27-07-2005 17:13									#1
	I'm learning Korean Suffering from ads?

Left my last position on 15 July and since I've been on Korean language training and pre posting briefings. Its a lot of fun. We were started on reading and writing on day one and the teacher is pushing it along. Says we're doing well - Mrs Horse is doing it too. We've learned the alphabet and can read and write at about first grade level.

Its a very logical language. Much easier than Japanese or Chinese, which have pictograms. My teacher tells me if you master Korean, Japanese is easy so that is something to aim for.

The theory is you learn the grammar and to read and write and then pick up the vocab in country. I think its a good plan. I can get a tutor while I'm there.

Last edited by Alexander's Horse on 27-07-2005 at 18:44

	27-07-2005 17:24									#2
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I can hardly speak english, my native tongue. I once tried to learn german, but those VW adds screwed me up... Funkengroven man

	27-07-2005 19:20									#3
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Here's a funny exercise:

Try translating "I brought my wife a new dress and gave it to her at home later that night" into hangeul. (yes I know it's hard)

Then translate it back literally and see how mangled the grammar looks.

Also: it is said that wealthy Seoulite couples will sometimes argue in English when they fight due to the occasionally frustratingly vague nature of Korea grammar.

	27-07-2005 22:28									#4
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Good luck Horse!

I found Korean easy to read, but struggled a lot with understanding it when spoken, and my own accent was terrible. I never really studied it properly though - just picked things up as I went along.

	27-07-2005 22:53									#5
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quote: Its a very logical language. Much easier than Japanese or Chinese, which have pictograms. My teacher tells me if you master Korean, Japanese is easy so that is something to aim for.

* Q Cubed throws a flag
Japanese uses Kanji, which are pictograms, yes, but they also use the syllabary extensively as well. Korean also uses pictograms (called Hanja), just not as extensively--so it's easier to get by without knowing them.

Japanese grammar is somewhat similar to Korean grammar, which is why it's easier to pick up once you've got Korean down pat (and vice versa).

And I have no problem with frustratingly vague grammar. I seriously wish English and other languages were more like that.

	27-07-2005 23:04									#6
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" Korean uses Hanja..."

yeah that's what they say........how many hanja do YOU know besides your own name?

AH: try to buy an illegal name chop. It is technically illegal for waygookeem to own the 'real' legal korean name chop.

A 'Chop', is of course the stamp which usually has your name in traditional chinese characters (or kanji, or hanja, or whatever chinese-lite version)

	27-07-2005 23:27									#7
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Actually, here's my shameful confession:

I know, like, 3 Hanja characters, more if you include what's used in Changgi. As far as my name... I know only my surname, Kim.

	28-07-2005 04:54									#8
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A question for resident Koreans:

Does Korean have a "Romanji-style" system that allows honkeys like me to cheat and learn some vocabulary?

	28-07-2005 04:56									#9
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It's been my experience when people transliterate it, they tend to use the romanization systems often used for names.

But afaik, there's no concrete system like romanji.

	28-07-2005 08:01									#10
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Yeah they use some pictograms, like in restaurant signs, but you don't need to know them at the stage we are at, which is learning the alphabet, basic rules of grammar and numbers. the last couple of days we have been doing numbers, money and telling the time.

Last edited by Alexander's Horse on 28-07-2005 at 08:12

	28-07-2005 08:09									#11
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so you aren't going to be making any more visits to DC for work?

anyways, good luck in your new duties

JM

	13-08-2005 14:27									#12
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thanks jon

finished language training last Friday - one week of briefings - pack up week after - and arrive Seoul Friday week

	13-08-2005 21:12									#13
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I can speak Korean.

"no zerg rush I KOReA kekekekekeekeke"

	14-08-2005 01:16									#14
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Congrats AH

From years of Tae Kwon Do training, I spoke some Korean, couldnt write it but sounded it out

Haesan(bow)

Dwiradolla dobuk dan jon (turn around fix uniform)

Skijak (begin)

Jungkwon (inverted knife hand??)

Hyung (Pattern)

But I have utmost respect for ethics of Korean Tae Kwon Do

Enjoy your trip and enjoy the culture!

Grandpa Troll

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	14-08-2005 05:46									#15
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the boys will probably do Tae Kwon Do - although I'm a little worried they will use it on each other

	14-08-2005 06:59									#16
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Korean kicks a**.

Is it easier to learn Korean than Japanese? My Japanese is so rusty that when I speak I sound like a 4 year old boy.

	14-08-2005 07:04									#17
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they say if you learn Korean, Japanese is easy

we thought we were doing fine until we watched some Korean TV soap episodes

some of it is a real tongue twister and it doesn't have the Japenese consonant-vowel-consonant structure.

	14-08-2005 07:14									#18
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Japanese is tough enough, especially for westerners. The intonation is the polar opposite of English and everything needs to be annunciated better.

I can't believe that I'm doing this for a woman Japanese is the hardest damn thing I've ever tried to learn.

	14-08-2005 07:14									#19
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Sounds like it would be relatively easy to self-teach yourself. But I'm not saying it's easy...it's probably not.

If Korean has the same sentence structure as Japanese, then I'm probably screwed.

	14-08-2005 07:17									#20
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quote: Originally posted by Timexwatch Japanese is tough enough, especially for westerners. The intonation is the polar opposite of English and everything needs to be annunciated better. I can't believe that I'm doing this for a woman Japanese is the hardest damn thing I've ever tried to learn.

Yes, Japanese is extremely hard. It gets better when you learn that people from Osaka are a lot different than people from Tokyo in their speech patterns.

And don't you love how they have different counting systems for flat, round, cyclindrical, and everything else?

	14-08-2005 07:26									#21
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quote: Originally posted by Timexwatch I can't believe that I'm doing this for a woman Japanese is the hardest damn thing I've ever tried to learn.

Obviously there are benefits for you

	14-08-2005 07:29									#22
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Well, there are benefits for you too, like not having to go to east Crapistan

If I finish this next round of foreign service interviews, I doubt I'd be posted to someplace as cush

	14-08-2005 08:11									#23
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you are joining the state department?

	14-08-2005 08:30									#24
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I did the foreign service exam and passed round one. That was the easy part. The second round comes in February. Even if I do make the second cut, I don't know if I'll do it.

	14-08-2005 08:32									#25
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you should do it if you get offered but if you aren't committed its likely you won't make the cut anyway

	14-08-2005 09:02									#26
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Well, I have until February until the second round starts, so there's plenty of time to reflect. If worse comes to worse, maybe I could be stateside support.

	14-08-2005 09:12									#27
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I don't like your chances in your current frame of mind - the selection process is designed to weed out people who aren't serious.

	14-08-2005 10:01									#28
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quote: Originally posted by Seeker AH: try to buy an illegal name chop. It is technically illegal for waygookeem to own the 'real' legal korean name chop.

I had a chop with my real name on it and I registered it at the town hall. I then used it at banks and for other documents.

	14-08-2005 10:03									#29
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I speak American, the chosen language blessed by god himself.