SLS BLOGS

Counting Units in Korean - 17 Apr, 2012

In English, one must say, "two sheets of paper" rather than "two papers". In Korean, the term jang (장) is used to count sheets, or paper-like material in general. So "ten bus tickets" would be beoseu pyo yeol jang (버스 표 열 장), literally, "bus ticket ten 'sheets'". In fact, the meanings of counter words are frequently extended in metaphorical or other image-based ways (Lakoff, 1987). For instance, in addition to counting simply sheets of paper, jang (장) in Korean can used to refer to any number of thin, paper-like objects.

 

Seoul and shopping - 17 Apr, 2012

Seoul, South Korea has many shopping centres and markets throughout the city. The largest market is the Dongdaemun Market, which supplies stocks to thousands of retail fashion shops around the whole of Korea. Near Dongdaemun market are several large mall complexes that specialize in fashion goods of all sorts, from formal attire to casual, and from clothes to all kinds of accessories including bags and belts. Some of these are Migliore, Hello APM and Doota.

 

Let’s get wet in Song kran Festival!! - 17 Apr, 2012

   

 

Learning Chinese characters without rote learning - 11 Apr, 2012

To learn Chinese characters, first of all we will need to know some history and features about this ancient writing. The history of Chinese characters can be traced back into more than 3000 years ago, and at the very beginning of its development most Chinese characters are “pictographic”, which means you can easily guess the meaning by looking at the shape of the characters. The examples are 木(mù) (wood or tree),目(mù) (eye). Both characters have the same pinyin.

 

Why Chinese characters? - 11 Apr, 2012

After learning Chinese for a while, many students feel that the more they learn, the more confused they sometimes get about this language. For example, pinyin “tā” can mean “he”, “she” or “it”,and “jī” can either mean “chicken” or “machine”. However, when we have a look at their according Chinese Characters, we will find though they have exactly the same pinyin, they actually have different Chinese characters to go with them.

 

Some stories about our Japanese Courses 7 - 11 Apr, 2012

Hi everyone,皆さん、おげんきですか。
 

 

Methods for Learning Mandarin - 13 Mar, 2012

Visual Methods for Learning Mandarin Chinese
•    Use textbooks, flashcards
•    Make notes, lists and diagrams
•    Watch Mandarin-language videos
•    Use  coloured highlighters for various language functions like verbs, nouns, measure words etc.

 

How to Improve Your Language Learning - 13 Mar, 2012

1. Practice makes perfect

Always keep in mind that learning a language is a gradual process – it doesn’t happen overnight. Therefore, the more time you spend studying, the better you will become.

2. Define your learning objectives

What do you want to learn and why?  Once you set your goal and know exactly what you want to do, it becomes easier to reach it.
 
3. Make learning a habit

 

Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK) - 13 Mar, 2012

I am very pleased to introduce one of my Korean students, Mr. Johnny Yuen, who has proudly accomplished his very first TOPIK test later last year. Johnny was only a beginner2 student when he took the test. Thus, I would like to share this information with more potential candidates who wish to get it for studying / working in Korea in the future. Furthermore, it is still worthwhile to diagnose your learning progress.

 

Korean names - 13 Mar, 2012

Traditional Korean names typically consist of only one syllable, due in part to the Korean Naming Laws of 1812. There is no middle name in the Western sense. The three most common family names are often written and pronounced as "Kim" (김), "Lee" (이), and "Park" (박). Unlike English style, Surname comes first, followed by First name. First names can be started from single letter such as “박봄” and “김범”. The most common style for first name would be the one with two letters, such as “이민호” and “이승기”.