Korean Job Discussion Forums

[BlaisePascal]

I know I am posting too soon, as some schools (like Yonsei and Ewha) haven't started their summer term yet, but other schools (like Sogang and SNU) have. I'm wondering if anyone else is worried about how difficult the next level is going to be, and if so, what level.

I started Level 3 at Sogang today. I took Level 1 in the Summer of '07, and Level 2 in the Summer of '08. (I can only come to Korea during the summers because the rest of the year I'm a HS teacher in a private school in the US.) And I am worried. I only understood about 50% of what the teachers were saying (in addition, they were speaking quite fast), and when we were given the review sheets for vocabulary from Level 2, there were a lot of words that I didn't know their meaning. This is after getting an "A" in Level 2.

Of course, I'm the only one to blame -- I haven't exactly kept up with my Korean while I was in the US. On the "Do You Have A 5 Year Plan?" thread on this board I said that I'd like to take the next level every summer until 2012, finishing at Level 6. Not going to happen.

So, anyone else worried about their upcoming class?


BP

[Insomnia]

Gotta find a way to keep up with your Korean. Do you have Korean friends you can keep in touch with via msn or nateon? That's always a good way to at least maintain your level if you aren't studying every so often. I mean even us native English speakers' abilities can deteriorate after hearing so much bad English over and over or not hearing enough English day to day.

[crazy_arcade]

I'm in level 3 at Sogang. I think they need to do two things:

1) They need to extend the program and create something like level 1.5 and level 2.5

2) They need to do proper level testing.

There is far too much diversity of levels within the classes.

As for you, all you needed to do was spend 15-20 minutes a day reviewing vocab/grammar over the last year and you'd be rocking in class right now. Actually~you could've studied the level 3 book also over the past year, taken the level test and now be studying level 4. Furthermore, you could've taken some initiative and spent some of your free time watching Korean dramas/movies or listening to Korean music.

[curlygirl]

Oooh me 3 (Sogang level 3 that is). I agree that there is a large diversity of levels within each class, but last semester the level 2s who weren't up to scratch quickly got the boot back down to level 1. Give it a few days and people will get sorted out, either by the teachers or by voluntarily moving up or down levels. Also you have to remember that those people who didn't keep up the self-study over the break might struggle for a few days but they'll get back up to speed pretty quick.

I'm in 805, how about you guys? It'll be weird if we're classmates.

Edit: For the OP, I understood the gist of what each instructor said quite easily although I certainly could not catch every word. You have to give yourself a few days to adjust to their accent and to memorize the phrases that they habitually use. Fighting!

[PeteJB]

I am doing Level 5 at SNU. And well, it was pretty complicated even for the first day. I'm still recovering even though it's evening now! Will write more when I have time.

[BlaisePascal]

As I've said, when it's not summertime I'm a HS teacher in the US; I also have a part-time job on the weekends. I do think that I'm getting (physically) tired of this -- going back and forth between here and the US, from being a teacher during the school year to being a student during the summer, with little breaks. Maybe I should skip a summer of coming here. We'll see.

[Ginormousaurus]

[Brooksmatic]

When do the next set of classes at the major universities begin (do they all start at the same time)? I'm gonna be getting back to Korea July 2nd so any courses that begin after that would be perfect.

[crazy_arcade]

Next start date is September. You could always study at a hagwon until then.

[Oreovictim]

One thing I've always wondered. How do all of you find the time for this? I've looked into some of these programs and you're at school from, what, 10:00 - 2:00 every day? And then you (obviously) have to find time to do homework, study, and work.

Props to all of ya.

[BlaisePascal]

[curlygirl]

I worked in a public school for two years prior to attending Sogang, so between that and clocking up 4 English camps during vacation time, I socked away enough cash to not need a job. Last semester one of my classmates was a full time hagwon teacher and he never had time to turn in any homework; I don't know if it is feasible to study with anything more than a part-time job. I know I sure as heck couldn't do it.