Asian Language Learners who get pissed...

[BeTheReds]

On youtube, some girl made this video about how to say happy new year in Korean (for the Lunar New Year). I happened to click on it and watched it, and I thought that the information in it was pretty good, but her pronunciation and intonation were rather lacking. In the comment section I said that I was sure that her Korean was just fine (trying to be as unoffensive as possible, ) but that she should work on her accent..

Then in comes Korea's expat Youtube community to her defense, calling me too critical and saying what I did was an unnecessary attack.

I guess these people actually like it when people tell them that their Korean is good...

I've always gone by the idea that if people say you're good at a certain language then it means you aren't, because if you were, then they wouldn't say anything. That is, unless of course they are ignorant and saying that because of your race.

Anyway, I don't know why my suggestion caused someone to flip out.

[VV o n g B a]

this thread is useless w/o the offender's youtube vid.

[cloudzero]

youtube comments. i can't read them, i just cant....

[Craig]

I've been told my English was good, and I've also been told my English was crappy, etc. All the comments I can recall have been race (or perceived race) related. Whatever language I speak, Chinese, Japanese, whatever, I'm sure I'm going to get plenty of comments that are more racially tinged than they are relevant to my actual language skills.

[sandra]

because it's youtube, and ppl just like to talk shit on youtube.

[Sunflare]

Its both reasons most likely because we have ppl on youtube that are racist anyway and it shows in their comments.

I mean specifically non-Asians who have prejudices against Asians. The OP mentioned that the offensive comments were posted from the so called Korean 'expat' community which is a dead ringer to me right there as to why Reds must have got flamed the way he did I bet plus the fact that many other ppl on youtube talk ridiculously stupid crap anyway as it is.

[kimpossible]

The problem is your feedback is subject to feedback but that's the internets for ya. In real life though, a real friend is someone who corrects my Chinese. Sometimes she slaps and mocks me but that's nothing compared to being around her kids. Kids will tell you straight up if you talk weird. Anyhow, I think you were helpful but come on, it's the internet.

She must not have been that hot, huh?

[J Honcanese]

It may have been a way for the expats to vent their frustrations about learning Korean... chances are that most of them will find it difficult to get the pronunciation and intonations right. Was said girl Korean or from somewhere else?

[BeTheReds]

She's white and from the US.

[Sunflare]

Now it makes sense, looking at the last two posts.

What were the nature of the comments then ? Describe them to us.

[popculturepooka]

On youtube, some girl made this video about how to say happy new year in Korean (for the Lunar New Year). I happened to click on it and watched it, and I thought that the information in it was pretty good, but her pronunciation and intonation were rather lacking. In the comment section I said that I was sure that her Korean was just fine (trying to be as unoffensive as possible, ) but that she should work on her accent..

Then in comes Korea's expat Youtube community to her defense, calling me too critical and saying what I did was an unnecessary attack.

I guess these people actually like it when people tell them that their Korean is good...

I've always gone by the idea that if people say you're good at a certain language then it means you aren't, because if you were, then they wouldn't say anything. That is, unless of course they are ignorant and saying that because of your race.

Anyway, I don't know why my suggestion caused someone to flip out.


Nihongo ga joozu desu neeeee!!! Ever miss that BTR? Surely you've gotten it.... :wink:

On a serious note I used to correct people in my Japanese classes but they didn't take it well coming from a person who wasn't full Asian.

[nameless]

this thread is useless w/o the offender's youtube vid.

This.

But no uggos or fatties, please.

[kimpossible]

Hot chick mangling language = compliment.

Busted chick mangling language = criticize.

Hot chick doing anything = compliment.

Busted chick doing anything = criticize.

[BeTheReds]

Here's the video.

Most of the negative comments are as messages to my youtube account. The one in reply to me is rather tame, correcting me for spelling intonation as "entonation"

http://youtube.com/watch?v=LyLc_KCjC7M

[BeTheReds]

Nihongo ga joozu desu neeeee!!! Ever miss that BTR? Surely you've gotten it.... :wink:

On a serious note I used to correct people in my Japanese classes but they didn't take it well coming from a person who wasn't full Asian.

No I don't miss it. In fact, I miss the people who looked past that.


As for correcting people in the same level of a class as you... dang, that's harsh... They may have needed it, but if you're the same level as them, and (presumably the same ability) I would assume that it would be somewhat insulting... I usually didn't correct the people in my language classes with me, but I was sure to talk about them behind their backs.. hahahaha

[Sunflare]

Hot chick mangling language = compliment.

Busted chick mangling language = criticize.

Hot chick doing anything = compliment.

Busted chick doing anything = criticize.


Checked the video, she's no hottie Kim, she looks too plain looking.

[Sunflare]

Nihongo ga joozu desu neeeee!!! Ever miss that BTR? Surely you've gotten it.... :wink:

On a serious note I used to correct people in my Japanese classes but they didn't take it well coming from a person who wasn't full Asian.No I don't miss it. In fact, I miss the people who looked past that.


As for correcting people in the same level of a class as you... dang, that's harsh... They may have needed it, but if you're the same level as them, and (presumably the same ability) I would assume that it would be somewhat insulting... I usually didn't correct the people in my language classes with me, but I was sure to talk about them behind their backs.. hahahaha

Funny, when I was in my Mandarin Chinese classes sometimes I helped other 3rd gen ABC students who don't speak Mandarin Chinese and the non-Asian Americans there as well, and I never really got the impression from any of them that I was insulting or patronizing them. Thing is, can't front, my Chinese sucks in my personal opinion. I'm a 3rd gen ABC reject myself.

However I did get heavy criticism from native speakers who are fluent in Mandarin over how I mess up in my speech sometimes. I took it as constructive criticism nevertheless, it was a necessary part of the learning experience.

I've been told my English was good, and I've also been told my English was crappy, etc. All the comments I can recall have been race (or perceived race) related. Whatever language I speak, Chinese, Japanese, whatever, I'm sure I'm going to get plenty of comments that are more racially tinged than they are relevant to my actual language skills.

From many white Americans, yes, they've given me racialized compliments on my English too, which I find very annoying considering that I was born and raised in the U.S. speaking English all my life.

[J Honcanese]

She's white and from the US.I can see why the expats would get mad at this... I guess they abide by the rule that if you're not a native speaker then you have the right to speak it badly/imperfectly. My counter-argument is that anyone wanting to seriously learn a language should aim to get everything right, especially the pronunciation and intonations.

One of my pet peeves is hearing people maul languages that I've learnt in the past... I did a few years of French and Italian back in high school and it's just painful to hear English people butchering those languages. The ironic thing is that I always get told I speak Cantonese like an ABC and Mandarin like an Englishman (which is pretty much an insult).

[BeTheReds]

I can see why the expats would get mad at this... I guess they abide by the rule that if you're not a native speaker then you have the right to speak it badly/imperfectly. My counter-argument is that anyone wanting to seriously learn a language should aim to get everything right, especially the pronunciation and intonations.

One of my pet peeves is hearing people maul languages that I've learnt in the past... I did a few years of French and Italian back in high school and it's just painful to hear English people butchering those languages. The ironic thing is that I always get told I speak Cantonese like an ABC and Mandarin like an Englishman (which is pretty much an insult).

Ironically she's also an English Teacher and so were the other people "defending" her. I am sure she corrects her students' pronunciations all the time.

[BillBlythe]

lol i don't speak korean but i've seen my fair share of kmovies and dramas and starcraft matches to know that she was fairly off.

[kimpossible]

Checked the video, she's no hottie Kim, she looks too plain looking.

Confirming my extremely scientific chart.

[Sunflare]

Yeah, remember the youtube chick Applemilk who was in cosplay speaking in Japanese before getting knocked by 4chan or something like that? She's much cuter. The kinky outfit is a plus.

[mr. x]

are you seriously taking a youtube comment personally?

youtube comments are to youtube what the sewage tunnels are to food

[kimpossible]

^I think he was using it as an example of multiple points. Youtube is the new craigslist for crazy shit.

[Sunflare]

I agree. Most of the ppl who post comments on youtube, thinking about it, they are (most of them) basement dwelling lowlives anyway. None of us here are not I'm sure, we have actual productive lives. When I surf on youtube I hardly ever look at the comments. It's that unimportant to me. Just a bunch of 'effed up gabble.