You Can Call Me Jelly

 

I know I’ve talked about English names before.  But it’s a constant source of amusement and frustration to me.  Most of the time foreign teachers name the new students, thus “Atreyoo,” “Tobias,” “Mick,” “Raphael,” and such.  I tried to name one “Jafar” but he wouldn’t have it.  Anyway, sometimes either A, the students name themselves or B the Korean teachers name them.  Both A and B produce problems of what I deem epic proportions.

There are a few students at E-World who have named themselves.  These students are “Shinee” who named himself after his favorite K-Pop band, “Chandler” whose parents probably watch Friends, and most recently “Jelly,” whom after telling me her name proceeded to say “yum, yum.”  To this I throw my hands up.  Whatever you kids want, just don’t go to a western country and tell people that they can call you by your English name – Jelly.  No no no.

Far worse are the Korean teachers who think they know everything, which is why I teach two boys named “Raven,” a boy named “June,” a boy named “Jaeden,” and a girl named “Haley” but spells her name “Healy.”  How many times have I argued that Raven isn’t even a name and if it is a name, it’s a name for a black girl?  How many times have I told Healy and the Korean teachers that Healy is not how you spell Haley and that it can NEVER be spelled like that?  It’s like talking to a brick wall.  What’s far more infuriating is when I name a student and the Korean teachers try and tell me that it’s not a name.  Um…excuse me?  Who’s the native English speaker?  Don’t ever argue with me about that.