and Harry than to have one with �ڼ�����, ��ο켱����, �̼����ڻ�, ���, ����, �̳�... I'm sure I got some titles wrong, but the point is that you have to remember their title and when you are using titles it makes it difficult to have a real discussion, because younger people really shouldn't contradict older people, they shouldn't show off that their English skills are better, etc.
It certainly made it a lot easier for me (being younger than most of my adult students at the time) to call them by an English name rather than calling them all Mrs. Lee (I had 5 Mrs. Lees in one class!) and Mr. Kim.

[RACETRAITOR]

Out of contrition for all the English names I gave out, when I went back home last Christmas I gave all the Edmonton skinheads Korean names.

And I do have a Korean name as well.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

My students think my Korean name is just lovely. We have another teacher at the school named Kim Suk-yu.

[djsmnc]

Girls often call me �̻���

[VanIslander]

I hope no one has any hostility on this issue. Anyone with an odd-sounding (to the locals) name living in America or Canada for a period of time quickly gain a nickname (I know of numerous examples of nicknames given and those chosen).

And then there's the old addage: 'you are as many people as the number of languages you speak'

My korean nickname is Gi Jung, after the 1936 Olympic marathoner.

[chiaa]

[bluelake]

Interesting topic. Yes, I have one I was given twenty-two years ago, when I first lived in Korea (at that time, I taught in a Korean boys' high school). Only people who have known me for many years ever use it, though.

Also, I have a muho (martial nickname) I earned in Korean traditional archery. Fellow Korean archery members refer to me by that name.


T

[Sleepy in Seoul]

I have a Korean name - my students at my first hakwon gave it to me. Well, I didn't trust them to not give some rude or funny name, so I made them give me a list, which I then checked with my friends and Korean teachers. The students then made me an ID card using that name and a passport photo. They even gave me a hanja version. A Korean friend had a ���� made for me as a birthday present with the hanja, which I think is pretty cool.

I think that it is nice that my students wanted to give me a Korean name. It's not my real name and will never replace it, but as I already have 2 or 3 nicknames and have, at one point or another, answered to just about everything, a Korean name is no extra imposition.

By the way, my Korean name is ������, and the last two hanja characters translate as (so I'm informed) "best" or "most" and "honest" or "truthful". So I'm told...

[SPINOZA]

Some female students suggested I have a Korean pseudonym a few months ago and ������ was decided on randomly.

I teach a boy who likes to be called Corey and two sisters, Jennifer and Stella. That's kind of stuck, but other than that I'm not in favour of giving K-kids English pseudonyms although don't vehemently oppose it either.

[itaewonguy]

�� �� ȣ

[stumptown]

[khyber]