Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Gunshake]

For the past less than three months, I have met a lot of profound philosophers, belligerent Tartars and grumpy soreheads on this board, though I have only been a reader of their threads in most cases. To be frank, not a few of the threads were overstaments or excessively critical of the Korean cultural phenomena. But none of them lacked factual veracity, and I as a citizen of this glorious nation had to feel ashamed of what the ruthless critics experienced here. And I am also frustrated with my disability to save my country on a personal level from any such tarnishments with which it is bashed around on a series of posts. However, you have to be aware of at least one thing. Some of Koreans have the urge to patrol around the streets or subway stations hollering, "Hark, you a**holes! Don't bump into foreigners when getting on and off the subway. Don't make slurping sounds when eating ��� within the hearing range of them. Don't chorus hello to foreigners, you little gnats. Don't tail after a foreign lady at a hypermarket, you idiots. They've had ENOUGH OF IT!" But will that help?

Yeah, I really want to help if I could within my limited ability.

It is a small fortune I could find here that some foreigners visiting this site are interested in learning Korean. Of course the best way to learn it is to attend the regular classes at universities such as Yonsei, Sogang and others. But a learner still need some good text materials with which they can complement her or his regular study. I went to Kyobo bookstore and thumbed through some textbooks exhibited there and was disappointed.
The authors did their best. But what can a book arrayed in the order of parts of speech do for a learner with no prior knowledge of Korean?

As a child I saw some carpenters treat a pair of huge thick lumber plates to be used for the replacement of the large gate of a dilapidated temple. At first they planed the plates. Then after the wood got bonedry, they coated the surface with a primer that was miky white. Six layers of different coatings of different colors followed till the plates took shape of gate panels with iron fixtures studded on to it and were installed on the great jambs. Finally an artist came and drew a grotesque Buddhist painting on the surface: a giant with bulging eyes and a bare torso holding a large sword in one hand.

Learning a language in the order of parts of speech is the same as treating the panel surface and drawing the painting on it, one small corner at a time with nothing done on the rest of the area. So I have been working on my own version of a textbook for the last couple of months adopting the way the temple gate carpenters and the painter worked in my childhood. I am thinking about dividing my work into three courses: Elementary, Intermediate and Advanced, each of them subdivided into a number of parts and lessons. The Elementary course is drawing to the finish now, but I am losing the momentum in my work with a persistent wonder. What would it actually look like from a learner's point of view? Isn't my ship wandering in the Mediterranean with a Tsunami rescue load bound for the South Pacific?

I need help of wisdom from willing mentors on this board who would kindly review my humble work so far and give me proper comments. One of the Cafe member promised me to help at my request but he is too busy with his own preparation for an important exam for quite some time, and I don't want him to screw it up to help me.

Please answer to my help cry via my e-mail address:
[email protected]

with best wishes and regards,

from Gunshake

[ladyandthetramp]

[Captain Corea]

[margaret]

Thanks for your concern for us, Gunshake. I read a very good book, KOREAN PICTURE BRIDES, about Korean pioneers in America. I'm sure whatever we're subject to here is not as bad as what they faced.
I'm also interested in where you have lived besides Korea.
I agree that the texts I've come across for studying Korean have been insufficient. The main problem I've found is that they tend to be either phrase books that don't teach you to speak or they use the formal verb endings that I rarely hear used. We've finally come across some better stuff, so hopefully I'll be able to improve more rapidly.
I'm grateful for many kindnesses shown to me by Koreans. I've been lucky and done my research and had kind bosses and not the type that make life hell over here.
Margaret

[ladyandthetramp]

[Gunshake]

Sorry, Lady, Captain, and Margaret, for my belated answers to your hearty questions in reply to my thread posted yesterday. Right after posting it, I had to hurry to Ilsan, southwest of Seoul, and meet the family of one of my sisters-in-law. Their only son has to answer to the call from the nation and is joining the army on April 23, this Saturday. It was a small farewell party where I patted the soon-to-be rookie on his back who was still wet behind the ears. The father was not so jolly as usual and kept pouring soju into my glass up to the rim endlessly.

Anyhow, please find my replies to your questions as follows:

1. Attention: Dear Lady

[Gunshake]

[peony]

you talk funny

[thorin]

Gunshake, I hope you spend less time reading about soup slurping and more time writing this textbook. A lot of us live in areas that make taking a university course impractical or impossible.

[hypnotist]

Gunshake,

My exam was today - I will have substantially more time to help you now.

Hope to hear from you soon!

[peppermint]

I'd actually be interested in this as well. I've studied a couple of languages besides my own and Korean and I keep getting discouraged with Korean because the textbooks are so awful.

[iain77]

I too, would greatly appreciate a good beginner level text for learning korean. My girlfriend has a very large family and she is the only one who speaks english, and far be it from me to expect them to learn english for my sake. Many of the courses available do not jive with my work schedule. As well, I have noticed, the courses I have taken seem to place too much emphasis on the formal speech. I am not sure what help I can offer, as my level is very low, but I would sure appreciate a good text.

[redbird]

I like this text and CD set a lot:

The Sounds of Korean: A Pronunciation Guide by Miho Choo and William O'Grady

[Sooke]

Gunshake,

Have you ever seen the English Interchange Series? I've taught it often and have found that students have really picked up on it. I would like to see a Korean book broken down into themed chapters including all of the following things, listening, speaking, reading and writing. As well, lots of graphics and pictures, dialogues, as well as opportunities to free-talk, albeit at a limited level. Most of the Korean books I have studied are very 'dry', and I would love to see a Korean textbook done like an ESL book. Heck, it works. Pictures, baby. I loves da pictures!!!!

Anyway, good luck. Hopefully I'll be studying with your book in a little while.

[dogbert]