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Taboo topics in Korea?

 
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michaelambling



Joined: 31 Dec 2008
Location: Paradise

PostPosted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 1:10 am    Post subject: Taboo topics in Korea? Reply with quote

In planning my classes, I keep a very loose structure but give the students a topic to talk about with partners and then with the whole class and me. I've done the usual stuff--where are you from, what'd you do on your birthday, what's your favorite food--but I try to push the envelope a little, because a class's politeness is inversely proportional to its interestingness.

What topics are completely taboo in Korea? Obviously suicide and incest are out, but what about domestic violence? Gender relations? Drugs? Politics? Religion? North Korea? Money? What can I have them discuss, what can't I?

I should mention that I'm at a rural private university with students who range from hard-working and smart to stupid and lazy.
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Straphanger



Joined: 09 Oct 2008
Location: Chilgok, Korea

PostPosted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 1:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

If I had a million dollars....
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BS.Dos.



Joined: 29 Mar 2007

PostPosted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 1:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Keep one eye on the news and see if anything topical comes up that you can work in. I used the deaths of four Koreans at a mountain top reed burning festival recently as the theme for an impromptu lesson which worked well. I incorporated language that dovetailed with what happened, such as first aid, the weather, how it could have been prevented etc.

I'm assuming that you teach kids, so I'd say whatever you decide to do, just make sure it isn't to high-brow for them else you'll end up with a classroom full of Shocked
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michaelambling



Joined: 31 Dec 2008
Location: Paradise

PostPosted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 2:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

BS.Dos. wrote:
Keep one eye on the news and see if anything topical comes up that you can work in. I used the deaths of four Koreans at a mountain top reed burning festival recently as the theme for an impromptu lesson which worked well. I incorporated language that dovetailed with what happened, such as first aid, the weather, how it could have been prevented etc.

I'm assuming that you teach kids, so I'd say whatever you decide to do, just make sure it isn't to high-brow for them else you'll end up with a classroom full of Shocked


I keep forgetting to mention--I teach university students.
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Jeonnam Jinx



Joined: 06 Oct 2005
Location: Jeonnam

PostPosted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 4:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

You may find some of these topics helpful:

http://iteslj.org/questions/

JJ
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WoBW



Joined: 07 Dec 2007
Location: HBC

PostPosted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 4:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

If they are adults, try relationships. You could also do a lesson on the drinking culture in korea. How about stereotypes for different nationalities.
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Ilsanman



Joined: 15 Aug 2003
Location: Bucheon, Korea

PostPosted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 4:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dokdo is taboo, unless you fully support them. Even just asking them to justify their claim (as in trying to make them speak) is taboo.

So is 2MB unless you want to insult him.
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michaelambling



Joined: 31 Dec 2008
Location: Paradise

PostPosted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 5:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ilsanman wrote:
Dokdo is taboo, unless you fully support them. Even just asking them to justify their claim (as in trying to make them speak) is taboo.

So is 2MB unless you want to insult him.


What is 2MB?
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D.D.



Joined: 29 May 2008

PostPosted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 8:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The three T's -Taiwan,Tibet and Tinnamen square. Oh crap am I still in Korea?
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ontheway



Joined: 24 Aug 2005
Location: Somewhere under the rainbow...

PostPosted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 8:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

michaelambling wrote:
Ilsanman wrote:
Dokdo is taboo, unless you fully support them. Even just asking them to justify their claim (as in trying to make them speak) is taboo.

So is 2MB unless you want to insult him.


What is 2MB?



2MB = 이명박 President of Korea. Myungbaak Lee.
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tenchu77491



Joined: 16 Mar 2009

PostPosted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 10:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Don't talk about Dok Do~ or Japan for that matter. No matter what you know or think you know, they won't listen and it will make things awkward.
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Easter Clark



Joined: 18 Nov 2007
Location: Hiding from Yie Eun-woong

PostPosted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 3:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lately I've been asking my students why Korea doesn't have a Spring. Seems to get a few laughs, but they chalk it up to global warming.
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cdninkorea



Joined: 27 Jan 2006
Location: Seoul

PostPosted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 3:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I find topics can be good or taboo depending on how you approach it. If you start out aggressively, giving an air that you want to "get the dirt" on Korea, they'll naturally get defensive. Instead I'll try to be as objective as possible and listen to the students.

Using this, I've talked about a lot of subjects you'd think were taboo: prostitution in Korea, international relationships (specifically, white guys like me with Korean women), slavery in the Joseon era, and whether or not Korea is a developed country (surprisingly, my students all said it wasn't).

I like treading on thin ice because that's where things get interesting.
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Fishead soup



Joined: 24 Jun 2007
Location: Korea

PostPosted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 3:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My overall experience with these pro's and cons class are.

I would try to avoid anything sexual, or anything that might be percieved as an attack or Korean culture. In the past I have talked about eating dogmeat and I did admit that I had tried dogmeat during the lesson. The material was percieved as an attack on Korean culture.

I think pro's and con's type discussions are hit and miss. When they go well they go really well. When they tank they really tank. I would go in with a back up plan. Look up some material by Andrew Finch. Culturally its pretty nautral and it would make a great back up plan for a discussion that flopped.
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