RANTING/VENTING MEGATHREAD 3.0

100% agree!!  I can't see any point in being given or giving yourself an English name.  Except for a nickname during camp like "Thunderpants McGee" or something.

I always liked getting to pick a name when I took language classes. Most of the time I was able to choose from a large list of possibilities, but even when my Mandarin teacher chose our names for us I was content.

My main school now is faaaaar to large for me to bother with new names for everyone, but my travel school only has ten students total(!), so I let them pick names. I could be projecting just because I enjoyed it when I was a student, but I don't think any of my students mind too terrible.

Hell, I bet there are still people out there who only think of me as Björn, Olivier, Azzam, or Gu Ti Mi. 

If they like it its cool, but are you letting them pick or telling them to make one? If someone they didn't want to would you push it? Thats what i have a problem with. If they want it then thats their choice, I had a girl who wanted to be called garlic last year 

I had a similar problem a few years back. After lunch I always felt so nauseous. Just lunch, dinner and breakfast were fine.  Turns out I was developing/had an ulcer, and that was the only symptom I presented with.  Started taking antacids and the problem went away.
Maybe try that and see how you feel. Or go to a doctor (probably better than following my anecdotal advice). Or maybe your poor waygookin body can't handle the superiority of Korean food, lol.

Korean school lunch can vary greatly in quality. Some are almost as good as restaurants. Others would cause Korean prison riots.

If you're stuck with mediocre-bad food, definitely brown bag/eat out a few times. If you do eat at school, reduce your portion sizes. Being hungry and having small sizes can make any food taste good.

I hate English names with a passion!

Sometimes it's fine like if it has a special meaning to them, or it's close to their Korean name or they really love it. It's like a nickname, cool.

 In my afterschool class we were making name cards and one student came to me and asked if she should use her Korean name or her English name. I asked if she liked her English name and she said no. So I told her to use her Korean one. She was super happy and relived about that. I'd let her use her name. Like Fing Dobby.

It's crazy to me, okay if the hagwon is forcing it it's not right but its understandable...bu t if some random waygook in some shitty hagwon in my town is giving Kids names they dont even like just because it's easier for them then....F that person.  They don't even need English names in the first place, it makes no sense to me.

100% agree!!  I can't see any point in being given or giving yourself an English name.  Except for a nickname during camp like "Thunderpants McGee" or something.

Then again, don't get me started on foreigners who give themselves a Korean name (I mean an actual name, not just their name written in hangeul). 

I just asked my co workers what they thought about people getting and using Korean names and they totally didn't get it. They still all look confused/horrified. 

If they like it its cool, but are you letting them pick or telling them to make one? If someone they didn't want to would you push it? Thats what i have a problem with. If they want it then thats their choice, I had a girl who wanted to be called garlic last year 

Agreed. If people want an English name (or any other name for their language course) then great, that's why we're here.

Making them take one and then potentially reprimanding them over failure to use it? Absolutely not.

There is nothing wrong with their name. Their name is beautiful and it represents who they are. Korean people should not have to change their names or their naming practices to make westerners feel more comfortable. This is English class, not brainwashing you to serve western masters and adopt their values class.

So, I ask the 4th grade teacher what happened to my printer. She tells me that the repair guy came to pick it up, last Friday, and it's being repaired. She doesn't know when I'll get a new one.

Since today was my writing lesson day, it was a giant pain in the ass that I couldn't print my worksheets before class. I had to run to each teacher's classroom and make prints just before each lesson. I ask if I may use her printer to make prints, before class... She says, no.
Confused at her bitchiness, I ask the 5th grade homeroom teacher.

On my way to the 5th grade HR teacher's class, I walk past the 4th grade teacher's empty class and realise why she didn't want me to use her printer. The damn cow had taken my printer, to replace her old one and obviously didn't want me to notice.

There is nothing wrong with their name. Their name is beautiful and it represents who they are. Korean people should not have to change their names or their naming practices to make westerners feel more comfortable. This is English class, not brainwashing you to serve western masters and adopt their values class.

This is the most Mr. DeMartino thing ever.

If they like it its cool, but are you letting them pick or telling them to make one? If someone they didn't want to would you push it? Thats what i have a problem with. If they want it then thats their choice, I had a girl who wanted to be called garlic last year 

Agreed. If people want an English name (or any other name for their language course) then great, that's why we're here.

Making them take one and then potentially reprimanding them over failure to use it? Absolutely not.

There is nothing wrong with their name. Their name is beautiful and it represents who they are. Korean people should not have to change their names or their naming practices to make westerners feel more comfortable. This is English class, not brainwashing you to serve western masters and adopt their values class.

Yikes.

Did you guys ever take language classes in grade school? Is my experience just that uncommon? I assumed it was commonplace to get a name in a language class, since I did in different classes at different schools, but was that just a string of oddities?

Seriously, it's completely bizarre to me that it'd be characterized as " brainwashing you to serve western masters and adopt their values." It's just learning a new language and getting a language-appropriate name to use in that class.

It isn't really to re-name and assimilate anybody, but to get them familiar with Anglo names.

Any Tom, Dick, or Harry should see that.

Did you guys ever take language classes in grade school? Is my experience just that uncommon?

Nah, it's not that weird. You're not the only one. When I first started studying Korean I made a K-name for myself. It was a fun way to learn some  Korean names and maybe some of the Hanja meanings behind them. Do I go around introducing myself with my Korean name? Of course not. That's def cringey.

In my middle school classes I don't use English names because kids just used them as an excuse to come up with the most ridiculous names ever, a la "garlic" haha. So no to that. I don't think it's inherently "wrong" though as long as it's not forced. We're not working in residential schools in an effort to eradicate Korean culture here. They'll be fine if they're called Peter or Susie for 45 mins of light convo practice per week. No one should be forced to do it  though, of course.

So, I ask the 4th grade teacher what happened to my printer. She tells me that the repair guy came to pick it up, last Friday, and it's being repaired. She doesn't know when I'll get a new one.

Since today was my writing lesson day, it was a giant pain in the ass that I couldn't print my worksheets before class. I had to run to each teacher's classroom and make prints just before each lesson. I ask if I may use her printer to make prints, before class... She says, no.
Confused at her bitchiness, I ask the 5th grade homeroom teacher.

On my way to the 5th grade HR teacher's class, I walk past the 4th grade teacher's empty class and realise why she didn't want me to use her printer. The damn cow had taken my printer, to replace her old one and obviously didn't want me to notice.

Steal it back.

There is nothing wrong with their name. Their name is beautiful and it represents who they are. Korean people should not have to change their names or their naming practices to make westerners feel more comfortable. This is English class, not brainwashing you to serve western masters and adopt their values class.

This is the most Mr. DeMartino thing ever.

Dying.

Oh Mr. D. Never a dull moment.

I had a similar problem a few years back. After lunch I always felt so nauseous. Just lunch, dinner and breakfast were fine.  Turns out I was developing/had an ulcer, and that was the only symptom I presented with.  Started taking antacids and the problem went away.
Maybe try that and see how you feel. Or go to a doctor (probably better than following my anecdotal advice). Or maybe your poor waygookin body can't handle the superiority of Korean food, lol.

Thanks! That's actually a good question I should ask myself...considerin g my diet changed entirely AND I have been under incredible stress with moving here (as a naturally high anxiety type of person). Is there a specific antacid you take? I don't see how it would hurt me to take it sometimes just in case. I am not sure what's going on but school lunch did not always make me feel ill. So something changed.

I handle Korean food just fine outside of school though...in fact its all I eat when I go out.

Or perhaps its like what the other posters said...the food is just crap and the mystery meat in the oily sauce isn't sitting well. Today's lunch of bbq chicken, kimchi and tteok was just fine on my stomach. If I bring my food from home I'll have to ask not to be charged for school lunch monthly. That'll be a task to even accomplish I have been asking to see the deductions from my salary every month since I started...no paperwork still..not a single statement. Might be worth it though not to feel ill after every lunch at school...

I remember getting Spanish names in middle school Spanish class. It was so fun to pick them and use them for about a week, and then everyone forgot/went back to their real names. Thankfully we escaped serving our Latino masters! 

My class actually used our Spanish names pretty much consistently, even calling one student with an English nickname (her last name, since her first name was pretty common) the Spanish version of that name. I had the same "Spanish name" from 6th grade to college, where it FINALLY showed up in the textbook (Aurora is not common).

"Taco" was a forbidden name, though.

Did you guys ever take language classes in grade school? Is my experience just that uncommon?

Nah, it's not that weird. You're not the only one. When I first started studying Korean I made a K-name for myself. It was a fun way to learn some  Korean names and maybe some of the Hanja meanings behind them. Do I go around introducing myself with my Korean name? Of course not. That's def cringey.

In my middle school classes I don't use English names because kids just used them as an excuse to come up with the most ridiculous names ever, a la "garlic" haha. So no to that. I don't think it's inherently "wrong" though as long as it's not forced. We're not working in residential schools in an effort to eradicate Korean culture here. They'll be fine if they're called Peter or Susie for 45 mins of light convo practice per week. No one should be forced to do it  though, of course.

In my high school, all the foreign language classes let you pick a foreign name.  It was just for fun, I never had an identity crisis or felt like I was being brainwashed.  I took Spanish for 2 years and each year there was a list of suggestions available though we could also ask to be called a name not on the list.  One year I was Ixtapa.  I rather liked that name. 

When I dabbled in Japanese in university, the professor called each of us by "Surname+san" and we would call her sensei. 

It's just an easy tactic for immersion which I think is fun.  At one middle school, the last KET had all the students (who wanted to) pick English names.  There were a few students who opted to just go by their Korean name but I also had some students declaring themselves things like "Lime" and "Ballzy."     I ended up learning both their Korean & English names and waffle betwixt without any student confusion. 

At the other middle school, my coT was adamantly opposed, saying that "Korean names were very important" and assumed I just wanted to give them English names because I couldn't learn the Korean ones.       My elementary coT never said as much but was very insistent on the importance of learning the kids' Korean names so I just didn't even bother bringing up the idea.

Korean names seem pretty modular to me.

"Hurr durr, you had to go and bring your opinions in here."

Yup, I have opinions. And I will share them. Feel free to ignore them.

I remember getting Spanish names in middle school Spanish class. It was so fun to pick them and use them for about a week, and then everyone forgot/went back to their real names. Thankfully we escaped serving our Latino masters! 

My class actually used our Spanish names pretty much consistently, even calling one student with an English nickname (her last name, since her first name was pretty common) the Spanish version of that name. I had the same "Spanish name" from 6th grade to college, where it FINALLY showed up in the textbook (Aurora is not common).

"Taco" was a forbidden name, though.

I don't recall if "Taco" was forbidden at my school but one of my friends got away with "Nacho" as his Spanish name 

I remember getting Spanish names in middle school Spanish class. It was so fun to pick them and use them for about a week, and then everyone forgot/went back to their real names. Thankfully we escaped serving our Latino masters! 

My class actually used our Spanish names pretty much consistently, even calling one student with an English nickname (her last name, since her first name was pretty common) the Spanish version of that name. I had the same "Spanish name" from 6th grade to college, where it FINALLY showed up in the textbook (Aurora is not common).

"Taco" was a forbidden name, though.

I don't recall if "Taco" was forbidden at my school but one of my friends got away with "Nacho" as his Spanish name 

It is legitimately a deminutive of Ignacio.

When I dabbled in Japanese in university, the professor called each of us by "Surname+san" and we would call her sensei. 

I had this same experience when I studied Japanese too.  The foreign surnames sounded so strange in Japanese due to the writing system that we all had trouble trying to figure out each other's real name outside of the classroom to the point that we sometimes just kept referring to each other as we did in Japanese class.

There was this one guy referred to as Mary-san in my class.  I swore that his last name was Mary.  I found out later it was some Persion last name.  I think it was Miahrhi.  Another guy was walking around being called Curochu-san.  I just knew that his last name was Crotch.      I never got around to asking him his real name.  I had a real good friend that was called fun-san.  I started calling him tanoshi-san instead.  Four months latter I found out his last name was Fung.  I have a slight American accent and I am sure the sensei found me screwing up everyone's names slightly comical and she never corrected me.

...Started taking antacids and the problem went away. ...

I have been keeping an eye open for Tums or Rolaids, but I haven't seen any. What are the local brands?

I can't really help you there. I stockpiled a bunch when I came over. You could try generic names; Famotidine (Pepcid) and ranitidine (Zantac) are antacid/GERD drugs and shouldn't require a prescription, calcium-carbonate chews (Tums), milk of  magnesia (Pepto). Or try to hunt down the name brands in Seoul.