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merrilee
Joined: 13 May 2003 Location: South Korea
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Posted: Mon May 19, 2003 7:35 pm Post subject: What books should I read? |
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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. |
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kimcheeking Guest
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Posted: Mon May 19, 2003 8:16 pm Post subject: |
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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. |
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maxxx_power
Joined: 17 Mar 2003 Location: BWAHAHAHAHA! I'M FREE!!!!!!!
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Posted: Mon May 19, 2003 10:25 pm Post subject: |
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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. |
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gypsyfish
Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Location: Seoul
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Posted: Tue May 20, 2003 6:27 am Post subject: |
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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. |
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Son Deureo!
Joined: 30 Apr 2003
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Posted: Tue May 20, 2003 7:08 am Post subject: |
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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. |
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Bulsajo
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
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Posted: Tue May 20, 2003 9:10 am Post subject: |
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Son Deureo! wrote: |
I'd definitely recommend bringing [/i]Lonely Planet Korea and Lonely Planet Seoul[i](if you'll be anywhere near Seoul) with you. |
Most definitely- the author relied on the guidance and wisdom of impeccable and sagacious sources! |
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bignate
Joined: 30 Apr 2003 Location: Hell's Ditch
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Posted: Tue May 20, 2003 10:46 am Post subject: |
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Samsung
Joined: 27 Apr 2003 Location: Seoul, Korea
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Posted: Tue May 20, 2003 5:08 pm Post subject: |
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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. |
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Bulsajo
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
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Posted: Tue May 20, 2003 8:17 pm Post subject: |
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Samsung wrote: |
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. |
You can dis LP all you want, but pick up any other guidebook on Korea and you'll quickly realize that it's pretty decent. My Fodor's guide was so bad I threw it into a trashcan out of frustration while on holiday in Pusan.
Like every other guidebook, LP gets out of date very quickly. Couple that with the rate of change in Asia, particularly Korea...
Publishing houses can't afford to come out with new editions of guidebooks every year, and Korea isn't very high on anyone's list of 'must see' tourist destinations so there's not much incentive for print houses to keep their Korean editions as up to date as you'd like them to be.
PC bangs came from nowhere to everywhere in the space of a year and half- it was really amazing how fast they took off. Video arcades died with the same speed. Ditto with handphones vs. beepers in 96/97. I've heard from old-timers that the rate of car ownership was similarly spectacular during the 80s. |
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