So there you have it, and to go along with that flawless logic, I will run through my yesterday in a sentence. I sat around wishing a paper would write itself, watched world cup qualifiers, ate, and thought about writing said paper. However, I still have not written said paper.
Today has been a roller coaster to say the least.
At first today, I was all excited. I thought that I could get up and really start today exploring the world of Korean and different tenses and start making my spoken korean dynamic and whatnot. I was pretty much wrong about this. I understood exactly what we were doing today, and the grammar makes sense. I can write sentences and even say things occasionally. However, my listener was broken today, it was like I was dialed in to the wrong frequency or something because I couldn't pick up anything. I could get the obviously simple stuff, but it was like day one all over again.
That caused me some problems. I have a really hard time dealing with myself when I truly cannot comprehend something. Today I might as well have been sitting in on an MBA class taught exclusively in Swahili, because I had nothing. The good news is, though, that while I was pretty upset that I had failed that one class session (hard to take a test when you can't distinguish sounds) I came to terms with it fairly quickly and set about understanding everything I was writing and reading, and got virtually the same lesson, only without the listening.
I really think that's one of the important skills to have in a second language situation. You must be able to shift your learning capabilities when you have one of the really tough days. There's no rhyme or reason when they are going to come up, but a back up plan for learning has to be in place.
After class, we ended up going to Mie's (the western style restaurant) and I ate my feelings through the deliciousness of bulgogi (basically korean barbecue) creamcheese pizza, and wedge fries. The pizza was just a philly cheesesteak pizza basically, and it was incredibly good. It made me happy, which is the important thing.
Culture class was really great, though. We learned all about the Korean family in a more in depth fashion and it really helps me understand the type of behavior I see when I'm here. Going to a class that helps you understand that kind of thing is so important when you have no prior knowledge of how someone will act in a situation. Or any situation really. Without the culture class, I would probably just be taking everything for face value instead of really getting an inside point of view with the Koreans. They have been shaped just as much by their colorful history just as we have in America by ours.
Class was over, and we had a long discussion with Patrick about the classes and whatnot. He told us about how they decided what we would be taking and the teachers' qualifications and whatnot. While I spent most of the day uselessly and outwardly complaining and worrying that I am completely uncertain about whether I will receive any credit for this semester at all, I have started the wheels rolling when it comes to actually finding that stuff out. I called my study abroad office, and they are figuring it out. Thank goodness for them.
My S.A.P.P. group was also in session today, and I think it really took my state of mind to do the right thing for them tonight. When I found the room (one half hour late) I told them that I was changing around how the class worked. While them asking me questions only was nice and all (it was mainly about colloquialisms, idioms, etc.), I felt like I was doing them an injustice by pretending to be some sort of all knowing sensei who could be asked any question, but could only teach through question and answer format.
It took a day like today, one where I was completely broken down, for me to realize that these poor people are coming to America in like 4 months. At least Korea likes Americans. Our people don't even like foreigners for the most part. We think they're strange, don't know english, and most people won't have a real international student friend. I have to use my strengths to attempt and help them as much as possible. So, I am now basically emulating my Korean culture and etiquette class, but for America instead. I know about (at least generally) how Americans work. I know how we were influenced. I know why people get up in arms over the second amendment (punpunpun). I know some grammar stuff, and I know idiom things and can articulate them well (sometimes).
So like I said, I changed the class. I'm really the teacher now, and my students' subject is America. Today they learned about American history, the hows and whys of our wars, the constitutional rights we're given, and other historical things that make us think like we do. I answered burning questions and made them verbally compare America's system of stuff to the Korean one. For homework they are comparing the two countries in a short little page work. All to hopefully improve every part of their english. I really hope they get something useful out of all of it, because now i know what it's like to be in their position.
Tomorrow will be a good day I think. I have no more steam to let out, hopefully my scheduling deal gets worked out, and I play table tennis. Granted, I have lots of homework and another looming test, and a paper due wednesday, tomorrow will be good I hope.
Until tomorrow (maybe wednesday :( )
Aron Huckaba International Vagabond
No comments:
Post a Comment