EESL 536 - Intercultural Communication Report

For a couple of weeks, Dr. Lynne has been excitingly informing us, “The Korean teachers are coming and be prepared,” which phrase reminds me of the 60’s events when the America public was prepared to receive the British invasion of the Beatles (I am a little bit exaggerating in here, for I was not in American in the 60’s but I saw it in the Ed Sullivan Show at PBS and also heard about the notorious publicity about them).

With much anticipation and enthusiasm, I met with my Korean partner, Youngran Song. She is a mother of two children who are in elementary and lives in Redlands. When she informed me that she teaches 4th graders, I was ecstatic, and we were immediately bonded, for I had been a long-term substitute teacher for the 4th graders, and they are my favorite grade to teach and interact with because their developmental stage in academic, social, psychological aspects appeals to me. They are innocent, witty, intelligent, creative, and compassionate.

According to Youngran, she majored in molecular biology and is passionate for learning English right now. Being a Korean for myself, I am keenly aware of Koreans’ zeal and passion for acquiring English, and I have been a vocal proponent of Korean becoming a bilingual country. In my opinion, monolingual has ceased long ago, and countries must open up their doors to others, for a country can no long exist by itself since the world has become intimately intertwined into every aspects of human life. I think bilingual education has much to offer for children, for it not only has positive effects on their brain development but also on their behavior and attitude, transcending its spectrum on social, psychological, academic, and neurological facets. Concerning globalization and economic outlets, I think that it can be best achieved by promoting and implementing bilingualism through the educational system within the country, and by adopting bilingual education, South Korean can reap many benefits from it since the country has heavily depended on global trades and international market.

Going back to my Korean partner, Youngran, I found out that we have some similarities. First, we are both Christians, more specifically, Protestants and love to listen to Christian music, and we are deeply engaged in activities within our churches. We are also a fan of Audrey Hepburn who starred in charming and sophisticated movies, such as “Roman Holiday” and “Breakfast at Tiffany.” The day we met, she informed me that her children were visiting Disneyland with the church group, but she couldn’t join them because she had to be in class.

Right now, our another partner, Jeanne, is diligently and deliberately searching for the most memorable place for the cultural tour so that Youngran and her children can maximize their cultural experiences in America. I will continue this blog after the tour, and I am looking forward to meeting Youngran and her children again as well as our wonderful and lovely friend, Jeanne.

Love never fails. - 1 Corinthians 13:8

Work like you don't need the money.
Love like you've never been hurt.
Dance like no one's watching.
Sing like no one's listening.
Live like there's no tomorrow.
Fear like a stone.
From Paradise Awaits or Mark Twain

Every storm has an end.
Every night brings a new morning.
What’s important is to trust those you love and never give up.
We must all keep hope alive.
Crono