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Par Ninon P le 7 Juin 2015 à 08:52
Today, I will briefly introduce you my internship.
For tell the trust, is not easy to find something here in Korea, especially because I do not speak enough Korean for daily life jobs/internships. And, I was also a bit disappointed, because when we learned that internship will be obligatory for us this year, I was quiet sure that the school will really help us to find one, but it was not really like that at all. Yes, I know, we are young adults, we have to be autonomous, take initiatives but still, we are not yet very qualified being just in second year. For internship, here in Korea we were in “competition” with other students often in master or other, so they were of course advantaged … But whatever, after many research and interviews I finally find the something!
I do not regret at all my choice, this internship was just perfect !
So, what was it ?
I was a CEV for the UNESCO CCAP program.
Hum, but what all that mean ?
I was a Cultural Exchange Volunteer for the UNESCO Cross Cultural Awareness Program.
Ok, and clearly ?
I was a School teacher, who taught about French culture.
Indeed, CCAP UNESCO Korea invited foreign residents in Korea to share their culture with Korean youths.
As a CEV I was asked by school to visit them (from Elementary until High School), and present French culture to the Korean students.
But I was not alone here, I do it in collaboration with a Korean Interpretation Volunteer (KIV), in order that she/he can translate my presentation in Korean because all students do not have the same English level, so translation is needed.
The presentations can last between 90 to 180 minutes depending of student’s grade.
During these last many points about France like traditions, activities, history, cities, cooking… Usually, I made a presentation’s prototype, and then, the teacher ask me precise topics or activities regarding students wants and knowledges. The class preparation is often long because I have to prepare content, activities, games, food cooking, and have some meetings with my KIV and teacher.
Until now, I conducted numerous class, mostly in Elementary School, and one in Middle School.
It was very interesting, especially in Elementary School where kids are soooooo cute and dare ask weird questions, which is always very funny ! Whereas teenagers are more bored and sleepy…
I was surprised about the knowledge that children can have about France and our culture. They know a lot about it, more than I expected !
I am very glad of these CCAP experiences, because I had the chance to learn a lot about Korean culture and education system. And even if it was sometimes stressful and very long to prepare, class always went well and children seems to enjoy it as I was.
I did it during 3 months and I would love do it again, it was not enough !
Still in the Middle School during the presentation and then during the cooking activity where I made Crêpes (which was hard with Koreans ingredients haha)
From three different Elementary School classes
PS: Ninon 선생님 (sonséngnim)
This literally means Professor Ninon, and was how the students called me during classes. It was funny to be called as this, as a teacher haha
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Par Ninon P le 30 Mai 2015 à 09:26
During the month of May celebrations take place in South Korea in order to celebrate Buddha’s Birthday.
One of them is the Lotus Lantern Festival, which occurred the 16th & 17th of May. It was just amazingly beautiful and magic !
During this period, Buddhist temples are decorated with various lanterns, representing prays.
No more talk, I let you admire this with some pictures
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Par Ninon P le 14 Mai 2015 à 15:48
All is in the title, yes actually, I don't especially like spicy food! I like when the food is a bit spicy in order to season the taste, so in France, I have no problem about it, but here … This is another story.
In general, the main Korean meal are so spicy (like most Asian’s countries, they seem to love spicy things) !
Kimchi is one of the most famous and widespread meal in Korea, it’s present at all table at home or in restaurants! If you come here, you can’t miss it. And of course, as a typical Korean food, Kimchi is spicy … It depend of the way of cooking, but it can be really really spicy ! It’s too bad (for me) because without these species it would be great ! Even if, with time I am more and more used to spicy food, so I can eat Kimchi without problems !
Just for the info : Kimchi is a fermented dish made of vegetables : nappa cabbage, scallions, ginger, radish, garlic and brine.
One other main dish is the Bibimbap, it’s composed by rice, season’s vegetables, chili pepper paste, soy sauce,and you can also find beef or egg on the top of it. This one is less spicy because of the rice but it’s still a little bit. Hopefully, we can ask to don't have a lot of spicy chili sauce ! And with just a bit of spicy, Bibimbap is delicious !!Moreover, further that I don't like too much spicy food, I am allergic to seafood! And guess what, seafood are also, mains dishes here in Korea! Yes, at this time of the article you maybe wonder why I came here ? Don’t worry, I love rice, chicken, pork and lots of other meal present in Korea.
So, yes in Korea seafood are mainly present in meals, you can find it everywhere: in soup, noodles, sandwiches, sushi and salads. Yes, because, I don’t really speak Korean, and here almost all menus in restaurants are in Korean, so I have to guess right!(Yummy Yummy ..) Like Kimchi, Seafoods are everywhere, here noodles
Thanks to all that, I was able to realize the enormous importance and impact of the packaging in stores. For example, with red packaging, I guess that it risks to be spicy. Here as a foreign people the packaging is really a main element in order to realize choices at the supermarket, because we don’t understand brand (except worldwide one), slogan, ingredients…
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Par Ninon P le 20 Avril 2015 à 16:14
Yesterday I learned a strange Korean custom about the number 4!
Here, in Korean the number 4 brings bad luck and even more …
Yes, unfortunately if you are born on the 4th April, is quiet a bad start for you here in Korea !
But why is 4 a bad number? The reason is simple, in Korean the word 4 (사 :“sa” in Korean) have the same pronunciation than DEATH (also “sa”) and quiet the same writing!
In order to avoid number 4, Korean developed certain stratagems:
First avoid do important things on the 4th, 14th or 24th, this is the main precaution and the most simple.
Then, in Korean it’s possible that in some places like schools, library, shops, street, or even in privates homes that you won’t find a 4th, 14th, 24th (and so on) floor, room etc... Is these cases, two possibilities are possible the numbers with a 4 you will be replaced by 3A, 13A… or even more simple, it’s not replaced and you will simply don’t find anything, so you will passed to floor 3, to floor 5 directly ! This is the case in hospitals and similar public buildings where the floor number 4 is almost always skipped.
No room number 4, or 4th floor (here, in a Korean hospital)Finally, the elevator cases: in the first case where you don’t have a 4th floor, there will be no number (logical) as it is in the first picture. In the second case, you will find a “F” instead the 4 (for Four in English), as a substitution, you can see this on the second picture.
But I learn after some search on internet, that this superstition is not only in Korea, but also in China, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, Vietnam and Malaysia
I just hope not be cursed because of this article …Photos : Wikipedia, curiositiesfromtheworld.blogspot.com, gopkorea.blogs.com, www.aonghascrowe.com
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Par Ninon P le 21 Mars 2015 à 13:16
At the first sight and after three week of classes, the functioning way of classes seems to by different here in Korea than ours in France.
First difference: the way of teaching of the professor. Professors are really interested and attentive about student’s needs (more than in France, sorry …). They seems to want to learn about each student and ask questions about them. For example, when she take the register, my English Communication teacher always ask at all students how are they, and what are the problems. She is very involved in the student’s mood. She even take appointments with some students in order to speak to them when they seem to have problems.
Second difference: the student’s behaviour. In Korea, studies are very important and parents invests a lot in their children’s education. Because of that, Korean students work really hard and are very attentive. They ask many question, are very concentrate, note-taker and participate a lot (even more when the participation is grading). They are essentially quiet and listen carefully the teacher without chatting with their neighbourhoods. Classroom are so quiet and concentrate, it’s so strange!
Third difference: grading. At Hanyang University grading system is different from ESDES’s one. Here, grades go of A to F, and for succeed we need to have C (approximately 70%). In the grade all count: attendance, oral participation, mid-term, final exam, homework...
Fourth difference: the importance of sports. Here at Hanyang most of students practicing a sport whether it’s Baseball (very famous in Korea), Basketball, Soccer, Taekwondo, Dance, American Football and lot more ! We can see all day long, even late in the evening some people playing or practicing their sports in the big main field located in the Campus’ center or in the numerous small one that we can find everywhere.Fifth difference, connected to the fourth: the importance of school’s activities. We can observe that thanks to the various and great number of Hanyang’s associations. There are more than 50 and are of all kind. Last week there was the “Association Recruiting” (which is similar to our Association Forum) and I had observed lots of interesting and funny associations regarding: painting, music, break dance, sciences, fashion, sports of course, rally cars constructors, board games and even FIRE-EATER!
Hanyang Association Recruiting, view by SBS TV journal
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