Korean Job Discussion Forums

[merrilee]

What books should I read before coming to SoKo to teach? Are there any books journaling a teacher's experience? (Not looking for some dry history book.) Thanks.

[kimcheeking]

for Korean history I would recommend The Two Koreas it's a very engaging read. I haven't read it yet but I've heard that Korea's Place in the Sun by Bruce Cummings is an excellent book.

If you want recommendations on books on pegegogy let me know... I have around 10-15 books that I would recommend, most are easy to read. Maybe more I need to check my resource library.. I also have another 20 or so books with activities and ideas for the teacher.

[maxxx_power]

I would recommend the Rum Diaries by Hunter S. Thompson. It sums up my experience here thus far. Extremely intoxicated living, interrupted with bouts of working, all the while surrounded by people speaking in a language I do not understand.

It's good for a laugh if anything.

[gypsyfish]

How To Teach English or The Practice of English Language Teaching by Jeremy Harmer.

Teaching By Principals by H. Douglas Brown.

Agree with the Cummings book and The Koreans by Michael Breen.

You can pick up grammar books and other resource books here, but, especially if you haven't taught before, get the Brown or Harmer books.

[Son Deureo!]

The most useful book you can read before you arrive? [/i]Beginning Korean by Samuel E. Martin and Young Sook C. Lee., or any other good Korean language textbook for beginners. Having a basic grasp of Korean never hurt anyone here, so why not get started before you even get on the plane?

I'd definitely recommend bringing Lonely Planet Korea and Lonely Planet Seoul(if you'll be anywhere near Seoul) with you.

If you want to try to prepare yourself for some of the cultural differences, I'd suggest [i]Ugly Koreans, Ugly Americans and Korea Unmasked. Unmasked also gives some interesting historical background, but unlike the dry history textbooks you don't want to read it's presented in an easy to read comic book format!

Best of luck to you.

[Bulsajo]

[bignate]

[Samsung]

I am eagerly awaiting the new edition of Lonely Planet - surely it can't be anything like the present one, which bears little or no relation to current life in Korea.
So many things are either distorted, underplayed, or just plain excluded.

For example, prior to coming here I had checked out the LP for information about internet use in Korea, and the LP suggested that there were only 3 or 4 places in Seoul that you could go for public internet access. What it failed to mention was that there are the ubiquitous PC Bangs on every street corner (sometimes 2 to the corner!)

Before anyone asks the obvious question, yes I have emailed LP with some hints/suggestions for changes or more information for the book - it must be due soon I'm guessing.

[Bulsajo]