Korean Job Discussion Forums

[oneofthesarahs]

I have seriously reached the point where I am just about ready to give up on learning Korean. Maybe my learning curve is just really steep, but I feel like I study all the time and make no progress whatsoever. I have seriously considered just giving up and being happy with super basic survival Korean.

However, the only other native teacher in my school finishes her contract in a month, and a replacement is not being hired for her, thus making me pretty much the only foreigner in my area. Despite the fact that she wasn't my favorite person on the planet, it was nice to have someone who understood everything I said. I'm a little afraid that I'm going to be somewhat sidelined at work, not knowing Korean. I do have several Korean friends, and they speak English with varying degrees of proficiency, but I do not want our relationship to be all give on their part and no take.

Okay, so this post is mostly just me complaining. But seriously, did learning Korean truly make you happier? And I'm talking about making your life truly happier, not just more convenient. I'm really beginning to get frustrated, to the point that looking at my Korean book makes me want to scream.

[JongnoGuru]

Of course it makes us happier. It exponentially increases the number of chicks we can chat up. Life is truly happier.

[dalpengi]

I know people who claim that NOT really understanding what Koreans say to each other is one of their favorite things about living here. It allows them to pretend that people here aren�t involved in a rat race, that they aren�t discussing some stupid TV show, gossiping or just discussing something that is very mundane.

Ignorance may not be your thing though, plus you don�t really have any other English speakers around you. My suggestion would be to continue learning Korean. Maybe you are getting frustrated because you are setting yourself unrealistic targets? Do you speak any other languages? They can be a very frustrating thing to master but if you are patient and disciplined you will eventually get there.

[robot]

I would say definitely yes, oneofthesarahs. ^^

I've been studying in earnest for almost a year now since I arrived, but what I've picked up has let me expand my circle quite a bit. I belong to a couple clubs where there are few if any English speakers. You get the true Korean experience this way -- hanging out with fellow foreigners in the pub is only a fraction of the good times in the ROK.

Korean is an awesome language for learning because of the positive reinforcement you get. People will give you the warmest smiles, will come over to your table and pour you some soju and put their arm around you like you're a brother (or sister), will even occasionally pick up the tab for your lunch after hearing you speak Korean from across the room.

It's also made me a more effective teacher, has given me a deeper connection with my Korean coworkers, and was definitely a foot in the door to a higher-paying gig.

That's just a few points off the top of my head, but there's many more. I say stick with it!

ROBT.

[Qinella]

No, because I don't progres as much as I did in the beginning. So it's depressing. Typical, yeah, expected, yeah, but frustrating nonetheless. I do enjoy going from monolingualism to bilingualism, though. The fact that I'm getting closer makes me happy.

[thebum]

[Homer]

It has been big positive.

It opens up many possibilities and normalizes your life here. When you can communicate effectively with people on your own it makes life here that much easier and better.

[jaderedux]

sometimes yes sometimes no. Harder to tune out when I don't want to hear about the latest in cell phones.

Yes when I need to do something on my own. I find it strange my friend who is a much better speaker than I am frequently is ignored unitl I repeat what she says. She is younger than I am.

Not always but enough to be funny.]


Jade

[Axl Rose]

if it makes you wanna scream when you look at your Korean book, Sarah, just quit or take a break. It's not worth worrying about. besides, there's no point learning korean anyway if you're a girl unless you're a lesbian.

[Ginormousaurus]

[PimpofKorea]

I am sure that most of the good looking Korean girls are interested in a broke ass white guy that knows some Korean. The girl is going to go for the most successful guy...regardless of Korean ability.

[Ginormousaurus]

Unless you know from experience, you're opinions on which girls go for guys who speak Korean don't hold much wieght.

You also assume that all students are broke. Do you have any idea how easy it is to get thoroughly networked in privates game when you can actually speak to the parents in their own language?

[kimchi story]

OOTS, it sounds like you and I have hit a similar plateau. My books are right here and I'm staring at them like they're a mustached villain who intends to tie me to the train tracks. If I stare hard enough they will concede, I'm sure of it...

A basic survival vocabulary (greetings, simple questions and answers etc) doesn't alleviate the sense of isolation I have being the only foreigner. I particularly dread lunch times. Studying Korean has become more of an interesting distraction, a hobby that helps to display the sense that I care about the culture I'm living in.

Lately I've been thinking that sticking Umberto Eco in a Learn Korean cover might be just the way to go...

G'luck - I'm sure it's just a plateau and the next curve will be twice as exciting as the last one.

[jlb]

If you are tired of it, give it a break for a while. I studied like crazy when I first got here but got pretty burnt out on it so quit for 3 months or so. I just picked it back up a couple days ago and it's amazing how stuff comes back pretty fast. I think I'll be ready for new stuff after 3 or 4 more days of review.

[behindtheveil]

When learning anything, there is a always a quick jump in the beginning, then a plateau, then another jump then a plateau and so on. Just because your studying very hard and not moving doesn't really mean your not moving. It means you've hit a plateau and got to get through it before you make the next upward movement. If you want to learn Korean don't give up, because you seem to be stuck. This is only an illusion, when learning something appearing stuck and being stuck are two very different things.