Korean Job Discussion Forums

[cheerioboy]

Over the past year and a half of college I��ve grown an interest in Korean language and culture. Reasons for this I feel are from the befriending of a large amount of Koreans at my school as well as from the exchange program we have with Hong Ik University.

Over the course of these semesters I've made attempts at learning Korean from my friends. I've found the little bit that I've learned has been exciting and given me a renewed interest in learning a foreign language. This as also affected me with my work as an artist and game developer to pursue ideas of educational games.

I want to get some opinions and advice from non Koreans who've lived or been living in Korea and their proficiency with Korean. I figure that living in the country would require some amount of understanding for the language but to what degree.

My questions:
- How long have you lived in Korea?
- How proficient did you become in Korean?
- Do you find your age to be an issue or benefit in your ability to learn Korean? (this is a question I ask after finding many articles about age and it's effects on being able to learn)
- Also just general thoughts about working methods that helped with learning~

thanks

[Cedar]

10 years.
Good, my part-time job is now translating (making subtitles for Korean TV shows).
I have no idea what effect age may have had.
Write your diary in Korean.

[nautilus]

Try volunteering for the BBB (Before babel brigade). Its a network of people who provide a free telephone translation service.


"more than 2,000 volunteers are ready at the Before Babel Brigade (BBB Korea) to help foreign visitors with their language difficulties."

http://times.hankooki.com/cgi-bin/hkiprn.cgi?pa=/lpage/special/200312/kt2003120319273911460.htm&ur=times.hankooki.com&fo=print_kt.htm

[Homer]

My questions:
- How long have you lived in Korea?

Going on 9 years now.


- How proficient did you become in Korean?

Basically fluent.


- Do you find your age to be an issue or benefit in your ability to learn Korean? (this is a question I ask after finding many articles about age and it's effects on being able to learn)

Not really no...unless you compare it to how babies learn languages like sponges...

- Also just general thoughts about working methods that helped with learning~

A few basic courses then plenty of practice. Also, I am married to a Korean woman and have been interacting on a daily basis with her family who speaks Korean only. This helped a lot.