Communication is vital everywhere and knowing the essential phrases and expressions in Korean will take you a long way as a Chungdahm teacher living and working abroad. I have put together the top 10 expressions that I use the most as these will be extremely useful and necessary when talking to locals in this great country Korea.
Read MoreTags: Korean language, communicating in Korea, teaching at CDL
After being in Seoul for 6 months, I decided it was time for me to learn the language. It can be frustrating wanting to communicate, but not being able to do so because of limited understanding. Luckily, a coworker of mine knew of a place that isn't far and Korean language classes are taught for free.
Read MoreTags: Korean language, learning Korean, working in korea, teaching at Chungdahm, growing with Chungdahm, frequently asked questions
Packing a suitcase and relocating your whole life to Korea can be daunting. More so when you don’t know a lick of Korean. I often get asked if was hard to adjust to living in Korea without knowing how to communicate in or read the native language. My answer is no.
Read MoreTags: Korean language, life in Korea, speaking English in Korea
Korean is a unique language that plays a big part in Korean culture. While knowing Korean isn't required to teach for ChungDahm, as all the classes are taught in English, any current teacher would tell you to learn the Korean alphabet and some of the key Korean phrases prior to your arrival. Knowing how to read the language and say key phrases will help you immensely with things like directions or reading a menu. In this blog I will introduce you to 10 Korean phrases that you should try to learn prior to arriving to Korea to help you during your first days abroad.
Read MoreTags: korean phrases, ex-pat life in Korea, Korean language, life in Korea, What to do Korea, learn korean, study korean, phrases, what to do before Korea
Living and teaching in Korea creates opportunities to learn a new culture and speak a new language. With this experience arises the chance to make life-long friends across cultural barriers. Like every encounter living abroad, you have to put yourself out there and do what the "Romans do in Rome" and as in Korea..."Do what the "Koreans do in Korea."
Read MoreTags: Korean culture, Korean language, hanging out with friends in korea, learning Korean, cultural experience, teach in Korea, friends in Korea, Korea friends, cultural activities, cross cultural experience, meeting Koreans, friendship, Meetup, korean friends
Learning Korean can be really fun. Although not required for teaching at ChungDahm, I have found that knowing basic Korean has made my life easier during my teaching abroad experience. This blog will focus on both words that you need to know for everyday life and also the top keywords you should know for various social settings.
Read MoreTags: korean phrases, Korean language, learning Korean, dating while in Korea, Taxis in Korea, Transportation in Korea, Korean food, Korean fun, ordering food
I remember my first few days living in the Korean countryside and everything seemed new and obscure. There were buses to catch, co-teachers to communicate with and grocery shops to find. The only problem was everything was in signs I couldn't read and sayings I couldn't understand. This was when I started my Korean language journey.
Read MoreTags: Korean language
For foreigners, South Korea is an enabler. It enables our late night partying, the late wake-ups the next day, and our frequent eating out at restaurants. Being such a Westernized country, it also enables our use of English. You can spend years in this country and never really have to use more than a few words of Korean, which is something that many foreigners fail to appreciate. I shake my head when I see foreigners yelling English at befuddled movie theater attendants or other service staff, somehow assuming that if they yell louder and faster, then these poor Koreans will magically acquire the ability to understand English. Personally, I believe that if you are going to spend a long period of time in another country, you should at least make an effort to learn the native language. Having been here just over a year, I have three tips for all you language connoisseurs out there on how to tackle the Korean language.
Tags: Korean pop music, korean phrases, Korean culture, Korean language, learning Korean, western culture in korea, restaurants in korea, music in Korea, basic korean
Tags: Students, teaching in Korea, money in korea, Korean language, English in Korea, Korean Dramas, teaching at Chungdahm, K-Pop
While I was preparing for my one year adventure in Korea in May 2012, my recruiter suggested
that I learn a little Korean and offered some helpful websites. I knew that learning a few words in Korean would be beneficial to me but my first encounter with the Korean language however, produced so much anxiety, that I was immediately turned off. “What in the world is this?” I wondered as I watched stick figures greet each other in Korean. Many questions filled my head. I felt overwhelmed and confused. I shut it off, calmed my mind and went on to do something else. However, this experience didn’t turn me off to teaching in Korea. I’ve been living and teaching in Korea for ten months already and though this is my second attempt at learning Korean, I’ve just about finished the alphabet and I am excited!
Tags: Korean language, living in Korea, learning Korean, free, tips, morning activities, communicating in Korea
