RANTING/VENTING MEGATHREAD 3.0

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's not you. DeMartino has a few....issues.
As you said, every language class I've been in has done the "choose a name in _______ and use it in class" thing.
Obviously forcing names on kids and punishing them etc is stupid. But that is common sense. Unfortunately there are idiots working in this country who have done that, or idiots like Steelrails who are bitter about foreigners being in Korea and will accuse them of cultural imperialism and "brainwashing". The rest of the normal people dont care either way.

...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.

Thanks.

I did find Zantac here, but I am looking for something quick for when I get 3 cups of coffee before eating anything.

It is part of the official English curriculum at my school.

Grade 6 English books introduce "nicknames" to the class.

From first grade, students are given the option to use their English nicknames during English class (I was surprised by the number of students who had English nicknames, not to be confused with English names).

There is no pressure, and the upside of having a nickname in the target language is pretty well understood by most educators.

I'm with Mr. Tim on this.

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's not you. DeMartino has a few....issues.
As you said, every language class I've been in has done the "choose a name in _______ and use it in class" thing.
Obviously forcing names on kids and punishing them etc is stupid. But that is common sense. Unfortunately there are idiots working in this country who have done that, or idiots like Steelrails who are bitter about foreigners being in Korea and will accuse them of cultural imperialism and "brainwashing". The rest of the normal people dont care either way.

While I agree that it's not such a big deal to chose an English-speaker name, I also don't see how there's any point or reason to choose a "language-appropriate" name. Most of us, when we travel, we don't just pick a name from that country and use it, we teach the people there how to say our name. Since most English-speakers' names tend to be derived from some other language anyway, I can't really understand the justification for choosing English-speaker names as a learning tool.

...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.

Lost everything I had written for some reason 

I also had the same problem with lunch (actually dinner too but i ate less so it was okay)

Went to the doctor and I was also developing an ulcer so get it checked out and get some meds!

I also studied languages in school but we didn't have special language names. Maybe it's a North American thing? Any Brits that did.

As i said, if the person likes it then go ahead.

This girl was so happy to be able to use her Korean name so it made me soooo sad thinking that she had to use her English name in the past when she didn't like it. So it made me mad.

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's not you. DeMartino has a few....issues.
As you said, every language class I've been in has done the "choose a name in _______ and use it in class" thing.
Obviously forcing names on kids and punishing them etc is stupid. But that is common sense. Unfortunately there are idiots working in this country who have done that, or idiots like Steelrails who are bitter about foreigners being in Korea and will accuse them of cultural imperialism and "brainwashing". The rest of the normal people dont care either way.

While I agree that it's not such a big deal to chose an English-speaker name, I also don't see how there's any point or reason to choose a "language-appropriate" name. Most of us, when we travel, we don't just pick a name from that country and use it, we teach the people there how to say our name. Since most English-speakers' names tend to be derived from some other language anyway, I can't really understand the justification for choosing English-speaker names as a learning tool.

Personally I have never given English names to any students i've taught. here or anywhere else. I don't really think think it is a learning tool. It's more something for kids to do to make themselves more connected to the language. If not that, at least it kills a lesson for the week.

When we did Russian at school the teacher wrote 30 Russian names on the board and we had to pick with no doubles allowed. I got Pavel. In class we had to respond to the Russian name. I remeber it just being funny and kind of stupid. But many things in the classroom are funny and stupid.

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.

I had to take French from grades 1-9 then I took German in University and we never got different names. Maybe it's different because they're also Latin languages.
I just teach my kids to spell their name in English on day one. We make name tags and I help them translate their names. They have those name tags every class so I can read them faster and the kids usually like to see their names in English. I encourage them to use the English on worksheets, they can copy off their name tags to start and eventually they remember it. It's harder to do with big classes but my co-teachers can usually help, and I have a slide up with the usual way to convert from korean to english.

While I agree that it's not such a big deal to chose an English-speaker name, I also don't see how there's any point or reason to choose a "language-appropriate" name.

Like Zola said, it's mostly about deepening the connection to the language. It adds a touch of immersion. It could also help introduce and familiarize them with a variety of names they might encounter when learning a name. Anyone who's ever been trying to read something in another language and asked a native what a words means, only to be told "It's a name" can probably see how that might be handy.

It isn't necessary by any means, of course. It's perfectly possible to learn a language without being given a new name. Of the six languages I've taken classes in, only four of them involved new names, and I don't think not having one was detrimental to the two classes that didn't have them (one of which was even my major  ).

I'm a big dork for language, so for me it's just a fun little thing, whether or not there's any serious benefit to doing it, haha.

Most of us, when we travel, we don't just pick a name from that country and use it, we teach the people there how to say our name.

And we also call them by their names, which tend to not be English names. Having your own new name for the class might not help you, but it'll help all the students in class who have to call you by that name. Similarly, having to call all the other students by their new names will be nice practice for if and when you visit a country where the language is spoken and have to use their names. Again, not strictly necessary, but still nice.

Since most English-speakers' names tend to be derived from some other language anyway, I can't really understand the justification for choosing English-speaker names as a learning tool.

Well I hope I've given you some ideas, then. 

It isn't my intention to convince you to start doing it, though, so don't get me wrong. Just trying to explain why others do do it.

If I was studying Russian I would want to be Ivan  .

At the old Hagwan that I worked at they got to choose names for themselves which lead to some hilarious ones. 'Fairy tinkle' will stay with me till I die  .

On a somewhat-related note, you ever get those students that treat you like you are the dumbest of the dumb because you mishear, for example, Jiyeon as Jiyeong? It's like, c'mon man, gimme a break. It's one sound off and a hard sound to catch on the tail-end of a syllable, and besides that, you're not helping with the bored mumbling voice you used to tell me your name. lol

I don't generally allow goofy nicknames like that, but being a nerd has helped me work around some of them. I had one class full of boys that all wanted superhero names, and I wasn't about to have Spiderman and Wolverine in my class, so I just told them a bunch of alter ego/secret identity/ "real" names for the heroes they liked. Tony and Steve were better than Iron Man and Captain America  .

On a somewhat-related note, you ever get those students that treat you like you are the dumbest of the dumb because you mishear, for example, Jiyeon as Jiyeong? It's like, c'mon man, gimme a break. It's one sound off and a hard sound to catch on the tail-end of a syllable, and besides that, you're not helping with the bored mumbling voice you used to tell me your name. lol

Hahaha yes!

Now I take a leaf out of Korean books and repeat it a million times.

A: 재원
B: Jaywon?
A: 재원
B: Jwun
A: 재원
B: Jeewone?
A: ㅈ ㅐ ㅜ ㅓ ㄴ
B: Aaaah 제웡

 

On a somewhat-related note, you ever get those students that treat you like you are the dumbest of the dumb because you mishear, for example, Jiyeon as Jiyeong? It's like, c'mon man, gimme a break. It's one sound off and a hard sound to catch on the tail-end of a syllable, and what's more you're not helping with the bored mumbling voice you used. lol

Yeah that's just teenager/kid behaviour. I felt dumb too until I heard the K-teachers mangle the hell out of some names during roll call a couple times. The kids gave no quarter then either, so it's not just the waygookins getting the treatment 

At least they're equal opportunity nit-pickers

On a somewhat-related note, you ever get those students that treat you like you are the dumbest of the dumb because you mishear, for example, Jiyeon as Jiyeong? It's like, c'mon man, gimme a break. It's one sound off and a hard sound to catch on the tail-end of a syllable, and besides that, you're not helping with the bored mumbling voice you used to tell me your name. lol

Hahaha yes!

Now I take a leaf out of Korean books and repeat it a million times.

A: 재원
B: Jaywon?
A: 재원
B: Jwun
A: 재원
B: Jeewone?
A: ㅈ ㅐ ㅜ ㅓ ㄴ
B: Aaaah 제웡

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd7FixvoKBw

On a somewhat-related note, you ever get those students that treat you like you are the dumbest of the dumb because you mishear, for example, Jiyeon as Jiyeong? It's like, c'mon man, gimme a break. It's one sound off and a hard sound to catch on the tail-end of a syllable, and besides that, you're not helping with the bored mumbling voice you used to tell me your name. lol

Hahaha yes!

Now I take a leaf out of Korean books and repeat it a million times.

A: 재원
B: Jaywon?
A: 재원
B: Jwun
A: 재원
B: Jeewone?
A: ㅈ ㅐ ㅜ ㅓ ㄴ
B: Aaaah 제웡

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd7FixvoKBw

Don't give me no attitude, 재재원!

Yeah that's just teenager/kid behaviour. I felt dumb too until I heard the K-teachers mangle the hell out of some names during roll call a couple times. The kids gave no quarter then either, so it's not just the waygookins getting the treatment 

At least they're equal opportunity nit-pickers

Oh, I know! We've got a new English teacher at my school, so I was witness to his first time learning names, and he struggled even more than I did because he's shy, poor guy. And the kids were relentless!

Sorry, should've specified I didn't feel this was waygook-hazing or anything.

In the after school program that I worked English names were a requirement. I hated it. I'm a South African, forcing people to have English names leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. However, that being said it was amusing to call out names like "Sweetie" Cutie" "Loki"and my favourite (he had two names) "Parker Money".  My CT actually had those names on the name list they could choose from. (not Money, that was Yongmin's choosing).

But some of the names on that list were truly bizarre. I don't know where she found them. It included Apple, Peach, Darling and more, 

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.

When I took Russian I learned how to "Russianize" my name, that was easy enough. But none of the teachers were ever insistent and threatened us with punishment if we failed to use it.

The reason I mention this is that you get these teachers (not you I'd say, because you seem to enjoy getting into the role and would probably run with it and have a blast) who insist on English names, but you get them in a Korean class and the Korean teacher giving them a Korean name? They would throw a fit.

Like I said, do it if they want or just do it for fun as a "take it or leave it" kind of thing. No problem. Great way to spend a class period or two and have some fun or break the ice.

It's not you. DeMartino has a few....issues.
As you said, every language class I've been in has done the "choose a name in _______ and use it in class" thing.
Obviously forcing names on kids and punishing them etc is stupid. But that is common sense.

I put those things in strong terms so maybe people would wake up and examine whether they did that or were hypocrites about it, like in Korean class.

There's a scene in the Korean movie "Please teach me English" which sees things from the other perspective. The lead character specifically mentions the name change thing and the rather insulting nature and inequality of it.

I've also had multiple Korean people who lived overseas express their displeasure with this and they seriously had questions why it was up to them to have to change their name to make things easier for westerners (not just overseas but in Korea too) yet it wasn't the responsibility of westerners to properly learn how to pronounce their name. Again, there was a fundamental inequality to that whole concept. And as I said, you see this reflected in the attitudes of some teachers who will insist on English names in their classroom and refuse a Korean one in the Korean classroom.

It was after watching that movie, hearing the opinions of Koreans who had lived overseas, and witnessing the behavior of other English teachers that I resolved to address each person by their Korean name unless they wanted an English name. However, for 5th and 6th graders I would continue to address them as Mr. and Ms. (Last Name) simply out of formality (and convenience, let's be real 'Lee' or 'Kim' is easier to remember, also I believe that children above the age of 12 are adults when it comes to responsibility and moral conduct [not other stuff you sickos]).

Anyways, I'd strongly recommend teachers out there to use their Korean name unless they explicitly request otherwise or have an obvious inclination to a nickname or something. It's part of the fundamental respect you show them as human beings.

I think you are overestimating the phenomenon. I agree Koreans shouldn't have to change their names.
I taught at an international school and Koreans and to a lesser extent Chinese, were the ONLY ones who took English names. Japanese never did. SE Asians never did. Euros never did obviously. Middle Eastern students never did.
No one was forcing anyone to do anything. But Koreans took it upon themselves, for whatever reason, to choose to have an English name. Why were the only ones? I still dont know.

Also Koreans mangle my name. I dont give a toss.

My point is that you are making out this to be a pervasive thing forced upon them by some kid from Manitoba , when in reality its usually some harebrained hogwon owners scheme to impress parents. Or as Pecan alluded to, a activity in one of the text books. Very very few teachers here would be forcing english names on students.