Korean Job Discussion Forums

Big_Bird

What do you think about this practice? Although I'm relieved in my bigger classes when students choose English names, I've never required it of my students. I have some sympathy for teachers who do. It's very difficult to get to know the Korean names of 50 students or so, especially if you have 8 classes of them, and you are new to Korea. However, I wouldn't do that myself.

I'm just curious about the opinions of other teachers.

Demophobe · Joined: 17 May 2004

I think if it's for the teachers' benefit, it shouldn't be done. If one writes the kids names in English (romanized), it shouldn't be much harder to put a face to a name.

Western names are getting pretty odd these days...perhaps stranger than Korean names. Wink

If the students want it, then ok...whatever they like. I have had kids who were given English names in the past, and they very emphatically told me right off the bat that they want me to use their Korean name.

The point is that some kids get English names assigned to them by some teacher who has a mental block about remembering their Korean name, and the kids hates it. However, they maybe didn't feel like they could 'argue' their point with the teacher at the time. Korean kids aren't big on arguing a point with a teacher, so they just accepted it.

poet13 · Posted: Sat Jun 03, 2006 7:12 pm Post subject:

A few students have asked me to give them western names, and once, several years ago, a colleague asked me to give him a western name for his passport application. I personally dont like the idea, simply because their parents took time and thought into naming their child, and for me as a non-family member to arbitrarily give them another name is somewhat sacriligous (sorry about that speeeelling). If they ask, I will do it, but I dont offer it. Thats just me though...

Njord · Joined: 12 Jan 2006 Location: South Korea

I haven't been here that long and I've already seen this topic come around at least three times. Really, I don't understand all the fuss. My class picked French names in my middle school French class and we kept them to the end of high school. I don't think anyone even thought to complain. It was just a bit of fun.

Now, if a student did seriously object I don't think they should be forced to use an English name. Indeed, I think it is really silly for Koreans (or other East Asians) to use different names when they visit or live in the US. After all, I have a Swedish name, others have Russian names, Middle Eastern names, etc. and none of us feel the same great need to change them.

canuckistan · Posted: Sat Jun 03, 2006 8:08 pm Post subject:

It should be their choice in the end. Most seem to want to pick and English name, but there are a few who like sticking to their Korean names and I don't think they should be forced to change that.

flotsam · Joined: 28 Mar 2006

I only use Korean names.

And I also spend a lot of time getting the students familiar with using their names in an English setting:

SPINOZA · Joined: 10 Jun 2005 Location: $eoul

Giving Korean kids English names is like attaching wheels to a tomato - unnecessary.

cypher · Joined: 08 Nov 2003

If they want them, yes. If they don't, no. Forcing it is moronic. Get over it and learn their real names. Actually, a number of my students have "English" names-whether they are acceptable Korean names, I don't know...Ji na, Chae ri, Ju ri...mostly the girls. Though I have a student now who's name is He rin and she has an English name, but not Helen, which would be the obvious choice to me.

flotsam · Joined: 28 Mar 2006

W in TF is this supposed to mean?

Your avatars are retarded Spin.

**Edit for the masses: Wink

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

nope and I got 1,100 students!

Vollrath · Joined: 29 May 2003

there are two kinds of koreans:

those who use english names because they think it's fun or galmorous to do so (which is fine) and those who use them because they think foreigners are too dumb to pronouce their real names right or whatever.. my name gets mispronouced ALL the time here, yet i don't go using a korean name.. it's all part of the territory of leaving your home country..

in class, though, sure--leave it up to the student.. it's not that big a deal

C.M. · Joined: 02 Dec 2005 Location: Gangwondo

It took several weeks but eventually, I learned the names of all the students I teach (about 200). I was reluctant to suggest english names when I arrived because I simply assumed there would be resistance to that considering that so many of their grandparents were forced at gunpoint to adopt Japanese names during the occupation. So I just mangled their names until I got it right. In China, however, giving students English names was automatic. They practically demanded it. I still keep in touch with "Bill Gates".

Qinella · Joined: 25 Feb 2005 Location: the crib

My first teaching job had an English name policy. Even if a student didn't want one, they were forced to take one. So it ended up being me providing a list of names that I could think of off the top of my head and letting the student decide. The bad thing about that was that the students didn't really respect the fake name. So, let's say "Jason" is acting bad, and I call him in a stern voice to command respect, it's just a funny joke for him. Ends up making me look like a dunce for not knowing his real name.

At my current place, a few of the kids have English names that they'd chosen for their own reasons, and I kinda bounce back and forth between their real and adopted names.

Flotsam, my students call me by my first name. I don't like being called Teacher, nor do I like being a mister. Just Shane is good enough for me. Also, I admit, I like the way Koreans say my name. There's a subtle difference in the "sh" part, and it sounds cute.

SuperHero · Joined: 10 Dec 2003 Location: Superhero Hideout

I adopt whatever policy the school has. My first hagwon all kids had English names, the next school left it up to the kid/teacher.

My first university strongly preferred that students have English names, but sometimes it got out of hand like the two girls named easy or cookie and countless other examples.

My second university had a strict no English names policy and my current university has no policy on this. I just use the students Korean names since that is their real name. If however they asked me to use an English one I might.

There really is no reason for Koreans to think that Korean names are difficult to pronounce. I haven't yet come across one that was difficult unless I only got to see the romanized spelling - that really makes it difficult to pronounce, all names in my classes must be written in 한글.

riley · Joined: 08 Feb 2003 Location: where creditors can find me

I've got a lot of students and I have no interest in trying to remember which David Kim's paper I have. Not just that, I'm at a public school and I need to keep in contact with the homeroom teacher, and I doubt they know the kid's english name.
I've also found that an English name puts a distance between me and the kid. It feels less comfortable and I don't quite know them as well.
I also see no benefit from them having an English name other than fun value. Don't get me wrong, it is fun, but it's not necessary for them.
As for my name, I like having them call me Mr. Riley. It creates for those who understand, a feeling of difference and avoids that familiarity. It goes some way towards helping classroom management.