When I first came here, I used to get butt hurt when people called me 원어민. I finally confronted a co-teacher about it and she explained that it is very respectful.
This naming/title issue is easily solved when addressed on the first day.Initiate the conversation by asking how they would like to be addressed (you can ask, "oh, how about x,y,z" to get your point across).Then they will usually ask you the same or you can simply say please address me as...I tell them, "PECAN TEACHER" is rude and Konglish, so please call me Mr. Pecan, not PECAN sownsangnim.Over the years, it has only ever been an problem with one coteacher, who had many more pressing "issues", if you know what I mean.It's pretty easy for most, as all of the textbooks use the correct honorifics.
Quote from: HyooMyron on January 03, 2017, 10:55:57 amWhen I first came here, I used to get butt hurt when people called me 원어민. I finally confronted a co-teacher about it and she explained that it is very respectful.Is it very respectful? It just means speaker of a foreign language. If your parents came to visit, they'd be 원어민. If your 4-year-old kid brother came to visit, he'd be 원어민. 원어민 강사 means foreign language instructor. It is a neutral term. (It is the term used in articles talking about foreign teachers committing crimes.)
Quote from: Life Improvement on January 03, 2017, 08:17:42 pmQuote from: HyooMyron on January 03, 2017, 10:55:57 amWhen I first came here, I used to get butt hurt when people called me 원어민. I finally confronted a co-teacher about it and she explained that it is very respectful.Is it very respectful? It just means speaker of a foreign language. If your parents came to visit, they'd be 원어민. If your 4-year-old kid brother came to visit, he'd be 원어민. 원어민 강사 means foreign language instructor. It is a neutral term. (It is the term used in articles talking about foreign teachers committing crimes.)Stay with me here, I know this is a difficult concept: 원어민 = our title. Using titles = respectful. Calling us 원어민 = respectful I'm well aware of the textbook definition of 원어민. But in everyday usage in a school setting, it is our job title. Technically, my 4 year old kid brother could come here and claim the title of "영어 원어민". But everyone knows that is a bit misleading, no?
Quote from: HyooMyron on January 04, 2017, 08:56:54 amQuote from: Life Improvement on January 03, 2017, 08:17:42 pmQuote from: HyooMyron on January 03, 2017, 10:55:57 amWhen I first came here, I used to get butt hurt when people called me 원어민. I finally confronted a co-teacher about it and she explained that it is very respectful.Is it very respectful? It just means speaker of a foreign language. If your parents came to visit, they'd be 원어민. If your 4-year-old kid brother came to visit, he'd be 원어민. 원어민 강사 means foreign language instructor. It is a neutral term. (It is the term used in articles talking about foreign teachers committing crimes.)Stay with me here, I know this is a difficult concept: 원어민 = our title. Using titles = respectful. Calling us 원어민 = respectful I'm well aware of the textbook definition of 원어민. But in everyday usage in a school setting, it is our job title. Technically, my 4 year old kid brother could come here and claim the title of "영어 원어민". But everyone knows that is a bit misleading, no?I'm not sure if 원어민 passes as a title. It ends with a generic 민 rather than a respectful 님. It'd be like walking around an office and calling everyone 회사원, although not really because at least 회사원 indicates that you're at least a worker, not just a speaker of an unspecified language. Add 강사 to 원어민 and then you're to about level with 회사원, which isn't saying all that much, as that comes off as very awkward and as such probably more disrespectful than not given that actual titles of respect do exist. That said, I don't believe anybody has ever addressed me as 원어민, but people do sometimes refer to me as a 원어민, which is perfectly fine.
Quote from: donovan on January 04, 2017, 09:33:36 amQuote from: HyooMyron on January 04, 2017, 08:56:54 amQuote from: Life Improvement on January 03, 2017, 08:17:42 pmQuote from: HyooMyron on January 03, 2017, 10:55:57 amWhen I first came here, I used to get butt hurt when people called me 원어민. I finally confronted a co-teacher about it and she explained that it is very respectful.Is it very respectful? It just means speaker of a foreign language. If your parents came to visit, they'd be 원어민. If your 4-year-old kid brother came to visit, he'd be 원어민. 원어민 강사 means foreign language instructor. It is a neutral term. (It is the term used in articles talking about foreign teachers committing crimes.)Stay with me here, I know this is a difficult concept: 원어민 = our title. Using titles = respectful. Calling us 원어민 = respectful I'm well aware of the textbook definition of 원어민. But in everyday usage in a school setting, it is our job title. Technically, my 4 year old kid brother could come here and claim the title of "영어 원어민". But everyone knows that is a bit misleading, no?I'm not sure if 원어민 passes as a title. It ends with a generic 민 rather than a respectful 님. It'd be like walking around an office and calling everyone 회사원, although not really because at least 회사원 indicates that you're at least a worker, not just a speaker of an unspecified language. Add 강사 to 원어민 and then you're to about level with 회사원, which isn't saying all that much, as that comes off as very awkward and as such probably more disrespectful than not given that actual titles of respect do exist. That said, I don't believe anybody has ever addressed me as 원어민, but people do sometimes refer to me as a 원어민, which is perfectly fine.It's rude if they refer to / address you simply as 원어민. 원어민 선생님 is the polite way to refer to / address you if they are not using our names, and 원어민 강사 can be what they use to refer to you (also politely), but is kind of awkward when it's used to address you.
Quote from: Loki88 on January 02, 2017, 08:25:42 pmQuote from: hiragardless on January 02, 2017, 06:14:03 pmSo, today has been a pretty bad day all around. I think I'm going through the anger stage of culture shock because every little thing set me off today. I've also been really upset lately as well. I'm only three months in but I am burnt out. My co-teacher is beginning to get on my nerves too. For example, I had to teach an after-school class with high schoolers. My co-teacher got a call from the high school teacher about the after-school class this morning but he refused to tell me until after the class was over. He came up to me when I returned from the high school saying "Oh, you had a high school class today?" When I told him "yes," he stated that he already knew and that the high school teacher had called him earlier. He then told me later that I should change the class time to the mornings even though he knows I have no control over my schedule. He's also always asking me how much I get paid, and asking about my college debt. I think he's doing it with kind intentions but at the same time, it starts to grate on my nerves because it's not really any of his business. I can't tell if he is trying to build a better relationship with me, especially since I can't speak Korean. But then he always compares me to the last foreign English teacher who could speak Korean. And he will repeatedly ask me if I can understand Korean even though I've told him multiple times, that I'm still in the beginning stages of learning Korean.Then, with my high school class, I'm supposed to have a two week one hour camp with them, but none of them really want to be there. I've made games and tried to play them but the students have been forcing it so that one team wins and the game is over really quickly. They will then say class over, and I'm just so burnt out. I then have to tell them, "No, class is not over, we'll do something else." I've had the high school classes four times each week since I arrived in October and I'm running out of things to teach. Plus, only a few people at my school call me by name, the rest call me by foreign teacher. Not waygookin but wanamin. I'm not sure how to spell it in korean but I know that it's the politer version of waygookin. My students and my co-teacher all reference me as foreign teacher. While it doesn't seem like a big deal, there are days where it makes me feel like less of a person because I do have a name. I'm trying to make the most of my situation but at the same time, I just really needed to vent. It can be really frustrating when things like this happen and it's nice to know that others have experienced similar experiences and made it through.Keep your chin up.Wanamin translates directly as foreign language instructor. Also using your job title is significantly more polite than using your name. Just wait. Eventually you'll be pissed off because you're being called on by name instead of title :pAs for the kids ending the game quick. Make them do it again. And again. And again. Eventually they give up.+1 on the fact that wonomin is more polite. You know who never calls me by my title and only by my name? Jerk Boss. Everyone else who frequently calls me wonomin seem to actually respect me.
Quote from: hiragardless on January 02, 2017, 06:14:03 pmSo, today has been a pretty bad day all around. I think I'm going through the anger stage of culture shock because every little thing set me off today. I've also been really upset lately as well. I'm only three months in but I am burnt out. My co-teacher is beginning to get on my nerves too. For example, I had to teach an after-school class with high schoolers. My co-teacher got a call from the high school teacher about the after-school class this morning but he refused to tell me until after the class was over. He came up to me when I returned from the high school saying "Oh, you had a high school class today?" When I told him "yes," he stated that he already knew and that the high school teacher had called him earlier. He then told me later that I should change the class time to the mornings even though he knows I have no control over my schedule. He's also always asking me how much I get paid, and asking about my college debt. I think he's doing it with kind intentions but at the same time, it starts to grate on my nerves because it's not really any of his business. I can't tell if he is trying to build a better relationship with me, especially since I can't speak Korean. But then he always compares me to the last foreign English teacher who could speak Korean. And he will repeatedly ask me if I can understand Korean even though I've told him multiple times, that I'm still in the beginning stages of learning Korean.Then, with my high school class, I'm supposed to have a two week one hour camp with them, but none of them really want to be there. I've made games and tried to play them but the students have been forcing it so that one team wins and the game is over really quickly. They will then say class over, and I'm just so burnt out. I then have to tell them, "No, class is not over, we'll do something else." I've had the high school classes four times each week since I arrived in October and I'm running out of things to teach. Plus, only a few people at my school call me by name, the rest call me by foreign teacher. Not waygookin but wanamin. I'm not sure how to spell it in korean but I know that it's the politer version of waygookin. My students and my co-teacher all reference me as foreign teacher. While it doesn't seem like a big deal, there are days where it makes me feel like less of a person because I do have a name. I'm trying to make the most of my situation but at the same time, I just really needed to vent. It can be really frustrating when things like this happen and it's nice to know that others have experienced similar experiences and made it through.Keep your chin up.Wanamin translates directly as foreign language instructor. Also using your job title is significantly more polite than using your name. Just wait. Eventually you'll be pissed off because you're being called on by name instead of title :pAs for the kids ending the game quick. Make them do it again. And again. And again. Eventually they give up.
So, today has been a pretty bad day all around. I think I'm going through the anger stage of culture shock because every little thing set me off today. I've also been really upset lately as well. I'm only three months in but I am burnt out. My co-teacher is beginning to get on my nerves too. For example, I had to teach an after-school class with high schoolers. My co-teacher got a call from the high school teacher about the after-school class this morning but he refused to tell me until after the class was over. He came up to me when I returned from the high school saying "Oh, you had a high school class today?" When I told him "yes," he stated that he already knew and that the high school teacher had called him earlier. He then told me later that I should change the class time to the mornings even though he knows I have no control over my schedule. He's also always asking me how much I get paid, and asking about my college debt. I think he's doing it with kind intentions but at the same time, it starts to grate on my nerves because it's not really any of his business. I can't tell if he is trying to build a better relationship with me, especially since I can't speak Korean. But then he always compares me to the last foreign English teacher who could speak Korean. And he will repeatedly ask me if I can understand Korean even though I've told him multiple times, that I'm still in the beginning stages of learning Korean.Then, with my high school class, I'm supposed to have a two week one hour camp with them, but none of them really want to be there. I've made games and tried to play them but the students have been forcing it so that one team wins and the game is over really quickly. They will then say class over, and I'm just so burnt out. I then have to tell them, "No, class is not over, we'll do something else." I've had the high school classes four times each week since I arrived in October and I'm running out of things to teach. Plus, only a few people at my school call me by name, the rest call me by foreign teacher. Not waygookin but wanamin. I'm not sure how to spell it in korean but I know that it's the politer version of waygookin. My students and my co-teacher all reference me as foreign teacher. While it doesn't seem like a big deal, there are days where it makes me feel like less of a person because I do have a name. I'm trying to make the most of my situation but at the same time, I just really needed to vent. It can be really frustrating when things like this happen and it's nice to know that others have experienced similar experiences and made it through.
I wasn't making reference to anything about America, but simply talking about public schools in Korea.Whoever told you that you weren't allowed to leave is misinformed.
But surely the point is that we're adults so there's no way you can tell me that I can't leave school at lunchtime.
I think it's one of those situations when this applies:What are they going to do, fire you?
But surely the point is that we're adults so there's no way you can tell me that I can't leave school at lunchtime.I think it's one of those situations when this applies:What are they going to do, fire you?EDIT: Yea totally agree with CO2 above ^