Korean daughter 1
Korean daughter 1 - parent quote 1 - My Recording
On the Korean school side, I think it’s not as important to someone like me living here. Because I don’t have to take any tests in Korean, and if I can speak it I think it’s OK. As long as I’m able to communicate with my parents. But then I feel like when I was put there [in Korean school] to learn in that way, instead of actually using it around Korean people, I learnt way less than I could have. I found that if I read Korean manga or just something enjoyable, I learnt way more out of it. And even watching drama… yeah, I learnt way more from it. Especially for language: applying it is the most important.
Q: So if someone like you, born in New Zealand Korean, they want to maintain their Korean language, what is the best way, do you think?
Having their parents speaking it to them, even if they don’t understand it. I think that’s the best way to do it. You just pick up on it, randomly.
Q: Especially when you are motivated.
Yeah!
Korean daughter 1 - parent quote 2 - My Recording
[Talking about advice for other Korean parents] I’d say that you shouldn’t abuse one language. You should evenly share out two languages… or even just focus on your own language. It wouldn’t affect their education, that’s what I believe. Because they’d end up learning English outside, at school, and then when they come back home, like I said, the amount of parent time you’d speak your own language is very short. So it wouldn’t completely fade away your English language ability.