Given Bad Advice - Now I Need Yours!!

[Worya]

I don't think its just being able to speak Korean that's getting people more work. I think its being useful and making a good impression. If you can speak Korean it's easier to be useful and make a good impression and you can speak with the principal, vice-principal better. If they like you they will think of you often and want you to participate in extra school stuff. I think being valued and liked might be worth attending some extra things but remember your rights and your contract. If they want you to work out of your contract time or more hours asked to be paid. If its not more then really no problem, why not? I think you would feel better if you spoke Korean but remember if you are too valuable of an employee it can mean more work weather you speak Korean or not.

p.s. If coworkers don't like you very much they probably won't give you extra work or ask you to join in extra activities but do you want to be just average or worse? It's up to you...

Good Luck,

Worya

[sj84]

답답하네요 ㅋㅋ

You just have to understand the risks (which you now know) and make a call. I think demonstrating a basic conversational level is a much better idea than showing an advanced capability.

[adifferentchallenge]

If I understood Korean I'd definitely never tell my school because (1) I don't want extra work and (2) I'd get to eavesdrop and hear my coworkers' candid assessments of me.  Understanding Korean is an immensely useful skill to have at a public school if you keep it a secret.

I would HATE to hear anything bad said about me!! - in fact if they talked about me I would want to cover my ears and run away!

[hammer]

and the truth shall set you free...

[mikkilrod83]

I think most of the previous posters have said all there is to say.  However, I have a friend who has been teaching at the same public elementary school for 3 years.  She is also Korean-American and speaks fluent Korean.  But she has been pretending for the past 3 years to not understand or speak it, and it's funny because she has gotten really good at tuning it out.

She's also been put in uncomfortable situations of the other teachers talking about her or her students saying things about her.

On the other hand, she gets inside knowledge that she wouldn't otherwise know because she can understand.  She had a friend in your situation who also told her school and ended up doing more work than required.

So you need to choose 1) bonding with co-workers by being treated like a Korean and expected to work the same amount as a Korean or 2) being treated like a Native Speaker but not being close to your co-workers.