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Why are Korean and Arabic considered hard

  Tags: Korean | Difficulty | Arabic
 Language Learning Forum : Specific Languages Post Reply
57 messages over 8 pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7  8 Next >>
druckfehler
Triglot
Senior Member
Germany
Joined 4707 days ago
1181 posts - 1912 votes 
Speaks: German*, EnglishC2, Korean
Studies: Persian

 
 Message 49 of 57
18 March 2012 at 11:21pm | IP Logged 
Quote:
I've seen too many posts on this forumn deriding Korean people for treating foreigners as English dictionaries and nothing more. If anything, I've learned more about the depth of friendship from my Korean friends than my American friends, which I can then bring back to the States and infuse into my friendships over there. However I feel I've had a unique experience with Korean. Even still, I've had that experience because I've put my heart and soul into the culture. Maybe it's a tougher culture to break into than others, but the rewards are just as precious, if not more so.


Thank you! At last I read an experience that resonates with me. When I read things written about Korea in English I also mostly find this unbalanced view many expats seem to hold. I've met many Koreans and all of them were extremely kind, interested people, independent of age and profession. I don't see the same thing happen to outsiders in German society. I didn't see it happen to this extent in a multicultural society like New Zealand either. I really wonder how people have formed such a view of Korea and Koreans and whether some of it has more to do with living abroad and culture shock in general.

Actually, when I was in Korea I was almost at a loss how to stay a sane, introverted person and still meet all the people who offered to spend time with me (while talking to me in Korean, even with my limited vocabulary and grammar and even though they were all studying English). There are SO many Koreans who aren't comfortable with speaking English but generally curious/friendly towards foreigners, you really should be able to find some who will talk to you. When random people of all ages got wind of my knowing a little bit of Korean they talked to me in bus stations and parks and invited me into their homes. But maybe this is a German privilege, because Germans invented the Mercedes-Benz and Neuschwanstein Castle? :D

I personally don't have any middle-aged friends in Germany, so I don't expect that from Koreans either. But in Korea it seems that you can far more easily have some sort of kinship with unrelated people much older than yourself and I like that a lot. They'll give career and general advice and generally look out for you, which I find quite nice.

Edited by druckfehler on 18 March 2012 at 11:29pm
5 persons have voted this message useful



Leurre
Bilingual Pentaglot
Senior Member
United StatesRegistered users can see my Skype Name
Joined 5264 days ago
219 posts - 372 votes 
Speaks: French*, English*, Korean, Haitian Creole, SpanishC2
Studies: Japanese

 
 Message 51 of 57
19 March 2012 at 6:32am | IP Logged 
vientito wrote:
in fact, I thought jtdotto already hinted at that above

I wonder if that 손 in 손모씨 in fact is the same as that used in 손님 ?


손님 is not 한자어
1 person has voted this message useful



clumsy
Octoglot
Senior Member
Poland
lang-8.com/6715Registered users can see my Skype Name
Joined 5017 days ago
1116 posts - 1367 votes 
Speaks: Polish*, English, Japanese, Korean, French, Mandarin, Italian, Vietnamese
Studies: Spanish, Arabic (Written), Swedish
Studies: Danish, Dari, Kirundi

 
 Message 52 of 57
19 March 2012 at 9:13pm | IP Logged 
Leurre wrote:
Since no one seems to be getting this, 손모씨 is referring to an anonymous person, giving
only their last name, 손. 모 is just another way of saying 아무개, or the rough
equivalent of 'John/Jane'(without the 'Doe').

this is what I though.
모 comes from 某 hanja.






1 person has voted this message useful



clumsy
Octoglot
Senior Member
Poland
lang-8.com/6715Registered users can see my Skype Name
Joined 5017 days ago
1116 posts - 1367 votes 
Speaks: Polish*, English, Japanese, Korean, French, Mandarin, Italian, Vietnamese
Studies: Spanish, Arabic (Written), Swedish
Studies: Danish, Dari, Kirundi

 
 Message 53 of 57
19 March 2012 at 9:17pm | IP Logged 
druckfehler wrote:
Quote:
I've seen too many posts on this forumn deriding Korean people for treating foreigners as English dictionaries and nothing more. If anything, I've learned more about the depth of friendship from my Korean friends than my American friends, which I can then bring back to the States and infuse into my friendships over there. However I feel I've had a unique experience with Korean. Even still, I've had that experience because I've put my heart and soul into the culture. Maybe it's a tougher culture to break into than others, but the rewards are just as precious, if not more so.


Thank you! At last I read an experience that resonates with me. When I read things written about Korea in English I also mostly find this unbalanced view many expats seem to hold. I've met many Koreans and all of them were extremely kind, interested people, independent of age and profession. I don't see the same thing happen to outsiders in German society. I didn't see it happen to this extent in a multicultural society like New Zealand either. I really wonder how people have formed such a view of Korea and Koreans and whether some of it has more to do with living abroad and culture shock in general.

Actually, when I was in Korea I was almost at a loss how to stay a sane, introverted person and still meet all the people who offered to spend time with me (while talking to me in Korean, even with my limited vocabulary and grammar and even though they were all studying English). There are SO many Koreans who aren't comfortable with speaking English but generally curious/friendly towards foreigners, you really should be able to find some who will talk to you. When random people of all ages got wind of my knowing a little bit of Korean they talked to me in bus stations and parks and invited me into their homes. But maybe this is a German privilege, because Germans invented the Mercedes-Benz and Neuschwanstein Castle? :D

I personally don't have any middle-aged friends in Germany, so I don't expect that from Koreans either. But in Korea it seems that you can far more easily have some sort of kinship with unrelated people much older than yourself and I like that a lot. They'll give career and general advice and generally look out for you, which I find quite nice.


I agree.

I have an experiec that Most Koreans are extremely friendly to someone who is interested in learning their language.






1 person has voted this message useful



Zireael
Triglot
Senior Member
Poland
Joined 4490 days ago
518 posts - 636 votes 
Speaks: Polish*, EnglishB2, Spanish
Studies: German, Sign Language, Tok Pisin, Arabic (Yemeni), Old English

 
 Message 55 of 57
23 February 2013 at 8:22pm | IP Logged 
Wow, judging from this thread Korean is pretty scary! I've been learning Arabic for 3 months and I can write and pronounce short sentences already, so it isn't as bad as Afgjasmine16 says.
1 person has voted this message useful



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