The First Native Speaking Teacher of Mine

Four weeks’ conversation class was over yesterday. Time flied away so fast and our class had last meeting at a coffee shop with free talking. We had to say goodbye as soon as the awkward feeling among us had been removed. Both students and teacher were really sorry for farewell.

At first I terribly hesitated about attending the class because I was a graduate student of English department. I thought it was shameful as an English-majoring student for me to be a belated practiser of English conversation with other young students, even though I majored in literature not in language. It had been long hesitation for years. The fact is that I had no courage to confront with the reality as a stammering speaker of English. In fact I would have taken verbal English classes much earlier. I finally realised that avoiding practise was more shameful than being a delayed practiser and such shilly-shally attitude was merely my conceited pride or vanity. Then I decided to challenge and took my first conversation class in my life.

I really enjoyed the class and appreciated my instructor Mr. Hylton for his educational devotion. Mr. Hylton is a decent older American from LA, who is a teacher naturally and literally. I didn’t imagine I would meet such a good man. How lucky I am to have met him as my first native speaking teacher! I don’t deny that his first name, which reminded me of Scottish historical hero, influenced my first choice of his class. It proved to be an excellent choice in the end. I like him and he is the one whom I don’t want to say goodbye.


Brit…

Given-Words-Story-Making 3

(Making a story with the given words)

make a revision of
give assistance to
have a preference for
have doubts about
give encouragement to
take into consideration
make a determination
be a reflection of
raise an objection about
give an authorization for / to
need to terminate
to transmit
to make a modification
to make an inquiry

---------------------------------------------------------

“Conversation between Two Friends”

Hey, Jamie, I got a job at an academy in Korea. I will teach English for Korean students there. It is the first time for me to educate someone, you know. I’m so nervous that I have doubts about my competence for such a work. Nevertheless I made a determination of taking this opportunity. No challenge, no gain! You have experience to have taught in Korea, and I expect you something to advise me. Please don’t hesitate to give assistance to me!

Oh, it’s nice to hear that. Korea really deserves to be visited. By the way, you have a preference for China to Korea, don’t you?

Yes, I do, but my heart tells me “Proper opportunity is not always coming. It is easy to go China from Korea. This will serve as a stepping-stone for my future success in Asia.” I could not raise an objection about that.

I agree. There are numerous academies in Korea. It is a reflection of their enthusiasm about education. Koreans! In Korea, teachers were respected, and would be given an authorization for decision-making on the studying course of students in the past. Nowadays, teachers’ position is changing, so they are required to be good supporters, but my Korean friend said that their educational tradition itself was not changed much. It is really different from ours. While some of traditions are necessarily preserved to transmit to the descendant, some of them become conventional and not easily discarded. Every generation has its surplus convention which sometimes needs to be terminated. Koreans have unique educational tradition.

I thought students were just students and they were similar everywhere. Am I simple? Do I have to make a modification on my opinion?

For instance, Korean students are usually shilly-shally to make an inquiry. Many of them are shy for lack of confidence. In some cases they think that making inquiries are bold behaviour, and I guess such attitude is one of the remains of Confucian tradition. You had better take their culture into consideration. Whenever you make a revision of a student’s task, you constantly need to give encouragement to him/her.

Oh, I see. Thanks for comments! Anyway I’ll try to be a good teacher to the best of my ability.


Brit… (24th August, 2009)

Writing as a Reader

Writing as a Reader on the Given Column
(The given column is by John Huer in The Korea Times, Saturday/Sunday, August 8-9, 2009.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Mr. Huer,

I read your column, “What Are the Ten Greatest Evils of Our Time?” Regarding the two evils you commented—2 and 4, i.e. Entertainment and Freedom—, let me articulate my impression.

Some issues you proposed evoke ambivalent perspectives both agreeable and sceptical. I wonder if it is because of your stance which sometimes seems radical, and sometimes conservative. It seems to me that a general issue you have discussed is prone to be specified, or narrowed into materiality/phenomenality. For example, the ‘Entertainment’ you remarked seems related only to TV shows operated by remote control. I’m afraid you specified one type of entertainment, in a sense typical one way. Apart from TV shows, there are many sorts of entertainment in the world, such as spectator sports.

I’ll restrict myself within your boundary. I generally agree that entertainment makes people stupid and slavish with juggling. It drives its audience to be thoughtlessly snobbish imitators. In a certain point of view, the dominant power often promotes entertainment over the dominated, because they don’t want their power to be challenged. Thoughtless people are easily cheated and controlled by despotic government. We could find one example in the 5th government in Korea, one of the viciously dictatorial governments, which had extraordinarily encouraged sports and media entertainments. They hated to be criticised as mass-murdering-citizen military government, but it was true, they took the power through the 5.18 Kwangju Massacre. Was it not so?

I’m sorry to say this that I think the freedom section in your column is somewhat confused. For instance, I hold, in a strict sense, the Americans in 1776 had fought for liberty, not for freedom. Their referring to it as liberty is definitely right, I think. Liberty and freedom are similar, but delicately different from each other, as we know. While liberty is closer to autonomy or independence, freedom more inclined to individuality and at times physicality—so to speak, one is able to act freely according to his/her own will—, even though the two often relate to the same meaning. I argue that the Americans gained liberty from the British, but plundered freedom and liberty from the aborigine simultaneously. That’s another story. Anyway, my understanding, the freedom you meant is approaching to self-indulgence or arbitrariness. If so, I agree it is quite evil.

From a point of view, we can say that the evils you selected are also the virtues as far as well-practised or controlled. When initiated in human history, they were all the highest values. Of course, it is difficult to maintain the middle-of-the-road, and moderation is the prime question in all spheres of society, from politics to individual lives.

Please excuse me if I appear rude! Maybe I didn’t fully understand your argument. I must say that I enjoyed reading your column. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Britannia (19th August, 2009)

Given-Words-Story-Making 2

(Making a Story with the Given Words)

hypocrite / hypocritical,
anxious / anxiety,
revenge / revengeful,
dread / dreadful,
blunder,
fragile,
reject / rejected,
catastrophe,
recuperate,
assert / assertive,
sceptical,
modest / modesty,
impulse / impulsive,
commitment / committed,
frugal / stingy,
sophisticated / sophistication
---------------------------------------

“Moderate Sophistication of Jason Hatcher’s Story”

Jason Hatcher is a well–educated young man of rich family. He is modest and sophisticated. His family’s richness is hereditary in a certain sense, but it is his father’s frugality to have kept the wealth unimpaired. Naturally, father Hatcher did not spend money lavishly on his son, even though he loved his son very much. Mr. Hatcher thought that money was the last means to show his commitment to his son, and wanted Jason to know exactly how and on what to use money.

Raising a child in one’s own way does not always meet his/her expectations. Parents’ anxiety about their children occasionally drives themselves to discipline the children dreadfully for their misbehaviour. It would be one of the causes for which the parents’ love is often misunderstood by their children. The Hatchers could not be an exception. In early years, Jason was sceptical about his father’s attitude. Even Mr. Hatcher’s carefulness looked fragile in his son’s eyes.

When he was an adolescent, Jason was full-blooded and sometimes impulsive. At school, the boy was popular among the girls of his age and also a leader of the boys, because he was smart, handsome, and active. As the leader of his aged group, Jason seemed that he could go through fire and water for his group’s sake.

One day, a friend of Jason had been battered by naughty boys of a neighbouring school without any cause. Jason and his guys were furious, and their revengeful indignation spread to fighting in groups. The boys of the two schools were confronted with each other at a snack bar, so quarrels exploded into hand-to-hand struggles. Many boys were hurt and lots of implements of the bar were damaged. The fight was ended by the police. As for the bar manager, it was like a small catastrophe.

Leader Jason was helplessly imputed to the prime mover, so the policeman sneered at Jason, “You committed a terrible blunder!” Jason’s father was called by the police as well as by the school. Mr. Hatcher rejected to appeal for forgiving management for his son, however. He said to Jason, “You are responsible for your behaviour, and deserved punishment. Reflect yourself for a few days and do proper things to be needed. I cannot help you because I love you.” Thus Jason had to stay in the police cell three days more than other boys, after that, had to work at the bar--the fighting place-- after school, without pay or time limit, as a kind of payback.

The more Jason thought of the father’s reaction, the more he became distressed. The angry son spoke to his father in an assertive tone, “Dad, your love is hypocritical. The fact is that you are too stingy to be generous with your own son. You’re just a hypocrite. I don’t want to hear you anymore. I’ll become richer than you, and revenge your meanness.

As penitence of the commitment, Jason sincerely served at the bar. He learned the value of responsibility, prudence, modesty, perseverance, and labour, but it was not easy to recuperate the affection for his cold-hearted father. Six months later, the bar manager called Jason and told him, “You have worked so hard till now. I assert you are a good boy. Now you don’t have to serve here anymore.” Then he paid Jason for six months’ work. In the end Jason found that his father already compensated the bar for the loss and arranged all this experience for him, his loving child. Jason realized that his father’s love was so deep that he could not imagine its depth.

Now Jason is grown up, frugal but generous like his father, and makes a wholesome gentleman.

Brit… (13th August, 2009)

Story-Making with a Question

Making a Story with the Given Question: 18 August

Question: Last Saturday I saw you were eating dinner at the Paradise Hotel with a handsome man, and he looked like a celebrity, a movie star. Is that right? Give me details!

Explaining Answer:

Oh, have you seen us that night? You were at The Paradise Hotel, too? So small world that I cannot do bad things! It is natural people mistook him as another man. He really resembled someone. When I first met him, I was shocked that I felt my blood go to the feet. I thought my favourite Sean Bean stood before me. I think you know Sean Bean, the British actor who played Boromir in The Lord of Rings. I’ve liked him since early ‘90s when he performed Oliver Mellors in Lady Chatterley’s Lover. Mellors is one of my loving characters in novels. Sean Bean also played Count Vronsky in Anna Karenina, and then I was utterly knockd out by him. In fact I didn’t like Vronsky reading Tolstoy’s novel, but Sean’s Vronsky was absolutely special. I love even bad guys in movies as far as Sean Bean plays them.

Anyway the Saturday’s man was definitely not Sean Bean, as you know. He said to me that many people used to mistake him as Sean, sometimes he enjoyed that, but he usually did not like the confusion much. He is actually my cousin’s brother-in-law and his name is Nicholas Owen. My cousin sister married to an American called Andrew Owen, and lives in Colorado. Nicholas is her husband’s older brother. I have never met Andrew, but regarding the brother, he must be handsome, too.

A month ago my cousin phoned me her brother-in-law would visit in Korea on business, and asked me to spare one day for his company. She said that after his business was done he wanted to break a day off for looking around Busan along the coast. That’s why last Saturday I took him to Taejongdae and Jagalchi-market, and drove for him to Haeundae via Gwanganli. We enjoyed being at exciting beaches that day, and almost exhausted in that evening.

In the restaurant, Nick and I talked much with each other. We found that we greatly shared common disposition. We both liked sea and sea food, both were fine swimmers, and both loved books and music. He knew well about literature and philosophy. Oh, I was deeply impressed with him. I’ve never met a man like him. What can I say, he was the very type of man whom I’d like to fall in love with. Ha~! Of course that’s impossible because I’m a married woman, you know. Don’t worry about me! We became good friends anyhow. The important thing was not that he was gorgeous, but that we could understand each other completely. It was wonderful to know him. I must thank my cousin.

That night he was my guest anyway, so I was about to pay for dinner since, but he already paid for it in my ignorance. By the way, did we make a fair match?

Brit... (18th August, 2009)

The Art of Eating Spaghetti

Writing Assignment 1 on 11th August:
About the Art of Eating Spaghetti (or Noodles)

“Story 1”

To eat spaghetti or noodles, people use chopsticks or forks. Chopsticks have been traditionally used in Asian countries such as Korea, China, and Japan. The chopsticks culture is generalised in those countries, and children usually begin to practise using chopsticks in early childhood. It has been routinely one of their home disciplines, a kind of surviving skill. It is generally believed that moving hands—especially fingers— freely is related with cerebral function. They say using chopsticks helps children to develop their coordinating faculties, so it is better using chopsticks than using forks. It would not be easy for little children to adapt themselves to chopsticks, but most of them eventually become well-trained.

These days many children as well as some adults feel uncomfortable eating spaghetti with chopsticks, however. This phenomenon has spread since Asians enjoyed Western food. In Korea, one would use chopsticks for noodles, and forks for spaghetti. Either using chopsticks or forks, to eat spaghetti or noodles, one has to observe the rules of etiquette. When one eats noodles, one must be careful not to slurp, and not to splatter sauce by letting noodles whirl around when sucking it into one’s mouth.


“Story 2”

Little Joe came to a restaurant with his family. It was a respectable Italian restaurant. He wanted pizza, but Mum and Dad ordered spaghetti. Little Joe had never eaten spaghetti till then, and thought, “What am I to do?” He looked at his sister apprehensively. Sarah, Joe’s older sister, liked spaghetti, but seemed to catch her brother’s concern, and whispered, “You’re getting to learn how to eat spaghetti. It is really tasty.”

The Italian server who was of commanding presence, smiled and winked at Joe, and said, “Please enjoy yourself with our special deliciousness, handsome little gentleman!” Little Joe blushed and tried to be imposing. He wanted to show himself as a true gentleman, and nodded, saying, “Thank you!”

Dad lifted his spaghetti up with the fork and sucked it into his mouth without noise. Little Joe admired him “Wow!” Mum exchanged a smile with Sarah, and said to Joe, “Look at your sister and do what she does!” Sarah forked her spaghetti and coiled it up and took it in her mouth. Little Joe did the same thing after his sister, but he often made the coiling big, so Joe’s mouth became covered with spaghetti sauce. Moreover, Little Joe could not manage the sipping sound effectively. Being a gentleman was not easy for Little Joe, especially when eating spaghetti.

Brit... (11th August, 2009)

Given-Words-Story-Making

(Making a Story with the Given Words)

aggravate,

descendant,

diligent / diligency,

gourmei,

lenient / leniency,

merchandise,

monotonous / monotony / monotonously,

personal,

personnel,

procrastinate,

punctual,

tranquil / tranquility,

tedious,

trivia,

sophomore,

subtle

-----------------------------

"A Personal Story"

I’ll tell you a personal story. I’m afraid it’s not proper to be open in front of academic personnel.

I don’t like monotonous works. They are definitely tedious and boring which usually need no thinking. Sometimes I feel my life goes on monotonously, with full of trivia, whenever which, I’d like to break its monotony. I don’t know what to do in many cases, however. Perhaps it’s because I’m considerably passive and timid. Now I realize life is not a gourmet’s item and it has a voracious appetite of time. I know procrastinating with languor/lethargy does not help me. Nevertheless I don’t want to be subversive or break the law.

I have a few cousin-brothers. One of them I liked most is two-years older than I. He was truly masculine and a type as punctual as a clock. Unfortunately he was implicated in a gangster business which is absolutely far from tranquility. It’s a kind of merchandising, but it seemed shady. He seemed to have been involved in that business since he was a university sophomore. It began from a part-time job.

My uncle, who’d been proud of being a descendant of noble blood, was very disappointed with his son. He was lenient and kind with children on the one hand, but a subtle and fragile man on the other. He wanted all his children to lead diligent and sincere lives, so he could hardly forgive his son even with leniency.

The relation between the father and son had been aggravated more and more. Naturally the situation worsened and their lives ruined. The heart-broken father committed suicide in the end, and the remorseful son chose a life of tranquil celibacy. He became a Buddhist monk.


Brit... (3rd August, 2009)

What can I. . .?

Said to Gen., “It’s no use saying such a thing now. Too late. Nothing can be retrieved. No need to excuse or explain. That’s alright as it is. If you earnestly loved. . . please just let it be.” Am I hypocritical? Is it really OK? Is there no bitter feeling? Is there truly no reluctance to give up?

Needless to say, there has been regret. (He would do.) Couldn’t help despairing. (Might he do.) It was a Hell in a sense, almost death. (Said he did.) Must have been beyond the death, you know. Through all odds, I’m here now. Cannot go back, cannot repeat, and cannot be down below, deep in a hole or void.

Had we really loved? Did I? Did he? Whatever is said, it is absolutely yesterday. The more we try to take it back, the more we’ll be miserable. (Definitely it’ll be.) I Don’t want to humiliate myself anymore, you know. Now it’s none of my business. Not to put it on me! I can’t help it, can’t manage it, can’t stand it. Want to keep the last thing I have, pride or self-respect. I don’t mind being said selfish. Yes, totally selfish, rather cruel, I know. I’ll just be in my way.

Bye Gen.!

Brit...

Slump or Grogginess

I’ve pondered over the cause of my emotional slump. The slump has been quite long since I began to fall into. It’s like a certain kind of psychological lethargy, definitely the cause was not simple, it’s complicated enough not to pick one or two thing as explanation. I’ve veiled it under the designed gaiety, however. That has worked somehow.

I ruminated myself again and again and hypnotised myself continually repeating “Don’t lose yourself, you can do it, try to live every best day, if you do with all your heart, nothing can make you down.” It didn’t help me so well, but I have only just managed my psychic grogginess now.

In fact I cannot stick to this gloominess anymore. Summer is passing (even though this year we are losing most of the season here in Busan) and autumn semester is coming. The new semester will be tough one to me. I’ll attend two seminars on drama, one of which is Theory of Modern British Drama—from Shakespeare to Oscar Wilde—, and the other is Studies in Contemporary American Drama. I’ll have to read at least 21 works of 19 dramatists, present two term-papers and six short papers, and give two-and-more oral presentations. Drama is not my major, but there is no novel seminar I’ve missed in the curriculum of the semester. I think plunging myself into dramas will be good experience to me. Anyway I have to begin reading dramas sooner or later.

Furthermore, doing the things mentioned above, I have to make some preparations for my dissertation, the doctorial thesis. God bless me!

Brit…

Reading Graham Swift

Last week I just read all the writings of Graham Swift under the slump. It is due to constantly self-nagging, “If you do nothing with forgetting yourself, it is like giving up the life. Do anything!” I had already read five works of Swift—Last Orders, Waterland, The Sweet-Shop Owner, Shuttlecock, and Ever After— before this year. This time I have taken the other five works, which are Out of This World, The Light of day, Tomorrow, Learning To Swim and Other Stories—selections of short stories—, and Making an Elephant, most recently Swift’s autobiographical writing. All of Swift’s books are doubtlessly attractive, yet I love most this essayistic Making an Elephant. On reading the book I realised why I couldn’t help falling in love with Graham. I found he shared so much thought/perspective and emotion with me. That’s why I understood him with no difficulty. Saying understanding is not enough, it’s a sort of uniting, absolute accordance with him. I love him ever more.

Brit…