Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jessie-b]

I might quit my Korean class. Its four hours a day on top of my hagwon work. I want to learn the language but I don't think I'm learning by being stressed out all the time. This class is much more competitive than my first class for some reason...people laughing at other people's mispronounciations or at someone not knowing vocabulary words. Creepy overacheivers. I might have had enough. Has anyone here had success studying Korean on their own?

[Fresh Prince]

Same thing happened to me, I took a class and dropped it. I decided to go it on my own, and have been making pretty good progress since. I'm nowhere near fluent but am moving along at a much more comfortable pace. Just teach yourself.

[ajgeddes]

I am taking a class in Gangnam right now. My class is amazing, and always fun. In my class, we have:

2 older Japanese businessmen who are both pretty funny.
1 older Romanian computer guy.
1 girl from 미녀들의수다
2 English teachers
1 My boss
1 Young Japanese girl who works for Sony
1 Taiwanese Pop Singer
1 Gyopo guy who works for a company here

This class is never boring.

[wo buxihuan hanguoren]

[jessie-b]

[sojourner1]

4 hours a day! I wouldn't do that either. When I first got here, my director and co-teachers all told me I was expected to learn Korean and expected to speak it at work. I was like, "where do I start?" I went to a 1 hour class one night a week a coteacher introduced me to, but dropped after a month since I lost motivation. I guess I got uninspired since no one at work, those who told me they expect it, weren't trying to help me learn. I also already knew I would never be Korean or ever have a chance at fitting in, but I would just look even more clownish speaking Korean though I speak basic Korean to Korean shop keepers since they usually don't know any English. Some of the young people do at the big stores and fast food restaurants, but you still should speak basic Korean.


It's OK, do only what you feel like doing. You are not truly expected to be fluent in Korean and then actually become Korean just because you live in Korea right now. You could speak fluently, though I know no waygook that can do that, and still always be an outsider. I wondered if speaking Korean to a high level would gain you access to a high paying business career, but I seriously doubted unless you are an investor (with big bucks) looking to invest in Korea. Seems to me that Mandarin is worth it if you are serious about it in that context.

No need for expensive courses, just self study and go to free classes and attempt to speak Korean with Korean people if you have a passion for it for any reason.

[jessie-b]

Thanks for the feedback. I need to learn at a more comfortable pace and not try to do everything at once. I think this was another weird way of my dealing with the culture shock...maybe adopting the high stress/no sleep schedule of my students. Oh well, lesson learned.

[Atavistic]

I've never formally studied Korean, but I've studied on my own, and if you're motivated, it works.

[ajgeddes]

[Paji eh Wong]

I've never really found a class I like either.

Four hours a day plus full time work is crazy.