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CPT
Joined: 25 Mar 2007
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 Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 5:07 am Post subject: Buying (or borrowing) TESOL books? |
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I'm a few months into an MA TESOL, and am kind of behind the eight ball when it comes to books needed for my first assignment.
Don't really have time to request photocopied chapters from my university, nor enough time to buy them from Amazon. I'd prefer to avoid buying them altogether, actually. It's one thing for a course textbook, but I'd rather not spend hundreds just to pull a few quotes for essays.
I tried the Seoul Metropolitan Public Library (the old City Hall). Nada.
I'm guessing some of the Korean universities probably have a decent selection, but you would need a student card. I'm not sure if the same would apply to university bookstores.
The mainstream bookstores usually have a few, but at pretty exorbitant prices. Same for What The Book, with slower delivery.
Searching through Naver has helped me at times, but still kind of pricey.
Any online book "sharing" websites out there? Libraries that have books in stock? |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 5:54 am Post subject: |
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| torrents |
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robbie_davies
Joined: 16 Jun 2013
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| Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 6:07 am Post subject: Re: Buying (or borrowing) TESOL books? |
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| CPT wrote: |
Don't really have time to request photocopied chapters from my university, nor enough time to buy them from Amazon. I'd prefer to avoid buying them altogether, actually. It's one thing for a course textbook, but I'd rather not spend hundreds just to pull a few quotes for essays.
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Having recently completed an MA TESOL myself, my advice is just buy the damn books - or a good portion of the reading list at least! Teachers in Korea and their aversion to spending money!
I know you don't want to spend money, but you will find the books you want in the library are gone when it comes to essay writing time and I don't know about anyone else but I find academic reading and taking quotes from a computer screen to be annoying and very inconvenient. Much prefer to do it all via a book. |
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diver
Joined: 16 Jun 2003
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| Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 6:25 am Post subject: |
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You might even find some of the books useful AFTER you finish, so you might re-think buying them - at least some of them.
If you still don't want to buy any, look on Scribd.
Last edited by diver on Sun Jun 30, 2013 6:39 am; edited 1 time in total |
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robbie_davies
Joined: 16 Jun 2013
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| Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 6:31 am Post subject: |
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| diver wrote: |
You might even find some of the books useful AFTER you finish, so you might re-think buying them - at least some of them.
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Indeed, I am keeping all mine. They are really useful as references.
I have just realised that the OP must be doing a distance/online degree - CPT - if you don't have access to a library that has books based on the modules you are doing then you need to buy the books yourself. Having access to those books is doubly important if you are doing this masters degree via distance.
You have spent thousands on doing the MA TESOL - what is another few hundred dollars on coursebooks? |
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CPT
Joined: 25 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 2:42 pm Post subject: |
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Haven't had any luck with torrents.
As I said, buying coursebooks that I'll read front to back and refer to throughout the program is one thing, but buying books just to pull a few quotes for essays is another. During undergrad I would have used the library.
Assuming I do want to buy the books though, any advice on finding them at the best price? |
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maximmm
Joined: 01 Feb 2008
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| Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 2:49 pm Post subject: |
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| robbie_davies wrote: |
| diver wrote: |
You might even find some of the books useful AFTER you finish, so you might re-think buying them - at least some of them.
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Indeed, I am keeping all mine. They are really useful as references.
I have just realised that the OP must be doing a distance/online degree - CPT - if you don't have access to a library that has books based on the modules you are doing then you need to buy the books yourself. Having access to those books is doubly important if you are doing this masters degree via distance.
You have spent thousands on doing the MA TESOL - what is another few hundred dollars on coursebooks? |
Many of the books I've used for references cost 100$ per book - I agree, torrents are great, though the selection via torrents is rather limited. I suggest ebook sites - ebooks don't take a lot of space, hence many ebooks can be easily found via plain sites rather than torrent sites. |
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robbie_davies
Joined: 16 Jun 2013
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| Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 2:56 pm Post subject: |
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| CPT wrote: |
Haven't had any luck with torrents.
As I said, buying coursebooks that I'll read front to back and refer to throughout the program is one thing, but buying books just to pull a few quotes for essays is another. During undergrad I would have used the library.
Assuming I do want to buy the books though, any advice on finding them at the best price? |
Probably what you are best off doing is buying a core coursebook for each module and getting your in-text citations and references online but finding coursebooks for the best price in Korea? No idea mate. I got all my books in the UK and must have paid around 300 pounds for the whole reading list, it has been worth its weight in gold.
What about buying Kindle editions on Amazon? |
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robbie_davies
Joined: 16 Jun 2013
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| Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 3:00 pm Post subject: |
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| maximmm wrote: |
| robbie_davies wrote: |
| diver wrote: |
You might even find some of the books useful AFTER you finish, so you might re-think buying them - at least some of them.
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Indeed, I am keeping all mine. They are really useful as references.
I have just realised that the OP must be doing a distance/online degree - CPT - if you don't have access to a library that has books based on the modules you are doing then you need to buy the books yourself. Having access to those books is doubly important if you are doing this masters degree via distance.
You have spent thousands on doing the MA TESOL - what is another few hundred dollars on coursebooks? |
Many of the books I've used for references cost 100$ per book - I agree, torrents are great, though the selection via torrents is rather limited. I suggest ebook sites - ebooks don't take a lot of space, hence many ebooks can be easily found via plain sites rather than torrent sites. |
I have never ever paid more than 50 dollars for a coursebook but academic books are expensive I agree, moreso I imagine if you buy them in Korea.
In my opinion, buying coursebooks are a necessary evil. There is no real way of getting around it. There might be ways of saving money rather than buying a new purchase but in the end, you are going to hold your nose and buy the core coursebooks on the reading list. Especially if you are studying via distance. |
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CPT
Joined: 25 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 8:11 pm Post subject: |
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Well, to answer my own question, the best method I've come across when you break down and actually buy the book is Naver 책.
It seems to search all of the Korean sites and finds you the one with the best price. Unfortunately, that price is still fairly high, and there's no chance of getting used books.
I've found about 80-90% of the books I've wanted on there, just wondered if there was a better way.
Searching for title and/or author + pdf or title/author + torrent either turns up nothing, articles that cite the book/journal, a fake entry to get you to sign up for a website that doesn't have what you actually want, or something random, like a Portguese language video about Vygotsky. |
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CPT
Joined: 25 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 8:13 pm Post subject: |
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How about university libraries/bookstores?
Anybody have any experience with those? Are they open to the public? I know you need a student card to borrow, how about to buy? |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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CPT
Joined: 25 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 8:38 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks.
Seems like they were open just a week or so ago, but are now closed. Just my luck. |
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diver
Joined: 16 Jun 2003
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| Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 8:43 pm Post subject: |
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| ABE Books |
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