subject: Tips for Learning to Express Oneself in the Language Used in Korea [print this page] Tips for Learning to Express Oneself in the Language Used in Korea
The country of Korea has followed the traditional thoughts of Confucius philosophy brought from Chinese philosophy. The high respect towards others, most importantly those with a high social position, is part of the Confucianism way of thinking. At the same time, an individual is supposed to be polite towards their friends, spouses, father and mother, grandparents, elderly people, and high-ranking officers. There are courteous expressions that should be spoken when conversing with people. Korea, among other countries within the Asian continent, was remarkably influenced by Confucianism and even today in Korea it could still be seen in the culture. There are certain expressions to be used between friends and for respected people in the community. The correct greeting should be used to show respect towards father and mother, professors and strangers.
It is important to understand clearly the casual and polite expressions that Koreans use in the language. As a sample, a person can politely greet someone "How are you?" by telling "Jal jineshuht-uh-yo?" however you may say "Jal jinetsuh?" instead whenever talking informally with a friend. Whenever you would like to say thanks to somebody in an casual way, you may say "gomawuh" but if you wish this to be spoken politely, you will instead say "gomapseupnida." When you meet up with a very good friend you haven't seen for a long period you say "Orenman-iya" but you say "Orenmani-eh-yo" if you address somebody you respect "Long time no see."
In the learning of Korean, one should study certain manners of speaking as the custom dictates. Eye contact seems to be a necessary ingredient in communication among Americans and Europeans. For foreigners from the western culture, looking at somebody in the eye during discussions is a means of letting the other individual know that you are being attentive. For many Koreans on the other hand, making eye contact with an individual is not polite. In Korean culture, you are considered disrespectful when talking with a person, if you make eye contact with that individual particularly if the person happens to have a higher public rank. One example is when employers talk to their employees. Employees should refrain from looking bosses in the eye whilst they are saying something, or they may be regarded as impolite. Youngsters are expected to abide to the same principle when they are conversing to their parents and seniors.
In general, practicing to speak the Korean language need not be tough. Because of its language structure and pronunciation or "bal-eum", the Korean language is not impossible to understand. Although determining the casual and the polite expressions for distinct kinds of people may initially be confusing, you will not have any big problems if you just know the way to use the expressions and whom to use them for. To better become acquainted with the Korean language, one could enroll in Korean language classes. You can also read Korean books or "gong-bu-anneh" and practice talking and start learning the accent or "wehguk gangseh." There are numerous sources on the world wide web that can assist you explore and better learn the language.
