0
auvskydiving

Korean student language barrier

Recommended Posts

auvskydiving

I get a lot of "Yes" as a response to everything, but there isn't any actual comprehending going on.



They will always answer yes, even if they have no clue. Its because they are embarrassed and will lose "face" if they admit to not understanding something. He will also be worried about offending you if he answers no.

Questioning is something they just do not do. This concept is very important to people from Asia, and governs everything they do.

You have to be very careful.....I've trained a lot of non English speakers, but that was on SL rather than AFF. I was able to keep it very simple, using minimal language, and lots of demonstrations and diagrams. I then had a person fluent in their language on the radio and I relayed the instructions to them.

It always worked out OK, but I had to do quite a bit extra to ensure that they really did understand what they needed to know. You have to test their understanding at every step.

I think AFF might be too complicated to do with a person who doesn't understand, the risk of misunderstanding is too great. Unless you can find a Korean speaking instructor, I would pass on this one.
My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

I was just through Elsinore, and it seemed like they have a Korean contingent training there...



I had a group of Koreans turn up at my DZ for a couple of weeks a few years ago. It turns out they were military, and by their demeanour, were special forces.

They were very insular, wouldn't mix with us or join in with anything. Came across as pretty ruthless, and the guy in charge was a real mean bugger....definitely would not want to cross him and meet n a dark alley....

On their last night they finally joined us in the bar, and when I showed them a string trick with a pull up cord, he insisted on going first to solve it. Of course he couldn't, and got very sour about it.

When one of his underlings solved it he got really nasty....That's when I realised he'd lost "face" in front of his men.

I would not have liked to be in the boots of the guy who solved it, because you could see he was going to be punished. A very unpleasant individual, I was quite glad they never came back.

If the bunch at Elsinore are cut from the same cloth, I definitely wouldn't throw a civilian in with them.
My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
obelixtim


Quote

I was just through Elsinore, and it seemed like they have a Korean contingent training there...



I had a group of Koreans turn up at my DZ for a couple of weeks a few years ago. It turns out they were military, and by their demeanour, were special forces.

They were very insular, wouldn't mix with us or join in with anything. Came across as pretty ruthless, and the guy in charge was a real mean bugger....definitely would not want to cross him and meet n a dark alley....

On their last night they finally joined us in the bar, and when I showed them a string trick with a pull up cord, he insisted on going first to solve it. Of course he couldn't, and got very sour about it.

When one of his underlings solved it he got really nasty....That's when I realised he'd lost "face" in front of his men.

I would not have liked to be in the boots of the guy who solved it, because you could see he was going to be punished. A very unpleasant individual, I was quite glad they never came back.

If the bunch at Elsinore are cut from the same cloth, I definitely wouldn't throw a civilian in with them.



HAHA, they are cut from a different cloth for sure. I spent a year in Korea and the entire ROCK Army is a very formidable force!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
auvskydiving

I get a lot of "Yes" as a response to everything, but there isn't any actual comprehending going on.



Don't give them yes/no questions.

The best way to deal with a language barrier is to get them to explain it to you. If you ask them yes or no questions they're just going to say what they think you want to hear regardless of whether they understand it.

This takes more time because they have to cover the material back to you at each step.
"I encourage all awesome dangerous behavior." - Jeffro Fincher

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

0