TL;DR - Reactions to Learning Korean Culture and Speaking Korean

[@LovetheLoveliness]

I am Korean and as for me, I say 'you're Korean is good' simply because I am impressed! It is not that I am babying foreigners, but because it is hard to see a foreigner who actually put that much effort to speak Korean. Most of the foreigners that I've met did not speak Korean nor did they try to. (I'm not talking about just saying 'thank you' in Korean, but being able to have basic conversation in Korean) At the same time, I'm really appreciate their effort and love for Korean, I really really do! Now that I think about it, I can understand how annoying it can be to keep hearing the same comment over and over again. It is one time for me, but for that person, they keep hearing whenever they try to speak Korean. I really thank you guys for this video, and I also appreciate the fact that you guys really try to not offend Koreans. I can really understand because English is my second language, but I don't want people to keep saying my English is good, instead of actually having conversation with me. I also undertand where the limit comes. I cannot speak English as fluent as those whose English is there mother tongue, and I will never have pronunciation and accents and them either. (I head that Korean and English uses our mouth/tongue very different, and there are many Koreans I know who's been speaking Korean since childhood, yet I can tell from their pronunciation and accent that they did not grow up in Korea) Anyways, my point was that I really do understand and thank you for pointing this out :) I would have never thought of on the other side if it wasn't for you guys!

[@AndrishhRS]

Joyce Lim WOW! YOUR ENGLISH IS GOOD. Kappa. ㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲ.

[@wmwvic]

+AndrishhRS So mature

[@rinblackmare]

Yeah, I totally get that. I think from a lot of foreigners' perspectives, when they move to a different country like Korea or Japan or whatever, and they put in enough effort to be fluent in the language, they don't do it because they want to constantly be praised for it, they do it so that they can be seen and spoken to as a fellow citizen - for lack of a better word - of that country itself. I'd imagine it'd be incredibly sweet for a person to say, "oh, your pronunciation is so good!" but after a while, it's like, "thank you so much ... but we're you even listening to me ..?" I get the frustration though ...

[@wmwvic]

Julianne Ophelia Loverose Yap. I know what you mean. I guess all you can do is just to be gracious and don't put too much thought into it.

[@3cc3ntr1c1ty]

I have the same problem with language - I'm half Chinese, and cannot say much of anything without people telling me "Oh, your Cantonese is so good!", despite the fact that I grew up speaking Cantonese at home with my Mother. However, I must say it is extremely useful when people are talking about you behind your back, since they always assume you can't understand! The look on their faces when they realise the truth is so worth it. >=)

[@jgugsu7251]

Heyyy I'm half Chinese and my mom is a Cantonese speaker too! But now I feel even worse because my mom never really tried to teach me the language, rather that had me go to Mandarin Saturday Chinese school (fun times - I really should have stayed because then maybe I could have at least learned Mandarin).

[@CarlosPenasGrl]

I'm American and my first language is English, but I am learning Korea because I want to go there. My boss is actually Korean and has been in the states for just a few years and her and her daughter are very encouraging and will actually correct the lessons I am using to study writing Korean. When I try speaking, they are very patient and will help me with pronunciations. It's really encouraging, and my boss has actually offered help for when I go to Korea.

[@DanLee8884]

Simon and Martina, love your vids. Keep em coming. In terms of this video, that's how I feel living in Chicago. I am 32 and moved here when I was 8. People still tell me that my english is good. -_-' It does get annoying.

[@wmwvic]

+Dan Lee I hear you

[@lindsaylove4966]

It happens to me too, being Canadian I speak french at a conversational level, and when I went to France everyone kept saying how good my french is... also I speak a little Japanese, again minimal conversational and when I use Japanese in Chinatown at a Japanese restaurant they all complement me instead of telling me the answer to the question I asked lol

[@EatyourkimchiBonus]

@ZanyaZalkran Spot on. Growing up in Toronto, you never look at someone and say "OH! A foreigner! Look at him speaking English!" Everyone's different, everyone has their own culture, and that's what makes Toronto an awesome, awesome city. Korea's awesome as well, but the insensitivities towards other cultures is jarring sometimes, more so because we're used to multiculturalism.

[@ninninin656]

I have a postgrad degree in English and am a non-native speaker. While I lived in NZ I would ALWAYS get that patronising "oh, your English is really good" from people, even after living there for fricken 10 years! I usually just answered: "why yes, that's kind of crucial since I TEACH ENGLISH!!!!" So that's not a Korean-specific thing, especially English speakers do this ALL the time to fluent non-native speakers!

[@itsnotkira]

i think the korean attitude towards foreigners seems a lot more welcoming than in the US where i live at least. of course, there are tons of foreign people who speak good english but when there are people coming to the US for the first time i notice a lot of americans will treat them like they're stupid so they'll speak slowly and smile a lot. my grandma who immigrated from the philippines in her 20's speaks english well but because of her accent i've noticed a lot of americans treat her like she's dumb..

[@RoastedCatGames]

I think its because korea has way less immigrants/foreigners. Countries that have a lot of immigration slowly developes a negative opinion of foreigners just because they are foreign

[@djkoz78]

Maybe they're not intending to treat anyone as if they're dumb, but since there is in accent it may be hard for people to understand. Like speaking slowly trying to get the other person to understand. Smiling a lot? That's considered rude? Should people frown, scowl, give the evil eye? Or would you prefer someone to smile?

[@RoastedCatGames]

***** Didnt I just say that?

[@Azulmine]

I speak Korean pretty fluently, and since I am ethnically Korean, most people can't tell that I'm American right away. But the moment they realize I'm not from Korea, they suddenly start speaking to me like I'm five, constantly saying "Do you understand?" and try to say everything in English as if I hadn't just been having a good conversation with them two minutes ago

[@user-zx5gs7gd7k]

I'm Chinese and I was born in Canada and most of the time I speak English. At school I'm in the Mandarin Bilingual program which I like, but Chinese people expect me to be super good at Mandarin cause I look asian...even though I was born in Canada just like the other English kids in the program. Whenever they say a little tiny short sentence in Mandarin everyone's like OMG YOU DID IT!! Then when I do a presentation (for a project...I dont do presentations for no reason lol) in Mandarin everyone's kinda like Oh whatever you're asian you should know how to speak really well already. NO just like other kids in the class I was born in Canada and most of the time I speak English at home. This annoys me SO MUCH

[@dianelee3933]

Kim Xiuminnie Me too! I was born and raised in the US and I grew up in a predominantly white/English-speaking town so a lot of people just assume I just arrived from another country and can speak Chinese fluently. -.-

[@trixiefly11]

Kim Xiuminnie My Co-workers daughter is half mexican but looks predominantly mexican and she was taking Spanish in high school and her teacher would get mad at her because she thought she was pretending to not know Spanish very well, when in fact she didn't know it. The teacher would give her bad grades because she thought she should be further along than the other students.

[@JoyceTySean]

Omg yes! I know how that feels. I'm chinese but I would say my first language is English. My friends and family all speak mandarin but I for some reason ended up being more fluent in English than I am in mandarin. My chinese teacher and some of my friends give me looks whenever I don't sound fluent and even pick on me

[@user-om8zb5sr8n]

Me as well, I'm Chinese and know how to speak a basic convo, but that's it. It's frustrating

[@jgugsu7251]

Actually scrolling through the comments below, I realized that I do have an experience with this kind of thing. This year I went to a Chinese camp (even though I can't speak very much Chinese xP) and there was a girl that was from Taiwan who doesn't speak much English. Don't get me wrong, she's a very nice person!! Right after the camp, we traded Instagrams and when I commented on a photo of her's in Chinese, she replied "Your Chinese is very good now." rather than replying to what I said ("I miss you"). I kind of feel like a hypocrite at the same time because in reply to her comment I said "Your English is very good now." but yeah.

[@김경애-l7j]

Because korea is very small and almost korean thinks that korea is not popular . So when you speak korean , we are surprise and amazing. Just understand us thanks :)

[@mellyru7289]

김경애 I thought that too, but I think that they were trying to say that Koreans point that out several times during a conversation, focusing only on their Korean instead on the content of the conversation. But I get what you mean ;)

[@dutchnontulp]

In Japan you will experience quite some encouragement as well. Even for saying ありがとうございます or some other basic things, they will say yozu ne? or yozu, yozu! Basically something along the lines of you are skilled / good at (speaking Japanese). They will love you trying. Though in my experience, some people would be very hesitant to talk to me as a white foreigner, up to the point of ignoring me straight (for many reasons, but that's a different post entirely). What is it like in Korea? Is it easy to practice Korean in shops, restaurants, etc.?

[@Marikomito1]

Yozu?

[@PandaBaby51]

In Hong Kong here and locals speak to me in English to accommodate me while I reply back in Chinese during the whole conversation. It's kinda funny.

[@NoName-fv3if]

"luv"-"lip"-"and"-"a"-"21 asked"; had me dyinnnnngggggggg. I think it was meant to say luvli-panda-21. :P

[@stephanieda2276]

+Fou Roux (crying laughing emoji)

[@anjelkrush89]

well, i for one am a korean american, and i am very excited that you're interested about korean culture. it makes me happy when someone tries to explore possibilities outside of their own surroundings.

[@ninmat]

I can only blame myself for not progressing further with my Korean, BUT.... It was SO awkward each time I tried to speak it! They cooed and made squeaky baby noises at me, like "Ooh, the foreigner is trying to speak, this is so cute!!". Made me really NOT want to speak the language.

[@sojusake]

just wanna say how much I love this series. it's really insightful. thanks guys

[@cy6377]

This is a good point because I was born in Korea, then i came to Australia about 7 yrs ago and am an Australian now. People do compliment with my English which I did try really hard to immerse myself into the society asap and most of my mates thought that I was born in Aus because they reckon that ive got the accent but they only say that the very first time i talk to them, after that they speak to me normally as they would to other people and not mentioning how good my English is. I do see why Koreans keep repeating themselves over with your Korean skill because most of them can speak very limited, basic English and don't experience other cultures as much as we do because Korea has been very restricted with its old customs, a lot more conservative than Japan (though it's changing with younger generation nowadays) thus not really expecting other foreigners familiar with their language and culture. Also most of Korean people don't go overseas often in their lives, probs once or twice, so they don't get to experience the globalisation that is happening around different corners of world. But yeah I mean as you guys emphasize, they don't really mean to be malicious it's more like they appreciate your efforts for speaking a language that is not your native language and its a form of respect among them. At least they don't make fun of your accent (someone might have) and that's when its really awkward ;)

[@mellyru7289]

Caleb Youn Do they point out their Korean skills more than once because they are surprised? I live in Italy and sometime I met foreigners at my university and I tell them how their Italian is good, but just twice (at the beginning and at the end of the conversation). I think it would be really awkward repeating it trough the whole conversation. No?

[@cy6377]

Yeah as they have described in the video native Koreans tend to be very interested if a foreigner can speak Korean fluently and by interested, they tend to over-compliment one's Korean skill more than twice during the conversation which often don't end up well, such as an informat not being able to concentrate on the purpose of one's intention and not answering to the actual question and Yes it will be awkward for them to hear how good their speaking is if heard repeatedly. Honestly I'd get annoyed, it's a good compliment but I would feel as if I'm getting ignored.

[@mellyru7289]

Caleb Youn oh, thank you for the answer :D

[@megt605]

I'm Singaporean and English is the first language there, but we are also required to learn a second language (Malay, Mandarin, Tamil). But my family immigrated to Shanghai since I was 10 and my siblings and I went to international schools. Now I study in Canada, and listening to this video was incredibly comforting to know that the whole "oh your [language] is really good!" from native [where said language is from] is a universal issue felt by non-north americans and north americans alike.

[@Alejandro-vp1op]

The same here in China: I have a rather high level of Chinese but, since my face is not Asian... well, they don't go to my point but to how good my Chinese is. Of course, after you talk more with that person I guess that he/she will not remind you how good your Korean/Chinese is!

[@SomeanimeOwO]

Wow, you got Music Mondays, WTFs, TL;DR , and now Adventure videos every other week? WOW! You guys are great !putting up so much videos weekly, giveme something to look foward to, and teach me about my culture, EVERY WEEK, DEDICATED! TY!

[@johnchoe1]

I think it is has to do with a number of things... 1. They might assume you are a traveler, and wanted to make a nice comment. 2. Encouragement 3. Wishing they can speak English as good as you can speak Korean. 4. As you said in other videos... being that you can get by without learning/speaking Korean. Some might appreciate that you are trying to learn the language, as it can be difficult for many.

[@jgugsu7251]

I live near Los Angeles, and the first time I went to Koreatown I felt very awkward at the restaurant I went to because (I'm not a very confident person) when I tried to order the food, I had told myself I would order it in Korean, but then at the last second I said it in English, and the waiter ended up saying it in Korean (of course). My point is, for me I felt like someone would judge me for trying to speak Korean like "Oh my gosh she thinks she's Korean? What the heck is wrong with her?" and I've noticed that whenever I go into a Korean store and everybody speaks Korean I'm always being stared at like an alien or something. This is my experience in Koreatown, Los Angeles, but it might be different for someone who is more outgoing. If anyone can share their experiences about having spoken a tiny bit of Korean or experimenting with Korean society (culture, food, etc) please let me know how it went so maybe next time I won't be as scared! :)

[@ikaiamercer9987]

I'm half "Asian" with Korean, Japanese, and Chinese and almost half Hawaiian and Caucasian. It's Kinda embarrassing because I'm so Asian but I know barely any language and culture things because I was adopted by a mainly Hawaiian family. I wanna abandon English and American customs as a whole and turn to a more Asian stand point.

[@diru915]

i'm really excited to see the new videos you guys are gonna do! :D thank you so much for caring about your fans!! i always appreciate everything that you guys do :D

[@phant0m0th_]

Can someone recommend me some good websites for learning Korean? I know about TTMIK. But are there any other websites that are worth checking out?

[@TopHatOwl704]

Try memrise.com. They have tons of languages and it's free.

[@michina1987]

I know what you mean by being and understanding a language when you are in a crowd celebrating any sports. Im salvadorean living in the US and last time ES played against mexico for the world cup, we happen to order some salvi food- the restaurant was packed when I went to pick it up, everyone wearing blue and white and right when I Was walking out ES scored a goal. MY GOD I got goosebumps all over, you could hear the shouts from the outside - its a lovable experience. Im still high from it.

[@dorasamo3733]

I feel 10 times worse living in USA. In USA being a foreign is like a disease people only tell you oooo you have an accent you ......foreigner....sad.

[@wmwvic]

+Dora Samo I know what you mean.

[@angelicsaturn]

As a korean american I'm glad that you guys have been making these videos. They're very funny/goofy yet informative. C: I'm actually considering doing the teaching abroad program and you guys really helped ease a lot of my worries about choosing my own home country. So thanks! ^____^

[@RobPalmer454]

holy shit you both need a better haircut

[@MrPerti8]

i seriously get all excited and happy when i see a new video was uploaded

[@Mandychan93]

I saw this video four times already and I always come back to watch the same videos again and again because it's really nice and I can practice my english too xD Love you both, Simon and Martina! You are great!!

[@xXKittyDollXx]

I've experienced that as well! When I speak Korean to my Korean friend she can just stop and start to "giggle", saying that my Korean is very good. As if she's amazed. The reason for this is probably because it's still not every day that you meet someone that interested in Korea, it had just RECENTLY began to wander a "Korean wave" around the globe. I never take it as an insult, usually the Koreans I meet are happy to see that more people are getting into their culture and language!

[@DrewHardKor]

Thanks for the video! I can definitely resonate with a lot of what was said. I actually am really passionate about learning languages. I speak Chinese decently, and I've had somewhat awkward encounters where what I say is kind of negated by people's compliments about how good my Chinese is. I think a huge part of this is that Chinese and other Asian languages are so linked to Asian ethnicity, whereas other languages like English have gotten past this. I think in the future this could lessen!

[@AntoniaBeese]

You just covered everything I've never been able to put in words. thank you!!!! I'm german, and people call me a wanna-be-asian or weeaboo or say I hate my country. They don't understand I want to learn from different culturs and that I love learning languages and getting to know people who are so different from me...overcoming stereotypes,learning to understand and accept people who think differently... it's facinating and fun to me! In this day and age, we should be able to accept each other.

[@KellDoll1]

Awesomesauce! This is what I needed to hear today. I am a "baby steps" beginner that struggles with foreign language and am exceedingly self-conscious about my Korean language skills. I feel re-assured. 감사합니다!

[@kornrocktwistedfreak]

Another great video, you worded it perfectly as to not cause' arguments but told the truth completely. Also love the ideas of videos outside the apartment, it'll be nice to see more of Korea:)

[@ZebstrikaGirl]

I find it very encouraging that the Koreans here at my college are very welcoming to me being with them and learning the Korean language and eating Korean meals with them. They understand that I know basic terms and that I'm heavy into Kpop but aren't harshly judging me like most Americans do. Labor Day just happened and my new friend was like "Why is no one celebrating its a holiday!" the culture is so different, fresh and respectful. I'm considering working in Seoul after graduation.

[@ranma2chan]

I really love your tl;dr vids. Your stories are so interesting! And I can't wait for your adventure videos!!

[@uberredden]

@ChanglimLee That's right, I'm from Singapore and my girlfriend is Korean. We both live in Singapore. As a darker skinned asian, I got stared at quite a lot when I visited Seoul last November. While most people look away when I look back at them, there were kids who stared at me openly with a curious facial expressions. It disturbed me for a while, and then I decided, hey, what happens if I wave at these kids? To my surprise, they waved back and giggled. It was quite heartwarming really.

[@magicarp79]

IMHO, being encouraging is a nice gesture. They are probably just being open and welcoming. I know there are others who will mock and laugh if you speak their language with an accent.

[@MichelleAram]

My experience: I'm korean but I'm living Austria since I was born. So I can't speak korean very well. One day I was in korea for vacation and I was in a nail shop. I talked a little bit with the woman who made my nails and she asked me where I was from. I said that I'm korean but I'm living in europe. And she said: Oh your korean is very good! I thought 'What the heck'? -.-

[@MegaTnw]

Its the same for me! I'm Australian and speak/understand Dutch fluently, however whenever I go to visit my relatives overseas, i always get reminded that I'm speaking well and it makes me feel like I'm still learning... I know they're only encouraging me but it's nice to pretend that I dont live on the other side of the world and speak a different language! haha, its just a reminder I live so far away from my family.

[@tikras6720]

I love how you bring Changmin into the your video!!! haha

[@kiwwi223]

omg, this might seem like such a weird post but I loved your response that I cried. I live in America but originally I'm colombian and my family is always getting mad saying that Im Spanish not asian, bc I can speak korean better than spanish >.< But I love the language and culture so much! And so many people judge me for it too! So I'm so happy someone else is with me! Thank you!!!

[@tea4al]

the fact that they complimented your friend of her Korean from my pov is they acknowledged her intelligence as well as her korean fluency because as you said they were like jaw-dropped. It didn't mean they didn't hear the content of it, it meant htey acknowledged teh content as well as the Korean because you can be good at Korean and you can be GOOD at Korean. The fact that she used certain expressions with certain words meant wow she's pretty awesome and smart.

[@mrsmahadesrosiers]

i sooo agree with what you were saying about foreigners learning koreann. i'm egyptian and i've been learning korean for about a year and a half so Im intermediate at korean. i was there about a month ago and no matter where I went or what I did people would say oh you speak korean very well! and id never actually get to the point of what we were talking about and we never got anything done. it was encouraging though because it was the first time i had talked to koreans [in korean] in korea

[@pandakim9414]

It's nice hearing they're so encouraging. In fact I love it when FIFA World Cup comes along because it is so nice seeing the whole country show support ^^

[@lindorphins]

Haha, that's so true! Most schools in Melbourne offer AT LEAST one language other than English and in my school, we offer 6 languages. It's compulsory to take two LOTEs in year 7&8, you can drop one in year 9 and then you can choose to not do any at all for your final two years. Yeah. I love learning languages though, so I have a lot of fun studying Japanese. :) I was so surprised when I heard from my American cousin that LOTEs aren't compulsory there!!

[@luvsign1]

Wow - I'm surprised - I thought you guys spoke fluently - anytime I have heard you in videos speak Korean it sounds fantastic. If Martina is a 'bad learner' than I really stink. It actually encourages me to think I can learn more. Thanks for sharing this.

[@karatepop]

Also note: There are people who live in Quebec who are not French-Canadian. It is possible to live in Quebec and speak little to no French. When I moved to the States everyone, upon learning I was Canadian, asked "oh, are you French?" It gets old pretty fast.

[@brownboy252]

yeah i totally know what that's like, but it usually is over after the first time they're like "you're korean is good", usually afterwards we just talk like normal without that annoying cut-off. what's even better is when you're around close freinds (korean) who know you can speak it and someone gives you a conversation cut-off compliment,your freind(s) will wave it off quickly as to make way for you get to the point.

[@NewKissMe]

I have something similar to this. My boyfriend is chinese and I'm not. His family is very set in him marrying another chinese girl so dating me was an issue at first but our college offered Mandarin Language course which i know really helped me. It was because I made the effort to learn some form of communication that really helped me and his family get along. I'm thankful because we"ve been dating for four years now. He says im the most non-asain asain girl he will ever like.

[@jundoosubs]

Thanks. Yes, I started out self-studying. Going online, memorizing hangul, practicing with Korean classmates and online Korean language communities. I got my pronunciation right by listening to Korean language podcasts, watching Korean news, dramas, variety shows, and speaking to my Korean friends. The only way to actually get it right is if you keep using it. So, I use it as much as I can. Korean is focused on pronunciation /o/~

[@Michylooloo]

@bassplayer923 My dad said that he learned in elementary school history that there was an emperor in what is now China who wanted to find the fountain of youth. He sent lots of people to find it and they never came back because they never found it. Those people settled in other parts of the world near China and eventually became their own countries, such as Japan and Korea. Over time their language and writing changed a little, but of course, as we can see now, there are still some similarities.

[@imLauz]

I love it how I can learn from your videos and at the same time have a good laugh (: I was asking myself this question too, and I'm glad to hear they don't find it annoying (I don't wanna be an annoying person ): )

[@mcbrayer77]

i think the every other week of tl;dr thursday is a good idea, i really like your adventures in korea!! (btw the story about the pig fat eating incident was sooo funny ^-^)

[@Starlightean]

that ending was brilliant. and also the idea you're going to do!

[@nadyasabran]

i think your friend you're talking about regarding the food critique is the woman on the episode of running man you're in, right? haha, yeah, i'm impress!ed with her ability in korean as well. it's beyond amazing

[@Moopies]

and cuz its so awesome, sometimes it is distracting, so instead of listening to what the person is trying to get across you are listening to their skills, because they are so awesome.

[@miznegima]

I LOVE YOUR VIDEOS!!! The first video I saw was the how to curl your hair using only a t shirt!!! I loved it!!!

[@Visionarymountains]

I love watching these videos! I find them fun and informative. I've lived in China, and I have had many similar experiences in meeting and learning Chinese culture and language, both positive and negative. ^O^

[@Justletmewatch12]

Lol I would like to say I am a Korean-American and when I went to Korea they kept calling me foreigner too. They told me the same thing when I spoke Korean how they could tell I was foreign is beyond me. But you guys are awesome and hilarious! Keep up your awesome videos!!

[@eisfield]

2:53 that example you gave.. it really sounds like what happened when and you guys and the friend you mentioned where on running man. they all weren't expecting her to be fluent in korean.

[@kai200731]

yes im living in japan now but im a foreigner and i have to say that maybe because i was in korea just one week i cant say a lot about that country just that that week WAS THE MOS WONDERFUL I HAVE EVER HAD i wnet alone i didnt even have any friend at that moment just make my own tour fortunately compering with japan i can comunicate myself cuz koreans specially younger can speak english wich is not much comon in japan so i found friendly people who helped me even if they didnt know english

[@ELFAndromedaShawol24]

thankyou for doing this it was very helpful and I was crying in laughter when Changmin was stood on martina's hand XL

[@hellorita24711]

Yeah...I can relate to this too.I'm not Korean but I am Cambodian American and a few years ago I went to Cambodia and the people there were amazed by me speaking the language(with an American accent)but yet I was strangely uncomfortable.I understand yes it is amazing for a person to communicate in many languages but just be done in 2 seconds and really listen to them!!

[@Hawanlaydee]

My gosh! You guys are mesmerizing!! You explain things so darn well LOL I could jus listen to you guys all day MAHALO from Hawaii

[@Soreejillah]

The ending was hilarious, and the whole video was super informative. and YAY FOR ADVENTURE-Y VIDEOS! ^o^

[@sillystrings]

I'm Korean-American and even though we're pretty diverse here, I've had some peers make somewhat ignorant comments about my ethnicity that weren't so much offensive as they were surprising. I have to agree with you on that point.

[@yeojimonator]

I feel that it's partially a sort of surprise that you even care enough to learn even the tiniest bit of Korean (my parents are like that when they hear my friends say a few words). And, on another note, this doesn't just occur in Korea. Obviously, I can't speak for every country, but in France, I got the same reaction whenever I spoke French. ...and sometimes, I get the same reaction about my English here in the States. Just for the record, I was born & raised in the US, so, duh.

[@samlee6941]

Some of these might arise from Korea being historically one of the most homogeneous cultures. Even in Seoul, a lot of people haven't seem foreigners, much less foreigners who are fluent in Korean. To put it into perspective, I got comments on my fluent English after being in Canada for 8 years. From a fellow Asian that was born there, after finding out that I was learning English. When I was in Germany speaking German w/o an accent, Germans complimented my German too.

[@AmandaFortnerMandy]

PLEASE. Try to do more videos on what you should and shouldn't bring with you on trips to Korea. What you wished you should've taken with you or didn't take with you... That kind of stuff. Also maybe just more videos on living in Korea in general. I think if maybe I learn a little bit from you guys, it will make me feel more comfortable about deciding to go. haha.

[@DonovanMaitland]

with all respect to everyone but us americans do the same thing when someone from a different country or comes through and can talk to us on a near fluent level and we are more amazed at how well they speak it rather than focusing on the actual question or conversation, its cool when someone takes the time out to learn our language and we can talk to them in a more comfortable way and im sure thats what they exactly feel over in korea also and other parts of the world

[@santoki67]

As an Asian growing up in Europe I often got similar reactions to me speaking fluently the local language. Wow, where did you learn to speak so well? and so on. Even when living in the US I often got compliments. I believe you can encounter this kind of behavior also elsewhere and is not just unique for Korea.

[@minlita]

5:17 yes u did Martina! correct me if i m wrong, but I think she mentioned in the interview w/ U-kiss.

[@KaeSun1]

I have a lot of friends from Korea who came to the US to study English. I myself am trying to learn Korean so we met through language exchange initially. Everytime I would say something to them in Korean they would get so excited! They were overall really impressed with my pronunciation and ability to express myself in simple terms, and because it sounded like the level of a 6 year old's speech, it was also cute. :P

[@TheSomething112]

Thats so true about the talking in korean thing and people who are korean complimenting me. My friend is korean and everytime i talk to her in korean (bc she has a hard time with english) she always compliments me or when i ask a question in korean , she compliments me and gives a thumbs up instead of answering.

[@likofiah808]

but then my other friend who just moved here from south korea is so proud of me and he is always speaking to me in Korean and he frikken brags to his family that he's been the one teaching me so yeah it really depends on the person

[@Moopies]

I speak a language where i dont look like a typical native so on first encounters people are always like " WOW YOU HAVE AMAZING LANGUAGE SKILLS" and im like "Thanks friend" it usually takes a few months for people to get used to it, and then only every so often will they comment on my skills because they remember how hard the language is for foreingers, I am the same way with people who speak english as a second language, human brains being able to function in multiple languages is just awesome

[@vikkki]

That's not only in Korea, its like in a lot of countries too.I know that Chinese does the same thing. I dont look Chinese so when I speak Chinese at work cuz my customers doesnt understand English, they said ''wow your Chinese is really good'' all the time. Its like a conversation piece. They r amazed by our skills and don't know what other things to say after that, so they repeat what they said.

[@jeffs8242]

It's amazing that after 1 yr of studying the language you'd be at such a high level of fluency--either you're a genius or Korean is a relatively easy language to learn. The reason I say this is that I've never encountered a foreign-born person who reached the native level after such a short time. In fact, I've never met anyone who attained that level after 5 or even 10 years of study. I'm a native English speaker and live in the Bay Area (CA), so I've got countless data points. :-)

[@graciekae]

ah leave the TLDRs like they are and just add on another day for adventures LOL i'm actually korean and I think your TLDRs are the most interesting out of all of you videos. i live in the US so its really fun to hear a foreigner's perspective of korea. i'm sure all of the kpop fans here are really interested in learning about other aspects of korea as well!! =)

[@FinsternisSan]

With the "Wow you're Korean is really good" thing. I think it's the same in japan, because one of my friends went there knowing Japanese and they were all surprised. One of his Japanese co-workers explained that since they're the one's who speak Japanese, they have a hard time fathoming the fact that other people outside their culture speaks it. It's not in an arrogant way, but it's just surprising to them.

[@RosieWillatt]

I remember about a year ago when my big sister, her friend and I went to Seoul Bakery in London (a small korean restraunt we love!), well, I sucked with the chopsticks - still do - but at the end of our meal when we were about to leave, I stood up, turned to the Korean guy who had served us and bowed saying "kamsahamida!" He was so shocked! I was 13/14 and a westerner, so my sister and friend weren't surprised at his reaction.

[@EvilTreeFrogs]

Ya, same question as previous people...is the lady you are talking about the heavy set women that did the same episode with you on Running Man? Cause when she started explaining about the food I was mesmerized. I would love to hear her opinions on Korean foods.

[@TreesaBelle]

very true, they are all very different. I personally have had really positive experiences with speaking Korean to Koreans, and have had them teach me some Korean as well. Like, hugs and stuff for speaking Korean. I was invited to speak Korean with the Koreans I know with open arms! :)

[@jundoosubs]

I talked to a Korean friend once before. They don't like Foreigners speaking Korean if the foreigner does not pronounce the words right or doesn't understand the level of respect in Korean speech. And this friend of mine said I'm the only foreigner she's met that didn't sound foreign when speaking, so I'm assuming that's a plus. But she was surprised when I spoke because I didn't "LOOK" like I knew Korean.

[@oxyblaustrumpf]

just when i htought this episode is all serious and informative you made me lol with the vampire thing XD love your videos, older ones, new ones, all of them! thanks for making them!

[@icedfancy]

Simon always has amazing shirts!!! I think most countries are generally surprised when a different race knows their language fluently. I want to learn Korean in the future.

[@skelar1315]

@favo63 However, because Chna has so many people, and other people that don't speak Chinese as their first language learn it anyways, Chinese is the most commonly spoken language, but that doesn't necessarily mean that Chinese is more popular.

[@Ripplebreeze]

NYAHH ONLY 1 EVERY 2 WEEKS OF TL-DR? touring videos? OKAY~ :D MAGIC SPUDGY OWL! :DDD

[@Iamavale]

I live in El Paso and we have a lot of people from MX here. They EXPECT you to learn their language and SOME yell at you if you don't know it. That's even if you're in the US. Others are funny though and will try to speak English and if you try to speak Spanish it makes for a very entertaining conversation. I've also lived in HI, CA and DE. It's the same most places. Some people are friendly and will encourage you and others not so much. Do it anyway. The more you know the better right?!

[@skelar1315]

@favo63 No, they are talking about the most poplar language, not the most spoken. China has a lot of people, but is the only country (if I'm not mistaken) that has the majority of it's people speaking Chinese. The USA, Canada, England, Germany, Barbados, Bahamas, and many other countries have it's majority speak English somewhat fluently.

[@teddybun10]

I think what you experienced is generally relatable Asian attitude on foreigners. Probably for some cases they have less exposure to foreigners so they act like that while others are just like you said, not strictly following the stereotype out there. Before I move to UK I lived in Malaysia and generally I had that kind of 'wow' attitude and thinking about it now makes me facepalm myself, but its not like I say it while they're making a point, I tend to snag it in a lil later, which is still....

[@xColdNostalgia]

HAHA love you guys, im very excited for you guys' new plans!

[@maritadotten]

i also loved watching world cup in korea chering for korea!! went to bar dressing up in red when watching the games, and ofcourse sharing and singing along to their cheers..and well..i got alot of free drinks!!!

[@thunderstormies]

I've lived in very difference places in the US and it just depends on where you are. On the west coast people are generally more aware of ethnic diversity, but in other places where the population is almost all white, I've gotten a lot of "your English is very good". I don't think it's a matter of having an accent or not (adopted friend with no accent whatsoever is asked the same thing), it's more of whether people have had much contact with those of difference race/ethnicity/appearance.

[@saphiredewdrop]

There were Chinese in the US since the 1800's. Many caucasions did not come to the America's until much later. Where I live, there are many europeans with accents. My boyfriend is Chinese ethnically, but American...born and raised. He has no accent. But, he has been asked, "why isn't your name oriental?"