English or Korean?

[IcemanSK]

I'm curious as to whether you prefer to teach or learn Tae Kwon Do in English or Korean......and what your experience has been.

I've had Korean instructors who wanted to teach as much in English as possible, so the students understood him. (Techniques were mainly taught in English, but we needed to know the Korean terms for testing). I've also had American instructors who just don't feel its Tae Kwon Do unless all terminology is in the "Mother tongue." In addition, I've had American instructors whose only (seeming) understanding that Tae Kwon Do is from another country is using the term Tae Kwon Do (ie. they NEVER use Korean terms).

What do you folks think? What have you experienced? What do you prefer? Why do you think its important for your learning of the Art?

 

[terryl965]

Well I do as I live, in America I teach in english when oversea I try my best to soeak there language.
Terry

 

[Xue Sheng]

Back when I did TDK my instructor was from Korea but he taught in both English and Korean and I had no problem with it at all.

On a related side note, I went, BRIEFLY, to a Kendo school and the instructor insisted on teaching in Japanese. This would have been fine if I was in Japan and or the instructor was Japanese, but I was in America and the instructor was an American.

This made it exceptionally difficult for new students, since he would also get upset if you did not respond properly. This is also why I was there briefly, and from what I can tell the school no longer exists. The instructor seemed very skilled but he was not Japanese and his insistence on using it very likely was the schools downfall.

 

[matt.m]

We count to 10 in korean, we call the generalized techniqe and use basic korean terminology. Hanah - Yul. Poomse, Charyat, Kung Yi, C-Jack, Baro, Chaki, Soo Ki. You guys get the idea.

In hapkido it is Son Mok Soo, Eui Bok Soo. Other than that it is all english for the most part.

 

[Fluffy]

I mix, some Korean commands with English as my crutch.

 

[Fluffy]

We count to 10 in korean, we call the generalized techniqe and use basic korean terminology. Hanah - Yul. Poomse, Charyat, Kung Yi, C-Jack, Baro, Chaki, Soo Ki. You guys get the idea.

In hapkido it is Son Mok Soo, Eui Bok Soo. Other than that it is all english for the most part.

Do you really say C-Jack? lol

That is so funny, back in the day.....god, I was 15 (I'm now 33)....I had to start conducting testings. I had a hard time in front of a couple hundred spectators and students. Under the pressure the one command I would forget was Shee-Jack, so my dad pulls me aside and said just look at all the athletes out there, do you C-Jock? Never did forget that command after that.

 

[Kacey]

I use some Korean mixed with English - for a couple of reasons. First, I have had the opportunity to work with students and instructors from other countries, and I don't speak their language, and they didn't speak mine. Having a small, common base of Korean terms allowed us to work together without resorting to pantomime. This also holds true for students who want to go to high levels of competition - where there are multiple languages, often too many to have interpreters, especially if there is not an interpreter who shares a language with both competitors, the referee and other ring officials - potentially up to 9 or 10 languages in one ring at a time. In addition, while I know many people disagree with this viewpoint, the history and language of an art's native country helped to influence how that art developed, and therefore I find it to be important that I learn about both the history and language, at least some, and that my students learn it as well, to both respect the country that produced the art and to help them understand some of the whys and wherefores that underlie techniques, patterns, and concepts.

 

[searcher]

Well I do as I live in America, I teach in english when overseas, I try my best to speak their language.
Terry

Ditto for me. I try to teach as much of the native tongue of the particular style to the students. My reasoning is that If my students go to a seminar or if I have a guest instructor in I want both the student and the instructor to feel comfortable and to be able to learn.

 

[cali_tkdbruin]

Do you really say C-Jack? lol

...one command I would forget was Shee-Jack... Never did forget that command after that.

Cool Story. To me it was SHI-JAK!!!:ultracool

 

[Miles]

I too use both English and Korean terms. There are specific terms for Kukki-TKD which are universally understood. This made it easier for students of all nationalities to undertake the Instructor Course at Kukkiwon since not all the nationalities present had an interpreter (e.g. there was a young lady from Turkey and she fortunately understood German as well as the Korean terms for techniques).

Miles

 

[bignick]

I think one of the values of learning using the Korean terminology is that it is just one more thing to remove you from the "real" world and help you focus on your training while you are in the gym. Focusing on the foreign language is one more way to help leave everything else outside the gym.

 

[IcemanSK]

I agree w/ Nick that it can help get students into the mindset of learning the art. I use a mixture of the two. Some things (Cha-yet, kyung net) I only ever say in Korean. Others things (stances, blocks) I only say in English. Counting is in Korean, English & Spanish (just for fun).

 

[MBuzzy]

I may have a unique point of view on this one. I am currently in Korea and studying Tang Soo Do. There is a Tae Kwon Do class immediately after mine as well. My Korean instructor (as well as the Korean TKD Instructor) teaches a lot in English. His english is funny sometimes, but he speaks well. I have to ask specifically for the korean names to movements. Of course the basic commands and form names are in korean, but the individual techniques are all taught in english.