Interview!

Grace Leung

1/3/11

Mr.Wojo

Honors Human Geography

Summer Chang Interview

Q. What part of Korea are you from?

A. “I am from South Korea.”

Q. What is your first language?

A. “My first language is Korean.”

Q. What nationality are your parents?

A. “Both of them are Korean.”

Q. Do you have any siblings? If so what are their first languages?

A. “I have one younger brother. He's first language is also Korean.”

Q. Do you know any other languages besides English and your first language?

A. “I can speak Chinese little bit... Korean is relate to Chinese characters basically, it's not that hard to learn rather than English. Like Spanish is easy to learn for English speakers.”

Q. Describe your home town to me.

A. “I’m from Seoul, which is capital city of Korea. It is a very big city, it is as big as New York City!”

Q. What is your favorite memory from your childhood, in your home town?

A. “I don’t have any typical thing, but I was with my family although I’m staying here alone now.”

Q. What was it like to learn English? Was it difficult or easy?

A.“It’s not that easy. Cause English is not my first language… 

When I was in Korea, English was the hardest subject, and I didn’t like English, even. But I gain confidence for English from learning here.”

Q. Describe the school you went to, to learn English.

A. “Usually most of Korean students are learning English since when they go to Kindergarten. Korean students are eager to learn English, thus they get some tutoring from the teacher for English. And I also got tutoring when I was in Korea, that’s the general thing in Korea, to learn English.”

Q. Were the schools more difficult or different in Korea than they are in the U.S? If so what are the differences?

A.“The schools in here are very different from Korea. Firstly, I should use English in here instead of Korean. We don’t have counselor or advisory things in Korea, and also we have typical schedule that we should follow. It means we don’t have any chance to choose class that we want to take, or drop that we don’t want to take. Lastly, Korean high schools usually end between 4 to 5 o’clock, and they have kind of study hours right after school through 10 o’ clock.”

Q. What are some sports or hobbies you had in Korea that you might have not have here?

A. “We don’t play sports in high schools in Korea. When we go to high school, then we just stay focused on only on academic things for college. But some schools have soccer team or basketball team.”

Q. Describe your favorite type of music from Korea? And Artist?

A. “I like most of K-pops. I was very surprised when someone here asked me k-pops, and she even knows Korean singers, and also she said her dream is visit Korea and watch Super Junior’s concert which is famous singer group in Korea.”

Q. What is your favorite subject in school right now? Did the teachers in Korea teach differently?

 “My favorite subject is math. The way of teaching in Korea is very different from here. We are usually just focused on the result of the problem but not how to solve the problem. But in here, the teachers give us some minutes to think how to solve the problem. That's very different way to what I'm used to do in Korea, and I like that way.”

Q. Do you have the same type of technology in Korea?

A. “if you mean overall technology in Korea, it's very well developed. For example, most people in here using cell phone from Samsung or LG. Actually, they are Korean company. And Hyundai or Kia are also Korean company.”

Q. How many times a year do, you visit your family?

A. “ I usually going back to Korea during summer time and Christmas. I just came back from Korea last Sunday and I still jet lagged.”

Q. What are some celebrations that occur in Korea that we might not have here? Are there any cultural differences?

“We have some our traditional celebrations like Thanks giving day in Korea.

It's kind of Thanks giving day in Korea, called Chu-Suk. We don't have school about 3days around Chu-Suk. Most of people are visit their hometown, all of family members gather together and hold a memorial service for their ancestors. We eat a lot of foods during Chu-Suk like you guys eat many foods during Thanks giving day.”