Gentlemanly Korean notebook

More Korean notebook gibberish

Taken this week from a student notebook. I'm guessing/hoping this wasn't designed by their English department.

More lovely Korean notebook Konglish

2AM singer demonstrates 'Power of beer'

Here is a recent beer commercial for Hite lager starring Korean singer Jo Kwon of boyband 2AM. 조권 is a staple of Korean 'family entertainment' programs of late, a ubiquitous presence who dances in an exaggerated fashion whenever he gets the chance and is representative of the prevailing 'humour' shown on Korean TV. Meaning that he does everything over the top and does something even more stupid than whoever is doing something before him in order to get a longer laugh.

A less convincing beer commercial I am yet to see. I know when I make the mistake over drinking the appalling beer here doing the limbo is the last thing on my mind. I also like the way he finishes his pint in under one second, without actually swallowing any of it. I'm crossing my fingers that we get a follow up.

Korean World Cup slogan revealed

Continuing to butcher the language. Why are these things never checked?

Korean Apple

A few weeks ago I treated myself to an iPod touch. The price was a bit steep and I didn't really need it but I went ahead and bought it. I've been really pleased with my purchase and use it every day. It has not replaced my existing MP3 player but I now have portable use of the Internet as long as there is Wi-Fi. South Korea is probably the most wired up country in the world so most places I go I can log on and amuse myself etc etc. It's proving to be useful at work too because we've been getting a stream of emails regarding work changes.

I'm impressed with the technology and I would consider getting an iPhone when I eventually come home, though someone would probably nick it knowing my luck. I am old enough to remember the ZX Spectrum we used to own and at the time being in thrall to its graphics and capabilities. I wonder where our technology is taking us now. I still yearn for the game playability of the Spectrum days. Do games get any better than Atic Atac, Daley Thompson's Decathlon, Sabre Wulf, Underwurlde and Knight Lore? Enjoy some Korean English below.

Student imitates teacher

Positive reinforcement. Telling the kids they're doing well and to keep going. Dishing out praise when it's needed is important as it lets the students know that they're doing well. Some of my (all too) often repeated phrases include "well done", "nice work" and "good job!"




Alas, this poor kid has mixed up "good job" with "good gob". Gob is UK slang word for "mouth". As in "you've got a big mouth!" Perhaps he is giving me a subtle hint about something. I wonder.

Korean Christmas sentiments

My Vietnam

The battle is over. We lost. The fight to correct pronunciation is in tatters. Finishee.

Now onto the war. And Kickerly. Oops, I mean quickly. If the first casualty of war is innocence then somewhere down the line sanity ends up in the hospital. I am not only losing my temper but my faith in humanity right now. The persistence of some these kids in refusing to accept my pronunciation or to simply not be able to say some words is driving me crazy. I swear some are doing it just to drive up my blood pressure. Incandescent with rage, I persist with the struggle knowing that one of us has to lose.

Despite Korean students apparent love and flair for mathematics, they are failing to add this one together. Q+U produces a /KW/ sound, however they are coming up with /KI/ or /KEH. As an example, many of my students cannot say "Question" they say "Kestion".

Kestion? Kick, kickERly. KIEAT!! I KIT!