How to cause a riot in a Korean high school girls’ classroom. Declare that the word is pronounced “Her-my-oh-ne” and that all of Korea is wrong and it is not “Her-me-own.” Threats of bodily harm. 

“NO. THAT’S NOT WHAT IT IS.”

“TEACHER WRONG. WRONG! HER-ME-OWN!”

Tears of rage on both sides.

edit @lifeandlove: haha me too! Book 4 set me right. I wonder how the translation handled it. And that it’s pronounced “Her-my-oh-ne” in the movies?? Denial is not just a river in Egypt!!! x) entertainment. I can’t pretend it’s just them though. I was reciting a poem in class today and I go “Noli me tangere” tang like tangle, and my prof interrupts me and goes “It’s a g like a j, not like a gg.” and I’m like “NO. I have seen documentaries that said tangere like tanggeray and…” and he was like “… WRONG.” 

My students can’t get enough of Potter Puppet Pals. As high school girls, among them Twilight is also popular, however a large percentage of them pretend [to be cool, obviously] that they hate it [until you ask them who is better, Edward or Jacob, then fistfights break out.] But Harry Potter is always good. 

They always request the “Snape song” [The Mysterious Ticking Noise] and know it quite well, but of course pronounce Hermione their own way. Also, they never ever sing along with Voldemort.

So when I was a kid I [like many other children!] mispronounced Hermione’s name completely. 

Being not Irish, not English, and inexperienced with obscure names of the world [JK keeps lists!!] I had no way of knowing that it… anyway I pronounced it “Hermy-own.”

Well, guess how all of Korea pronounces it, sniggering kids of my old middle school.

I tried to correct the students too and they were not having it. 

Entire class: “NO, TEACHER. It’s Hermy-own.”

Me: -pointing at the computer screen- “Wrong who is this.”

Entire class: … “Emma Watson.”

On that note, my first semester I made them pick English names for themselves. A pair of best friends decided on “Emma” and “Watson” which was much better than the two other girls at their table who chose “Megan” and “Fox.” It was an interesting lesson in celebrities.

They also really don’t care for Alan Rickman but like Snape, a distinction us fangirls do not make. Man I am just now realizing that I know volumes about Korean high school girls and Harry Potter.