Bilingual

Koreans usually think you don't know Korean and yet continue to speak to you as if you understand.  The kids talk to you in Korean, or broken English if they know it, and they still think you understand.  But once you actually show them that you really do understand, they freak out!  Then they want you to speak in Korean to them!  Or they start writing things while they say it.  It is super easy to learn how to read Korean,  but i still haven't.  Oops.

Well I'm beginning to understand more Korean these days.  Usually its a word here and there and then i can piece together the conversation and kinda make it up in my mind.  I can usually understand the kids if they are asking me something or if it colors or something because i've heard it over and over and over and over.  Today, my 3rd grades were learning the word "leftovers."  So i described it as food that is still at the table when everyone is finished.  Then one boy said some like, "oh, trash food," (but in Korean).  And i responded saying, "Noooo, its not trash food, you save it for later!"  All the boys got these surprised look on their faces and started laughing and rambling in Korean.  It was pretty cute.  

(Sidenote:  In Korea if you go out to eat you either finish your meal or they throw away your food.  Its very uncommon to take your leftovers home in a doggy bag.)

And then in my 1st grade class we were doing these workbooks and they were learning about food and how to talk about it.  One boy decided to be lazy and talk to me in Korean.  He asked me, "Teacher, can I have a pencil?"  I grabbed the pencil holder and said, "Yes, but ask me in English."  His eyes got all big and he told the boy next to him, "She knows Korean!!!!!"  He finally asked in English and then the rest of the class he asks me questions in Korean to see if i'll understand, which most of the time i did.  I tried to get him to ask me in English before i gave him the answer though.  Meanwhile, all the other kids are shouting around me, "Done!!" and then one kid keeps working and shouts out, "Yummy yummy yummy!!!!  So tasty!!!"  I love this class, they never can contain themselves and are always excited about something.  Another fun day in the field of teaching.