Common English Mistakes #1: Watch those pronouns

Even though I live, work, and study in Korea, I still use English to communicate with a fair amount of people. A lot of those people use English as their second or third language so you're bound to hear a few mistakes here and there (just like me when I speak in Korean). The majority of my friends are great at English, many having learned it since grade school.

However, there is one mistake that I hear frequently with my friends that kind of surprised me. Maybe it's common? I'm not exactly sure as I haven't been involved in the English teaching realm for very long. And also, I don't believe this is just a slip of the tongue as with native speakers accidentally mispronouncing words or substituting incorrect words.

This mistake is: the use of the wrong pronoun (namely he versus she, and him versus her).

Some conversations I have had with my friends become very confusing as they will interchangeably use he/she/him/her//they.

Example: "A" is the non-native speaker and "B" is me.

A: Yesterday I went to the movies with my friend.
B: Right, you said the movie was great. What did your friend say about the movie?
A: He thought it was great too.
B: How about after the movie? Did you do anything else?
A: I wanted to eat something, but my friend wasn't hungry so she just went home.
B: ...wait is your friend a boy or a girl?
A: Why? She's a boy!
B: ...Right...Anyway, have I met this friend before?
A: I don't think you've met her before...
B: You mean, "I don't think you've met him", right?
A: Him? I said I don't think you've met.
B: Your phone is ringing...
A: Ah! Look she's calling me right now!
B: ...He's calling you?
A: No...different friend...
B: (o.O)

I've had multiple experiences like this where following the dialogue becomes confusing due to the sex of people changing multiple times in the conversation. But then again using "they" too much and in instances where it is actually a singular person may be considered incorrect grammar as well (^.^).

Do you hear the same from your friends that are learning English or use English as a second language? Let me know :)

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My Korean Life #27: House Hunting Part 3 - The Decision and Signing a Lease

Part 3: The Decision and Signing a Lease

So you are probably wondering which property I chose and the process of signing a lease and actually contracting an apartment!

I ended up choosing one I saw with the 3rd agent. The one that was my favorite out of all the ones I saw.

It's on the top floor of the building (just 4 stories tall but still on the top). The building has an elevator and looked very well maintained. The unit was not your standard box with a window as is with most one-rooms here. The kitchen area is somewhat separate from the living space and the bathroom is bigger than average. There is a small enclosed balcony area that I'll probably use for storage and hanging laundry. Overall, I'm very pleased with what the agent found to show me and can't wait to move and make place my own so to speak. Due to privacy concerns I won't divulge the area I am living in nor pictures of my apartment but you may see some of it coming up on my YouTube channel depending on my filming schedule with my fellow classmate.

**If your Korean language ability is still being developed (Or you are unable to obtain a copy of the terms and conditions in your mother tongue) I suggest bringing a Korean friend with you to go through the final negotiations and contract signing**

The day I signed the contract the following happened:

• Invited back to the agent's office for a final chat
• Agent called the owner to make final negotiations and to settle the move in date
• Agent provided an English copy of the terms and conditions of the lease
• Agent described all the money that was to be due and when.
• Final negotiated rent, security deposit, management fee, and brokerage fee was detailed
• The day I signed the contract, 3 copies were made (one for me, the agent, and the building owner). Once the building owner signs the paperwork, a fully signed copy will be given to me. In the interim, I was given a copy without the building owner's signature.
• I also paid part of the security deposit to basically hold the property. I also decided to pay the brokerage fee that day but the agent said I could have waited if I wanted.

More details about the brokerage fee:

Real estate agents will take a brokerage fee once you sign a contract. This fee is 0.4% of the (Monthly rent x 100) + Security Deposit Amount. Upon signing the contract, you will be asked to pay a holding deposit (a portion of the security deposit) and the brokerage fee. Upon moving in, the balance of the security deposit, management fee, and first month's rent is due. Utilities are billed as you use them per month and bills arrive in your mailbox. The management fee can include a number of things but typically it only includes Internet and TV (and water sometimes). Some buildings have everything included but the management fee may be quite high (~$100 per month).

The brokerage fee can also be where the agent could give you a further discount. Be aware there is tax added to this fee (the tax on mine was about 10%).

I paid the holding deposit and brokerage fee by bank transfer but the agent said he would have also taken cash.

Immigration information:

If you are a foreigner you only have 14 days to change your address at immigration from the day you move to your new address. If you do not do this and immigration finds out, you can be fined a lot. You should bring a copy of your lease and a form you can get at the immigration office. Let's say instead move to a Korean friend's house, goshitel, or hasukjib; immigration told me you need another form you can get at immigration that basically says you are living at their place with their permission. The address change is free, however, if you run out of spaces for addresses on the back of your ARC Card, then I think you have to pay for another card (will verify after I go to immigration in a week or two).

Part 4 will cover moving in and taking possession of my new home :)

My Korean Life #26: House Hunting Part 2 - Visiting Real Estate Agencies

Part 2: Visiting Agencies and Properties

So you know what kind of property you want to see...now it's time to visit real estate agencies! Below is the list I visited and some details about each. The real estate agents can't read your mind so don't be afraid to tell them right off the bat if you don't like something. They probably have a variety of other places to show you.

Real Estate Agency #1, 2nd floor office (Visited on a Saturday):

• Before leaving the office to view properties we previewed a couple on his computer.
• Saw about 6 properties (Twice we saw two different rooms in the same property).
• Agent was a male, 30s.
• The first thing he asked me was what I was willing to pay for the deposit and monthly rent.
• First we walked to some properties and then were driven in his car to others.
• Was very friendly, not pushy, and told me my Korean was good :)
• After seeing the properties he dropped us back off near his office and said just to call if any tickled my fancy.
• Of the viewed properties, 2 were pretty nice.
• Of the viewed properties, the rest were either too small, too old, or just not what I was quite looking for.

Real Estate Agency #2, 2nd floor office above a coffee shop (Visited on a Saturday):

• Saw 2 properties (was going to see a third but he said the room was smaller than the other two so we skipped out)
• Agent was a male but had a female co-worker also in the office when we visited, bigger office than the first agency
• Again, the first thing I was asked was what I was willing to pay
• We were driven to all the properties
• He was also friendly, not pushy, but seemed in more of a rush than the other guy, he also said my Korean was good.
• After seeing properties he asked us where we'd like to be dropped off, and we were dropped off at the subway station. 
• He also said to just call if any were to my liking.
• Of the viewed properties, 1 I really liked.

Real Estate Agency #3, 2nd basement office (Visited on a Wednesday):

• Before leaving the office to view properties we previewed many on his computer.
• Saw 4 properties (Planned on seeing more but one was much older than the others so we skipped it)
• Agent was male and had a few employees (one male, one female that I saw), spoke very good English and caters to the foreign student market in the area
• Again, it's all based upon how much money you can afford for the deposit and rent
• Was driven to all the properties.
• Of the viewed properties, 1 was my favorite out of all viewed properties thus far.
• He said the one I liked the most is very popular and empty so it will be hard to get unless I make a move fast.
• Besides the one that was my favorite, there wasn't any pressure to make a quick decision.

Overall I saw close to 15 properties spread out over 3 visits to real estate agent offices. Sometimes the building owner was there to show us around the property, other times we just let ourselves in. Many of the rooms still had residents inside so sometimes we were greeted by the person who still lives there. All of the residents we saw were civil and friendly and didn't make a big deal about us barging in. From what I hear this is kind of normal procedure, even some of my ex-pat friends have gotten calls from their building owner asking for their door code or if they are actually there or not so that the apartment can be shown.

Part 3 will cover making a decision and signing the contract.

My Korean Life #25: House Hunting Part 1 - Before You Go

This mini-series within "My Korean Life" will document me finding a one-room (studio apartment) here in Korea. <NOTE: There is something called the jeonse (전세) system in Korea but normally that requires $80,000 - $125,000+ upfront, I will not be addressing this system>

Part 1: Research and Preparation

Research where you want to live first of all. Then you can start to look online or visit the windows of real estate agents and browse possible rooms. In Korea there is a very popular app called "직방" which I used to find some open rooms. They may not show you the exact apartment you saw online or the app due to the heavy turn over but they will show you similar properties or whatever is in your price range. Most every room has a negotiable price. Prices published online are normally what the building owner prefers but that is not set in stone.

If your Korean is...still in development...then feel free to bring along a Korean friend with you. I did on my first two visits to agencies but honestly (and my Korean friend said this to me) she didn't need to be there. My Korean was good enough. The 3rd agent I visited speaks English well so we talked mostly in English.

First thing you should KNOW (not a maybe and not an "I don't know") is the MAX you are willing to pay for both the security deposit (보증금) and monthly rent (월세). They will also ask you when you want to move in (an estimate is fine). I gave about one or two weeks out. You also don't want to go to the real estate agency too soon (maybe within 2-4 weeks of you wanting to move unless you need more time to plan or want to look at multiple areas of town).

They may also ask what is important to you or what size of room you want. They may reference an old area measurement called pyeong (평). If looking at one-rooms I suggest at least 6 pyeong (~213.5 sq.ft. or ~19.8 sqm).

They may also ask you about the options you want, this means what is included when you rent the apartment. Most will come some furniture like a desk or wardrobe. MANY DO NOT COME WITH A BED but sometimes this can be negotiated into the contract options. Just check with the real estate agent on what the options are PER PROPERTY.

If you visit multiple properties in the same neighborhood, remember where you have been as real estate agents may share regions, neighborhoods, or property building listings.

Checklist (pre-visit)

• Preferred location
• Max Deposit and Max Rent Amount. Most properties are negotiable.
• Preferred size (in pyeong or square meters)
• Preferred options (bed, desk, refrigerator, wardrobe, etc)
• Move-in Date
• Term of lease (Normally 1 year but some can negotiate less than a year or more than a year depending on the building owner)

Part 2 will cover visiting properties.

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My Korean Life #24: Summer Weather

I recently completed some more vlogging sessions with the same Korean language learner which you can view below.  

In other news, the weather has gotten quite hot in Korea as is customary for the summer. The humidity has not hit yet but don't worry, it is just around the corner. Normally in July and August the humidity skyrockets and wallpaper begins peeling off the walls because of all the moisture in the air. The other thing Korean summers are known for are mosquitos. 

Last summer I didn't have that much of a problem with mosquitos but where I live now there are a lot of them. There is also a family of cats that live on the premises as well. I've seen the mother cat (I assume it's the mother, but you never know, they may have a stay-at-home Dad) and the kittens frolicking about at night. The parent cat loves to hiss at me when I walk up the steps in front of where I live. 

Also, the neighbor's dog, who used to bark at me every time I passed by, has finally chilled out. Today he just stared at me with no barks at all.

In regards to language school, I have almost no written homework which is good in one way but makes it hard in another. Now I have to really force myself to study a lot and preview the next day's material...with no worksheets or exercises to really guide me through the process. Considering I've become quite busy with a few other endeavors lately, I don't mind having anything to hand in every class.

Class in general is still structured but also more driven simply by student participation. There is a lot of chatting both by the students in class and by the teacher especially during the main block of time (reading+speaking). Writing class is quite casual as it was in level 5. Actually I rarely use that complex of grammar when writing. A lot of times the prompts just don't call for it either. There is quite a lot of vocabulary though so, I've been trying to at least integrate that.

Anyway, enjoy the videos below!

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My Korean Life #23: Last term at language school is on the horizon

Starting on Thursday, it will be the first day of my last term in language school. It all flew by very fast. Just a year ago I was beginning my new life as a full time language student in Level 2 and now I am about to start Level 6. I still have a few days of break left and I've kept quite busy even though going into the break I had very few plans.

One thing that I experienced for the first time was a wedding in Korea. My good friend from Level 3 tied the knot this past weekend and I attended the wedding ceremony. I had just read about what a Korean wedding was like so experiencing it was interesting. Before the ceremony you can visit the bride in a special room and take pictures with her. At the entrance to the wedding hall, both sets of parents and the groom stand out front to greet everyone. You also have the desk where you can give your congratulatory money (no physical gifts) and in return you receive a meal ticket.

The actual ceremony was different from what I'm used to in the USA. During the ceremony there were still people chit chatting while things were being read and people were also taking a bunch of pictures or on their cell phones. Friends of the groom (I think) sang a song and the groom joined in at the end. The couple bowed to both sets of parents and a few hugs and tears were also exchanged.

After the ceremony, they had picture time. First was the couple, then the family, and then all the friends. Also, the throwing of the bouquet is prearranged and staged. Only one girl (usually set to get married soon) stands behind the bride to catch the bouquet. If the picture isn't satisfactory the first time around, they reset and do it again, haha.

Finally comes the meal, they had food set out on the table before hand and as we sat down they brought out hot soup and rice. Other things available were fruit, meat, seafood, japchae, kimchi, beer, soju, and soft drinks. The couple also came around to each table to greet guests and thank them for coming.

After eating, you're done! No big reception with dancing and drinking and cake :/ Oh well.

Also, I recently met a fellow language student and did a little interview/chat with her, check it out below. We've planned to make more vlogs together so stay tuned to my YouTube channel for those:

www.youtube.com/user/brightness86

My Korean Life #22: Again, hard to believe!

I am quickly approaching what will be my last term in language school. It's hard to believe about a year ago I had just stepped foot in Korea to start my life as an ex-pat. Also hard to believe I have completed 4 terms of language school with no break (besides the short vacations we get between semesters). Although I do know classmates that have done level 1-5 with no breaks.

I must say, the burned out feeling can come up and it has come up for me at times. No matter how hard I studied or reviewed vocabulary there were things that just didn't sink in. I think that is ok now. In my view, doing a language course like this does not mean you will become anywhere close to a native speaker over 18 months. Rather, it is an intense exposure to many facets of the language and culture...hopefully stimulating you to pursue further study or simply interaction with native speakers. 

Honestly, I still have trouble understanding some of my Korean friends. I still have trouble watching news broadcasts and Korean TV shows...but I'm ok with that. I know a lot of my friends are obsessed with watching Korean TV. I, myself, really like Korean music but it doesn't mean I'll become a highly proficient speaker just by listening to a lot of music. Nor should you have the expectation that watching Korean TV directly relates to becoming great Korean speaker.

I'll be entering what is considered "level 6" at Sogang during the summer. After completing this tier you are considered 'done' and you receive a certificate with the number of class hours completed. It's considered a big achievement and some people even wear hanboks to the graduation ceremony. I've struggled since level 3 and was on the brink of having to redo levels at least 2 times. The hardest part for me has been the vocabulary. And in the higher levels, a lot of the words are based on Chinese characters (Hanja) which leaves the Chinese speakers in class with a huge advantage...and the Japanese...anyway

My advice - how you do on the tests in class shouldn't determine how you feel about your skill level. Don't let a number or letter grade define how you feel about the language. In addition to class material, study things you are interested in. I actually really liked watching the food network in the USA so I've taken to watching Korean food shows. I've also watched a few movies that were only in Korean with no subtitles of any type. Study hard, but have some fun.

Feel free to ask me anything about the program.

~