Hey guys! Thanks for visiting! I have now moved (: Do check out my new site. You can find the latest K-Pop news, korean learning resources, my korean learning journey etc at the new site.
Use the main menu on the left to navigate to the respective sections!^^
Sorry for being M.I.A for a week. Having too much things to do and too little time. I’ll be sharing some more Korean learning tools in the upcoming days and probably I’ll do a short Korean recording on my own! Inspiration from Cathy and Nicole. XD
Yep, I’m in the library right now and I shall hit the books. Will be back with more stuff soon, I promise (:
Articles of Interest: Malaysia drops English to teach Math and Science , Malaysia to end teaching math and science in English
According to one of the articles,
Malay will be reinstated in state-funded schools starting in 2012 because teaching in English caused academic results in those subjects to slip, Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said.
The news comes after months of high-profile demonstrations by politicians and linguists, especially from the ethnic Malay majority, who say a six-year-old policy of using English undermines their struggle to modernize their mother tongue.
That seems like a weak argument. Is it proven that language is the root cause of the slip in results? Let’s say for argument sake that it is indeed English that is causing this problem. Instead of pumping in more resources to rectify the problem, it seems like they are just finding an easy way out. Perhaps in the short term, academic results will improve. But in the long term, it is the students in the rural poor that are going to suffer even more.
Instead of teaching maths and science in English, a policy started in 2003, the government will double the time spent on English lessons for primary children and increase that for secondary school children by half.
It said it would hire an additional 14,000 teachers to teach English as a language.
Personally, I don’t think that language lessons will be able to pull up the English standard of the rural poor. By endorsing the movement to teach math and science in Malay, those students would see even less reason and have less motivation to improve their English. True, they will still be learning English in ‘English lessons’. But to them, it will just become one of the many school subjects and they may not realise the importance of mastering the language. Why bother, we can get along well with Malay.
For those who work hard, they probably could attain a reasonable proficiency in English conversation. But without the exposure to academic and technical terms in English, how can they compete with others whose first/second language is English? By the time they are forced to undertake academic studies in English, they will be at a great disadvantage. This weak foundation is going to hurt alot in the long run.
Article of interest: KBS 드라마 한글 제목으로 왜 바꾸나 했더니…
Summary:
Lately there has been a trend of korean dramas sporting English titles. There would have been more such cases, but most of them were renamed prior to their broadcast. ‘Six Months (식스먼스)’ was later renamed to ‘That Fool (그저 바라보다가’)’. ‘Lady Castle(레이디 캐슬)’ was abruptly changed to ‘아가씨를 부탁해’. The only drama currently that made it to air with its English title is ‘Partner’.
In 1997, a drama named ‘파랑새는 없다’ was later changed to ‘파랑새는 있다’ by the top management on the grounds that 있다 (to have) has a more positive connotation compared to ‘없다’.
Back in 1974, the government undertook a campaign named ‘우리말 순화’. Clubs sporting english names were changed to its korean translation. [Those names sound quite cool in English, but in Korean.. plain weird.]
와일드캣 (wildcat) –> 들고양이들 (wildcats)
어니언스 (onions) –> 양파들 (onions) [this one is hilarious. and the ‘들’ added behind to mark plurality)
바니걸스 (Bunny Girls) –> 토끼자매 (Rabbit sisters)
All these was done in hope to prevent ‘over-influence’ of the western culture and to retain cultural identity.
When questioned, KBS denied that the name changes has anything to do with the campaign and that it was due to the influence of external producers and sponsors.
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Prior to reading this article, I paid no attention to the increasing’ English-nisation’. But come to think of it, alot of korean singers and pop groups are sporting English names. Big Bang, SG Wannabe, Wonder Girls, 2NE1, Super Junior,Brown Eyed Girls. This list could go on for a good while. It makes me kinda miss names like Dong Bang Shin Ki, Shinhwa etc. More and more song titles are in English too.
It’s a thin line. There is nothing wrong with korean dramas sporting english titles. Personally, I’m rather irked when I heard that Lady Castle has been changed to a korean title, which sounds both cumbersome and less classy.
But from another point of view, I won’t like it if all korean dramas start having english titles only. Makes me wonder if I’m watching a korean drama or not. But at least I can be sure that the dialogues are going to be in Korean. If you ever come across a korean album having all its songs titles in English, it really makes you doubt whether that is their debut into the American industry or not. (:
This discussion brings us back to the much debated question:
How do you guys feel about this issue? Is it alright to keep using English titles for something that’s Korean? Should a line be drawn somewhere? If so, where?
I’m about to attempt the seemingly impossible task of changing my internet modem in hope that it will get rid of all the internet problems I’m having these days. XD
If I’m not back by tomorrow, you will know that I’ve failed in my attempt. sigh. I’m not good with computers.
so.. I’ll be back soon! (hopefully)
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update@3.55pm
URGHH. smart. I’ve configured my internet connection. now I’m connected through the ethernet cable but I need my wireless connection! It shows this problem twice. ): This is how my desktop looks like.
Horrifying. It’s supposed to be SIMPLE and done within 30 minutes.
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update@4.12pm
woah thanks alot to http://blog.s0ulless.sg/?p=311. I am now connected wirelessly!! (:
But I still can’t access babelpop ): ):
I’m building my vocabulary through my favourite book 세상에 너를 소리쳐 by Big Bang right now. I just came across a sample sentence in Naver’s dictionary that I’ll like to share with you guys.
어학 습득의 방법은 오로지 연습 뿐이다
Practice is the only way to master a language
How true. You may be a genius with an exceptional talent in languages. You may be able to master more languages at a faster pace than normal people but you still need consistent practice and work.
My friend at Naver has wisely advised me not to ‘force’ myself to study but to enjoy each moment. In my haste to be well prepared for TOPIK, I’ve been forcing myself too hard and fast that I doubt I’m absorbing anything.
날이 갈수록 한국어를 더 좋아한다. ^^
For those of you who know me, I love Penny’s songs. This is the first time I’m doing a cover of her. The REAL mv of her’s is below! (:
This is my favourite song from her newest album 原谅我就是这样的女生.
WARNING: I don’t sing well, I did make some mistakes, but I’m too lazy to redo it XD
两难--戴佩妮
专辑:原谅我就是这样的女生
谁将你眼眶
染成一抹红
谁用模糊语言轻易带过承诺
几度梦里寻觅
踏遍多少愁
敢问弦月缺少了什么
少了那一夜短暂烟火
只能怀念剎那闪烁
少了那一次流星滑落
只能将心意淡没
我说去亦难留亦难怎么办
有些话只能偷偷拿出来纪念遗憾
我说爱亦难恨亦难分作两半
有些人注定和寂寞相伴
（间奏）
少了那一夜短暂烟火
只能怀念剎那闪烁
少了那一次流星滑落
只能将心意淡没
我说去亦难留亦难怎么办
有些话只能偷偷拿出来纪念遗憾
我说爱亦难恨亦难分作两半
有些人注定和寂寞相伴
我说去亦难留亦难怎么办
有些话只能偷偷拿出来纪念遗憾
我说爱亦难恨亦难分作两半
有些人注定和寂寞相伴
有些人注定只能作伴
I hate it when I see inaccurate translations. Especially in movies/dramas. I know that it is difficult to do a 100% accurate translation, when there are so many nuances and subtle meanings that may prove to be difficult to translate. To do so may result in a cumbersome and long translation that will also be reader-unfriendly (haha is there such a word?)
However, I’ve seen alot of cases where simple words and phrases are being mistranslated and it really decreases the joy of watching movies/dramas. Non-speakers depend entirely on subtitles to understand the drama and I feel that it is really irresponsible when I see slip-shod translation work.
I’m no expert at translation but being bi-lingual in English and Chinese, I can point out so many mistakes. So why did a translator make those mistakes?
Yesterday, I was watching Twilight DVD with my mum. Having little command of English, she have to depend alot on the subtitles. Halfway through the movie, she pointed out something.
关于3件事，我是非常乐观的。
For those Twilight fans out there, I’m sure you know what it is.
About three things I was absolutely positive.
In this case, positive is translated as 乐观. Yes, positive can be ‘optimistic’. Eg. a positive attitude to life. However in this case, ‘positive’ has the meaning of ‘to be sure’, which should be translated into 肯定。
There are other examples of butchered translations, but this is the one that irks me the most. In the book, this is one of the most classic and famous lines. To have it incorrectly translated is like a crime. My mum was so baffled by it and she asked me: ‘She’s optimistic that Edward is thirsting for her blood?’ HAHA
Back to TOPIK revision! (:
I realised that for the past few days, I didn’t really get much satisfaction from studying korean like I used to. I have been studying for the sake of passing the test and that is a wrong attitude. I used to enjoy the process but now the reminder that TOPIK is in 70(?) days is making me rush and rush. The more I try to rush, the less I absorb and the more irritated I get. Vicious cycle.
So for today, I shall relax and watch 결혼 못 하는 남자. I totally adore the chihuahua in there XD 상구!!
Listening to 빅뱅’s songs right now. I am no fan of hip hop but I love their songs. So who do I like best? hmm I can’t decide between 태양 (taeyang) and 대성 (dae sung).
Typing out an essay and writing out an essay are really different. I used to think that they probably involves the same processes but I realised I was so wrong when I wrote my first TOPIK essay by hand.
Typing has become so ubiquitous that it has almost totally replaced traditional writing. However, as I was writing the essay in those square grid paper, I came to realise the following differences.
We are so used to pressing that ‘backspace’ button that we can’t do without it right now. Next time when you are typing something, try to notice how many times you press that button. You will be amazed. Although there is something called correction tape, imagine using the correction tape for all those mistakes that you will make.
It’s even more pronounced when I write in Korean. I can write out an english essay with relatively few mistakes, but for korean, I tend to re-read my sentences and going back to correct a thing or two.
Worse still, we have to write the essay on square grid paper. So deleting a character makes alot of difference ( you get a blank space). If you do that often enough, your essay will be a piece of mess.
2. you have to write in order
I feel that this is the main reason why people can’t write good essays but are able to type out good essays. Most of us will have the experience of having writer’s block and deciding to write the main content of the essay followed by introduction or likewise. Sometimes, in the midst of typing a paragraph, we suddenly have an inspiration and then move on to type out a new point. However, you can’t do that for writing (unless you want to make a mess out of your essay). Adding a sentence here and there may still be possible, but you can’t change the order of your paragraphs or to add a big chunk of words.
3. No special tools
No spellcheck, wordcount etc. We have become so reliant on them that we forgot how to function without them. Even though I’m a native speaker of English, sometimes I can’t spell the more complicated words too.
(psst… I still have problems with diahorrea.. oops diarrhea/diarrhoea – darn, I still have to google it!)
In essence, both refers to the ‘familiar speech style’ in Korean. This form of speech is usually used between friends of similar ages or to someone who is younger and of lower hierarchy than you.
However, there is a difference in connotation and nuance between the two. 반말 has a slightly negative connotation and is usually used in situations such as the following.
A : 가자! (Let’s go! – familiar style)
B: 야! 나한테 반말 쓰지 마! (oi! Don’t use panmal with me!)
낮춘말 has a positive connotation and is used when two friends decide to lower their speech style or when one is asking an older person to lower their speech style.
A: 우리 말 낮출까요? (Let’s lower our speech style, shall we?)
B: 응. 좋아! (okay!)
alternatively..
A: 우리 편하게 말할까요?
A: 말씀 낮추세요 / 말씀 낮추십니오
우리 반말 할까요? (X)
It’s been almost a year since I last took any form of exams and I have to admit that my exam skills are slipping. ): I’ve always been fast and I complete all my tests with much time to spare. So I guess I need to relax and stop worrying about time.
I’ve just practiced doing the 15th TOPIK (intermediate) reading section. We have around 50 min to complete 30 questions.
I did everything in 29 min but I was so obsessed over the time limit that my concentration was not fully on the paper. I need to r.e.l.a.x. XD Hopefully but doing more practice papers, I can get back to my normal mode.
Here’s my results so far:
듣기 (Listening): 96/100
읽기 (Reading): 80/100
I shall go back to attempt the ones I got wrong. Going to hand in my application form tomorrow! XD
The bab.la language portal and Lexiophiles are holding the annual TOP 100 Language Blog competition and I’m so happy to be nominated for this.
Anyway please do vote for me from July 8 – July 27. Each of you is only entitled to one vote. So please vote for
I’ll update again once I know how the voting will be conducted!
p.s a million thanks to Cathy from MyLangBlog who nominated me!
Dear Shanna,
you are nominated for the "Top 100 Language Blogs 2009" competition. Congratulations! After last year’s success the bab.la language portal and Lexiophiles language blog are hosting this year’s worldwide language blog competition once again. We are confident to surpass more than the 350 blogs which entered the competition in 2008.
We have made two major changes to last year:
1. Due to the amount of blogs we have created categories.
(Language Learning/Language Teaching/Language Technology/
Language Professionals)
You are in category Language Learning
2. User voting will count 50% towards final scoreVoting will start on July 8, leaving you enough time to prepare your readers for the upcoming voting. Voting will close on July 27 and the winners will be announced on July 30.
For more information on the 2009 competition and what it is all about visit [http://www.lexiophiles.com/english/top-100-language-blogs-2009-nomination-started]
So now you may ask yourself what you can do. Here are some suggestions-Nominations are open until July 6, so feel free to share any blog you like with us
-Each blog will have a one-sentence-description for the voting. If you would like a special description to go along with your blog, just send me an email [marc@bab.la]
I’ve just completed my first TOPIK practice paper. XD I tried the 13th TOPIK Intermediate Paper (type B) – 제 13회 한국어능력시험 (B형).
For those who don’t know, type A paper are for those from China and type B for those from the rest of the world. I have no idea why this distinction though.
I haven’t attempted the essay for this one (oops) but I will be doing it for the more recent papers later on. The title of the essay was:
꼭 만나 보고 싶은 사람 (The person that you definitely want to meet)
and you have to write about
만나고 싶은 사람 소개, 만나고 싶은 이유, 만나면 하고 싶은 말이나 알
actually my problem is not how to write the essay – but I don’t know who I want to meet.
So, here’s my score for the rest of the paper
(vocab/grammar) 어휘/문법: 66/100
(writing) 쓰기: 43/70 (excluding essay – 30 points)
(listening) 듣기: 94/100
(reading) 읽기: 90/100
As expected, I am weaker in my grammar and writing section. I think the essay can kill me easily. Since there is the requirement to get > 50 points for every section, I need to work harder. ^^
Okay, I’ve just finished downloading the paper for the 15th TOPIK. Off to do it now.
cya!
I’ve split my blog up into 2! I was originally at www.hangukdrama.wordpress.com and over time, the blog has evolved and it’s become more of a korean entertainment news site. I’ll continue to translate the latest news there and hence I’ve decided to move my language blog here.
(I guess this makes my wordpress URL more apt – isn’t it? XD )
I’ll just select some of my past posts to be published here. For the rest of them, please check out the wordpress site. I’ll continue to add more links and pages here – do look out for it. I’ve spent most of my time yesterday exporting my past articles and I guess I should really start on my TOPIK revision right now.
Goal for today:
will be back later!
◑ 2009년 TOPIK 안내 ◐
◈ Date and Time : 09:00 ~ 17:30 on Sunday, 13 September 2009
◈ Places(Test Venue): Singapore Korean School (Near Paya Lebar MRT)
For more information, visit here
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I missed the deadline last year and hence I immediately print out the application form today. I’m going to spend the weekend doing practice papers and then decide whether I should go for the elementary (to play safe) level or the intermediate level.
The part that I’m more worried about is writing. I still tend to make mistakes on some basic concepts and in order to pass TOPIK, you have to pass all the different components. So I can’t count on the reading and listening part to pull my marks up.
Good luck for all those who are planning to take the test too!
I much prefer this song to 'Tell me your wish'. That song gets to my nerves after a while. 'Boyfriend' feels much more refreshing.
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