Well Butter My Butt and Call Me a Level 3 학생

If you recall, last time I studied in Korea, I was in Level 2 at Sogang. As much as I loved the conversation-focused instruction at that school (read my semester report here) I wanted more balanced instruction this time-- listening, speaking, writing, reading, with vocabulary quizzes and cultural excursions, the whole nine yards.  The language school…

So Long, Sogang

It’s difficult to believe that my 10 weeks at Sogang have come to an end when I feel like I just arrived in Korea yesterday. Final exams and interviews were held this past Monday and Tuesday and by Wednesday the culmination of all our (hard?) work was handed to us on a single sheet of…

I Can’t Parse Korean

I didn't pat myself on the back for being able to introduce myself to my classmates in Korean or tell my host mother that I like Korean food (read: I can handle my spice) because I know this is essentially the limit of my Korean. Things I learned in a classroom setting are useful in…

Meet My Korean Host Family?

One of the things I was most concerned about before coming to Korea was finding housing. Unlike many Light Fellowship-approved study abroad programs in Japan, Korean programs (generally) do not provide housing for their students; you're expected to find your own. This can be nigh impossible (and not recommended) to do before you arrive in…