Korean Job Discussion Forums

[CBP]

I'm going to have my students translate an easy but popular Korean song into English. I want to choose the song and review the lyrics to make sure they're clean and suitable for my kids. Where can I find some popular Korean songs with the lyrics written in both Korean and English? And the music so that I can hear the songs? Eventually I'm going to have them learn the English lyrics and teach the song to me. This will be a fun activity as a reward for good behavior. The song needs to be something most of them will know and will have fun teaching me. It doesn't have to be current music. Something traditional and very Korean that kids already know might be good.

Thanks!

[polonius]

We had a music class for a really low level class, the program was built in the fashion that you are discribing. I will look up the songs, and send them your way once I get to work.

But thanks for the memories of my kids singing ARIRANG over and over and over and over and over....I know the work doesn't mean hell, but it sure felt like a visit to that hot destination.

[CBP]

Thanks, Polonius. That'd be great! I'd also welcome suggestions on how to introduce this to the kids.

[Len8]

The book stores have a lot of sheet music for Korean pop songs. You could ask the students what their favourate pop song is and have them translate it for you in class, or buy the sheet music for the song and get someone to translate it to see wether it's appropriate or not.

There are books with all the Korea norebong pop songs as well. Not too expensive either. If you choose to go this route get then to go through it and sing some of the popular ones. You might recognise some of the tunes. See if those are apropriate. I think most korean songs are OK anyway.

Go with them to a norebong sometimes. They aren't afraid to belt out songs. There are standard English songs that they all know too. "Yesterday" for example and "Hey Jude" They all know Queen's "We will, we will rock you" and "We are the Champions" and even "Bohemian Rhapsody"

Could be an interesting cultural musicology study. Find all the Korean songs that are risque and and suggestive. Then translate them to compare use of foul language. Koreans have some weird ways of cursing

[ddeubel]

I'd start here, if you are into having songs translated.....

http://aheeyah.com/lyrics/lyrics_home.htm

She does a great job, most of the translations well done.

Then you might try some songs on my website, no need to go to a noribang. Just click on karaoke and you'll find an explanation of how to set up your classroom for karaoke. Also, www.gosing.com has a full library but their player is only ordinary.

For all those teaching kids, I've started downloading onto the site, kids karaoke. Just hit kids karaoke.

Also on the links page, I have a full listing of sites for music, singing....

I have translated many songs, NOT easy. I've had much more pleasant experiences with other languages. For every line of an English song, you'll get 3 lines of Korean lyrics. So very difficult to sing a Korean song in English without sounding like it is opera. But it can be done.

Good luck.

DD

[polonius]

Also, if you have lyrics in Korean, and want them translated there is a forum on this website, that is frequented by many Koreans, with great English skills. www.zkorean.com Go to the forum section, and type in the words you want, and soon someone will translate it for you.

[polonius]

It is important to note though, there is a dictionary on the site as well. But if you are looking for a song translated, this is the place to go.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

Sunday school songs would work very well - they've all already been translated into Korean (Jesus Loves Me, God is so Good, etc.) so you could have them sing the Korean and then translate them back into English.

[CBP]

All excellent ideas. About Sunday school songs, more people are Buddhist than Christian in Korea (although it's beginning to even out). Would I need to get my director's permission to teach a Christian song?

[Yu_Bum_suk]