Comments on: More foreigners learning Korean http://www.rjkoehler.com/2005/10/26/more-foreigners-learning-korean/ Korea... in Blog Format Fri, 21 Nov 2008 20:25:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: mook http://www.rjkoehler.com/2005/10/26/more-foreigners-learning-korean/#comment-34669 mook Mon, 01 May 2006 13:28:54 +0000 http://rjkoehler.com/?p=2095#comment-34669 I thought you would have picked 'Hello, hansom maaaan' or 'You like Ladyboy'? I thought you would have picked ‘Hello, hansom maaaan’ or ‘You like Ladyboy’?

]]> By: Iceberg http://www.rjkoehler.com/2005/10/26/more-foreigners-learning-korean/#comment-34668 Iceberg Mon, 01 May 2006 13:23:36 +0000 http://rjkoehler.com/?p=2095#comment-34668 About the only thing that sounds nice in Thai is "Hallo Welcome!" About the only thing that sounds nice in Thai is “Hallo Welcome!”

]]> By: mook http://www.rjkoehler.com/2005/10/26/more-foreigners-learning-korean/#comment-34667 mook Mon, 01 May 2006 13:19:13 +0000 http://rjkoehler.com/?p=2095#comment-34667 "Korean is a beautiful language with all kinds of beautiful, witty expressions. If it sounds harsh and unpleasant, it is the fault of the people speaking it." Well maybe it has witty expressions but a lot of people must be speaking it incorrectly. Most of the time I also find it a not so nice sounding language, and the extreme whinging tone women and even some men project, combined with the whiney baby face adult speakers use, was enough to put me off continuing lessons. It's just not something I'll ever use when I'm gone from here. Thai sounds a hell of a lot nicer. “Korean is a beautiful language with all kinds of beautiful, witty expressions. If it sounds harsh and unpleasant, it is the fault of the people speaking it.”

Well maybe it has witty expressions but a lot of people must be speaking it incorrectly. Most of the time I also find it a not so nice sounding language, and the extreme whinging tone women and even some men project, combined with the whiney baby face adult speakers use, was enough to put me off continuing lessons. It’s just not something I’ll ever use when I’m gone from here. Thai sounds a hell of a lot nicer.

]]> By: nequila http://www.rjkoehler.com/2005/10/26/more-foreigners-learning-korean/#comment-24946 nequila Wed, 02 Nov 2005 07:12:03 +0000 http://rjkoehler.com/?p=2095#comment-24946 Sonagi, Actually, the DLI guideline doesn't apply to fluency (even for a language as easy to English speakers as Spanish , it takes much more than 400 horus to become truly fluent), but merely to become proficient and have a decent working knowledge. I knew guys that had finished the 1200 hours of the DLI program in Korean (30 hrs a week in small classes for a year), and when they came to Yonsei they tested into level 3 and generally sucked. GBevers, I don't think that Korean is an unworthy language by any means, and it is nice to see it becoming more popular, esp in Asia. However, given the difficulty of learning it and its limited reach, I am intrigued when foreigners (or those with no obvious connection or need to learn it) choose to try and learn it. Sonagi,

Actually, the DLI guideline doesn’t apply to fluency (even for a language as easy to English speakers as Spanish , it takes much more than 400 horus to become truly fluent), but merely to become proficient and have a decent working knowledge. I knew guys that had finished the 1200 hours of the DLI program in Korean (30 hrs a week in small classes for a year), and when they came to Yonsei they tested into level 3 and generally sucked.

GBevers,

I don’t think that Korean is an unworthy language by any means, and it is nice to see it becoming more popular, esp in Asia. However, given the difficulty of learning it and its limited reach, I am intrigued when foreigners (or those with no obvious connection or need to learn it) choose to try and learn it.

]]> By: Sonagi http://www.rjkoehler.com/2005/10/26/more-foreigners-learning-korean/#comment-24945 Sonagi Tue, 01 Nov 2005 18:49:39 +0000 http://rjkoehler.com/?p=2095#comment-24945 Thanks for the correction. I didn't read carefully enough. Thanks for the correction. I didn’t read carefully enough.

]]> By: Curious (a.k.a. Sewing) http://www.rjkoehler.com/2005/10/26/more-foreigners-learning-korean/#comment-24944 Curious (a.k.a. Sewing) Tue, 01 Nov 2005 18:08:31 +0000 http://rjkoehler.com/?p=2095#comment-24944 Er, I was talking about Korea's neighbours to the East.... China is a whole other story. Er, I was talking about Korea’s neighbours to the East…. China is a whole other story.

]]> By: Sonagi http://www.rjkoehler.com/2005/10/26/more-foreigners-learning-korean/#comment-24943 Sonagi Tue, 01 Nov 2005 17:57:15 +0000 http://rjkoehler.com/?p=2095#comment-24943 æ°‘æ???¸??¾? in China is different from Korea because China has 56 official nationalities. At the annual People's Congress, Han Chinese wear modern clothes while Tibetans, Mongolians, Dais, Miaos, Uyghurs, and other minority faces sport photogenic traditional garb that screams, "Look! I'm a minority!" No major or minor holiday celebration would be complete without ethnic dances performed by Han Chinese in glitzy minority-meets-Hollywood costumes. æ°‘æ???¸??¾? in China is different from Korea because China has 56 official nationalities. At the annual People’s Congress, Han Chinese wear modern clothes while Tibetans, Mongolians, Dais, Miaos, Uyghurs, and other minority faces sport photogenic traditional garb that screams, “Look! I’m a minority!” No major or minor holiday celebration would be complete without ethnic dances performed by Han Chinese in glitzy minority-meets-Hollywood costumes.

]]> By: dda http://www.rjkoehler.com/2005/10/26/more-foreigners-learning-korean/#comment-24942 dda Tue, 01 Nov 2005 17:42:10 +0000 http://rjkoehler.com/?p=2095#comment-24942 Also, let's not forget that most KFL instructors are usually grads from an English dept, and usually know diddly about the language as a learning process. The best instructors I had ?€“ in France, I never went to KLI ?€“ were people who either couldn't speak French or refused to. Usually the 1 to 2 year invited profs. Also, let’s not forget that most KFL instructors are usually grads from an English dept, and usually know diddly about the language as a learning process. The best instructors I had ?€“ in France, I never went to KLI ?€“ were people who either couldn’t speak French or refused to. Usually the 1 to 2 year invited profs.

]]> By: Curious (a.k.a. Sewing) http://www.rjkoehler.com/2005/10/26/more-foreigners-learning-korean/#comment-24941 Curious (a.k.a. Sewing) Tue, 01 Nov 2005 17:34:48 +0000 http://rjkoehler.com/?p=2095#comment-24941 And heaven help me, but I have to pick up on something Brendon wrote: "It?€™s generally quite regular, and logical in its structure ?€” elegant, really, if you divorce the language from the ideas and ways of thinking it carries." Well, if you're driving at what I think you're driving at, I could again point to Korea's neighbour to the east. æ°‘æ???¸??¾? is a high art in both countries. And heaven help me, but I have to pick up on something Brendon wrote:

“It?€™s generally quite regular, and logical in its structure ?€” elegant, really, if you divorce the language from the ideas and ways of thinking it carries.”

Well, if you’re driving at what I think you’re driving at, I could again point to Korea’s neighbour to the east. æ°‘æ???¸??¾? is a high art in both countries.

]]> By: Curious (a.k.a. Sewing) http://www.rjkoehler.com/2005/10/26/more-foreigners-learning-korean/#comment-24940 Curious (a.k.a. Sewing) Tue, 01 Nov 2005 17:23:44 +0000 http://rjkoehler.com/?p=2095#comment-24940 Well, you can never judge a book by its cover, eh? Who woulda thunk that the most eloquent defense of learning Korean on this thread would have been from Gerry? No, it does not yet have the international reach of, say, English, French, or Spanish, but it is slowly gaining in importance. It's certainly arguably a more useful language to learn now than in the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, or even 90s. And as for the perceived attitude that some native speakers allegedly have towards foreign-language learners, keep in mind that many Japanese appear to be similarly amused/bemused by foreigners' attempts to learn their language. Well, you can never judge a book by its cover, eh? Who woulda thunk that the most eloquent defense of learning Korean on this thread would have been from Gerry?

No, it does not yet have the international reach of, say, English, French, or Spanish, but it is slowly gaining in importance. It’s certainly arguably a more useful language to learn now than in the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, or even 90s.

And as for the perceived attitude that some native speakers allegedly have towards foreign-language learners, keep in mind that many Japanese appear to be similarly amused/bemused by foreigners’ attempts to learn their language.

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