I am always embarrassed whenever people ask how long have I been living in Korea. There is a split-second dilemma about lying or twisting the truth a bit. My Korean husband and I got married in 1999. My husband speaks English fluently so we usually converse in English.
From 1999 till 2010 I taught English in Korea. Teaching Korean kids five days a week familiarised me with basic Korean classroom vocabulary and expressions. The owner of the English language school and my Korean co-teachers spoke to me mostly in English. They wanted to practice English with me and other foreign teachers as much as possible so there goes my other alibi for not improving my Korean fluency.
In 2011 my husband and I moved to the Philippines. We stayed in Makati City with my family for six years. We moved back to Korea in 2017. When you don't get to speak Korean for six years, it is inevitable to forget a lot of Korean words and phrases.
To be continued...
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My KOREAnization
Non-FictionI have been living in and out of Korea since 1999. I got my Korean citizenship in 2003 and it is embarrassing that after living in Korea for so long my fluency in Korean is stagnant at intermediate level. I have many friends who visit Korea three to...
