Language

Korean language classes in Raynes Park

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by Events Editor on 29 January, 2017

in Asides, Event Notices, Language

If you were unsuccessful in your application for the language classes at the KCC this year, don’t despair: there’s a similar set of classes down in Raynes Park, organised by another branch of the Korean embassy, the Korean Education Centre. More details here: lkl.ink/2kCa5CV Apply by 3 February for this term’s classes.

말 MAL – The 2nd Korean Speech Contest

by Events Editor 7 May 2015

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If you’re not intimidated by the standard of last year’s Korean speech competition – see the below video clip – then get your applications in for this year’s contest, to be held on 6 June. 말 MAL – The 2nd Korean Speech Contest in the UK Let’s Speak Korean Date: 6th June 2015 14:00 Venue: […]

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Burberry – the favoured brand of Korean flashers

by Philip Gowman 5 October 2014

In the last decade, British fashion brand Burberry manage to rescue itself from the chav associations caused by too liberal licensing of its check design to companies it couldn’t control. But you can’t control the use to which a raincoat is put. And according to the Hankyoreh: Burberry coats have long been sought after in […]

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Brighten up your hangeul typeface

by Philip Gowman 5 July 2014

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Bored with the default hangeul font on your PC? The Korea Blog has a brief article on hangeul as compared with other scripts, explaining some of the difficulties with hangeul typography. But best of all, they provide a couple of links where you can download hangeul fonts for free: Naver’s Nanum font collection (4 varieties) […]

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Eating yeot, or not

by Philip Gowman 1 July 2014

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Ask A Korean has a great post on the reason why a disgruntled fan might want to lob a few toffees at the returning Korean football team. He has a few explanations why “Eat Yeot” is considered an insult. The article promted an LKL reader to add a different story about eating yeot as a […]

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Koreans in America: the Slate map of the most popular language in your State

by Philip Gowman 17 May 2014

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AAPI Voices say that the Slate got it wrong, but at least the Slate article on the most popular language in your State got the Korean states right. So why is it that, after Spanish and English, Korean is the most-spoken language in Virginia and Georgia? One suggestion from an LKL reader is that Virginia […]

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Kim Yuna’s Lark of Emergency and other popular classics

by Philip Gowman 21 March 2014

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Browsing in the Hankyoreh yesterday I came across some charming pictures of Queen Yuna. This particular one, with the famous yellow logo on the CD cover … … got me googling for Deutsche Grammophon compilations of Kim’s backing tracks. And I came across this: Scrolling down to the tracklist I find that the label hasn’t […]

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Some Quite Interesting Korean folk expressions

by Philip Gowman 27 October 2013

The witty comedy quiz show QI is now in its 11th series for the BBC, focusing on Quite Interesting facts connected with things that begin with the letter K. Plenty of scope for things Korean to crop up, then. In the episode that screened on 21 September, a series of Korean folk expressions came up. […]

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Gi: some linguistic trivia

by Philip Gowman 9 October 2013

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Sancheong, 13 September 2013. Browsing the Donguijeon at the Sancheong international Traditional Medicine Fair & Festival, I learned some mildly interesting linguistic trivia about the word gi. First, some words which use the word gi as a component: 기(氣)분 좋다 Feel good 공기(氣)가 좋다 Get fresh air 기(氣)가 산다 Feel energetic 온기(氣)가 있다 Be warm […]

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2013 Travel Diary #27: Last day at the Expo

by Philip Gowman 13 September 2013

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Donguibogam Village, Sancheong-gun, Friday 13 September, 7am. There’s still a long list of things I have to do before leaving. We have to pay a courtesy call on the mayor to say farewell, plus I want to pay a last visit to the Festival. And of course I need to gather everything together, trying to […]

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What the British Say… and what they mean

by Philip Gowman 19 February 2013

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This has been doing the rounds on the internet for a while, but deservedly: a very accurate dissection of the differences between what the British say, what they actually mean and what the non-native-English-speaker, or indeed anyone not British, might understand. Although the table suggests it relates to the British, it’s probably most accurate of […]

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When “going to the valleys” is not a good idea

by Philip Gowman 9 October 2011

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Many languages have all sorts of euphemisms for death. “He’s gone to meet his maker”, “He’s pushing up the daisies” are a couple of the expressions in English. In Korean, there’s the picturesque phrase “He’s gone to the valleys.” The valleys in question are in the Jirisan region of South Gyeongsang province. Jirisan has always […]

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The lengths to which people go to speak a language better

by Philip Gowman 12 August 2011

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We knew Korean kids had tongue operations to speak English better; now an English girl has done it to improve her Korean pronunciation: http://bit.ly/q6lTm4 #

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Particles are Expressives: the case of Korean

by Events Editor 9 March 2011

This Friday’s seminar at SOAS is on the subject of linguistics: Friday, March 11th, 5pm, room G50 (main building) Dr. JIEUN KIAER, University of Oxford Particles are Expressives: the case of Korean Abstract: Often, the dimensions of meaning beyond propositional meaning have been understudied or put aside, as those meanings have been considered insignificant and […]

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New season of language classes at KCC

by Philip Gowman 16 January 2011

There’s a short application window for joining the free Korean classes at the KCC. Get your forms in by 6pm Monday: SEJONG INSTITUTE (세종학당) APPLICATION WINDOW 14/01/2011, 10am ~ 17/01/2011, 6pm How to apply To apply for the Sejong Institute please fill in the application form as found on the website (www.kccuk.org.uk) and return it […]

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Dr Yeon’s introduction to Korean

by Colette Balmain 10 November 2010

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Not only am I lucky enough to be studying Korean for free at the Korean Cultural Centre in London, but I managed to obtain a ticket to a special lecture (again free) on the Korean Language by Dr Jaehoon Yeon, Senior Reader in Korean Language and Literature, SOAS, on Wednesday, 27th October 2010. The Centre […]

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Everything you want to know about Korean language and Korean alphabet

by Events Editor 26 October 2010

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SOAS’s Dr Yeon Jae-hoon has an ambitious title for tomorrow’s talk at the Cultural Centre: TEACHING ENGLISH IN KOREA? WANT TO LEARN KOREAN? INTERESTED IN KOREAN FOOD, FILM, AND DRAMA? WANT TO TRAVEL TO KOREA? Everything you want to know about Korean language and Korean alphabet Dr Jaehoon Yeon (SOAS) Wednesday 6.30pm 27th October 2010 […]

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