Darren Southcott reports from the SOAS seminar given by Dr Martine Robbeets on 20 November: “Korean and the Transeurasian languages: similarities that make a difference”. With additional material from Peter Corbishley Korean and the Transeurasian languages was not the title of a talk designed to bring in the crowds. But slowly SOAS room G50 filled … [Read More]
Category: Language (page 4)
January-March Korean class season at the KCC
Next term’s Korean language courses at the KCC are open for subscription: APPLICATION DEADLINE: by Wednesday 9th December 2009, 10am. via Email only 1. NEW STUDENTS FOR BEGINNERS 1: Wednesday 9th December 2009, 10am This is for new absolute beginner students who have not studied at KCC before. 2. CONTINUING STUDENTS: Wednesday 25th November ~ … [Read More]
Korean and the Transeurasian languages: similarities that make a difference
More info about this Friday’s talk at SOAS: Friday, November 20th, 5pm, room G50 (main building) Dr. Martine Robbeets, University of Mainz Korean and the Transeurasian languages: similarities that make a difference Abstract: The term “Transeurasian” refers a group of geographically adjacent languages, stretching from Japan in the East to Lithuania in the West, that … [Read More]
Learning Korean with Alud: part 3
Did anybody else go to the Thames Festival the other week? I was tied up during the day, but managed to get to the Scoop not long before the screening of the Good The Bad and The Weird. Luckily before that I managed to catch the last 10 minutes or so of Sorea, where I … [Read More]
Learning Korean with Alud: part 2
Here’s a quick tip. A couple of weekends ago I found myself back in Seoul on a very last minute trip. So last minute in fact that I found out on the Saturday morning that I needed to go, and left that afternoon. After arriving on the Sunday, a quick sleep and then dinner, I’d … [Read More]
Learning Korean with Alud: part 1
So I walked into a restaurant and this ajumma put her arm around me all smiles and started talking to me like we had known each other forever. I’ve been fortunate enough to travel a bit, and picked up bits of languages here and there and always, always tried to pick up the basics of … [Read More]
Konglish in K-pop
Does Epik High have the same language coach as the Wonder Girls? “-t you” ≠ “choo” #(Epik High: No reason to live withow choo / Wonder Girls: I want nobody nobody bah choo) [Read More]
Fun summer language classes
Notice of some innovative language classes this summer at the Cultural Centre. Particularly fun is “Korean through TV Dramas”, which will take an episode of a Korean soap and walk you through the key colloquialisms and vocabulary. Both of the courses will be very popular, so get your application in soon. SEJONG INSTITUTE Summer Special … [Read More]
Learn Korean in a London pub
Want to learn Korean in a fun and informal environment? You couldn’t do better than locate your classroom in the back room of a London boozer. For a while, the Korean Language Meetup Group has been convening occasionally at the Korean-owned Old Justice pub in Bermondsey for socialising, singing and eating. But maybe not enough … [Read More]
An introduction to Hangeul – part 2
By Matthew Jackson. Despite the technical merits of Hangeul, it is hard to get beyond the fact that it is, after all, just a phonetic alphabet, albeit a unique one. As with other treasures of Korea, the real value of Hangeul lies in the story behind it. Its creator, King Sejong the Great, worked very … [Read More]
An introduction to Hangeul – part 1
By Matthew Jackson. I heard a few years ago there was a plan to make Hangeul1 Korea’s National Treasure No.1. Given that there are a number of candidates for this position, I was puzzled, although aware that Hangeul’s technical merits are not disputed in the world of linguistics. John Man, for example, in his book … [Read More]
Beginners’ Korean at the KCC – Season 2
The KCC has just opened registration for the next round of Korean language classes for beginners. The first season was two times oversubscribed, so here’s the opportunity for those who missed out last time round. In the second season, the beginners’ classes are Saturday mornings at 11am. Those who are currently in the beginners’ class … [Read More]
Honorifics at the KCC
Lucien Brown has been leading the beginners’ Korean Language class at the KCC with infinite patience and good humour for the past eight weeks. Some of us are still struggling with telling the time in Korean but we still come back for more. We’ll be getting an extra dose of our favourite 선생님 next week: … [Read More]
The 2nd European Conference on Korean Linguistics, at SOAS
A bargain three-day conference begins at SOAS this Thursday. The 2nd European Conference on Korean Linguistics (ECKL2) 7 – 9 August 2008 Khalili Lecture Theatre, SOAS The Centre of Korean Studies of the School of Oriental and African Studies, the University of London, and the Oriental Institute at Oxford University take great pleasure in welcoming … [Read More]
Korean language classes at the KCC
A good-value way to start learning Korean: The Korean Cultural Centre UK embarks on its first Korean language programme for beginners on Wednesday 25 June in the Centre. This course is a social education facility that teaches the language and culture of Korea to people in the UK and overseas Koreans who wish to learn … [Read More]
Korean language meet-ups
The eagle-eyed among you will have noticed a new type of event at the bottom of my “April Events” post. It’s a Korean language meet-up. It seems there’s a group of like-minded people — some native Korean speakers and some learners — who meet up once a month in the West End somewhere, and, (I’m … [Read More]