Amanda Takes Off...

I have read a ton of books about study methods, due in part to studying Korean, due in part to being a teacher. About studying a foreign language, most of the tips are "use memorization tricks...don't be afraid to talk...practice every day."

But I am a proponent of the Talk Back to Your Textbook Method of studying.

I drive Good Man crazy with my Korean study methods.

Beyond 드디어, and the heavy cow, we have the fact that 웃다 (to smile) is remembered by thinking of a cat, 두껍다 (thick) is a big layer of dew on a flower, and 금방 (in a moment)? You really do not want to know how I remember that word. It's in the same vein as 드디어 but even more twisted and even I know that that part of my thought process shouldn't be shared.

This is fine. This does not make me crazy in Good Man's eyes.

But see, beyond my weird vocab methods...I talk back to my textbooks. Often, while we're working on my workbooks on the subway, I have to stop talking.

Why?

Because I make mildly inappropriate sentences in my workbook, of course!

One exercise was "Even if a good student is [모모] they certainly must [모모]." The answers were supposed to be things like, "Even if a good student is sick, he/she should certainly go to school." These things make sense in Korea, but where I come from, if you're sick, you stay home. I was bored making the "right" answers, so I started writing things like, "Even if a good student doesn't have time, she will still cheat."

What can I say? Cheating is big here. Even the Chosun Ilbo says Korea is a country of liars.

I change a "play" to a "sleep" and now Minsu is saying something completely different about his Korean friends. As a matter of habit, I change "exercise" to "taekwondo" almost every time I see it.

Character Michael 씨 says, "Korean was hard a year ago, but now it's easy." Me? I write "못 믿어!" (I don't believe it) in the margins.

Sometimes I draw hearts between people looking at each other, no matter their genders. I draw little fish body parts on Andy's swimming illustrations. If a man mentions drinking soju, I write "Master" above it.

The speaking exercises...oh, Good Man puts up with a lot. Last night on the subway ride we were practicing this bit of speech.

Leanne: Hey, Tony, have you been to 모모?

Tony: Yes, I've been there three times.

Leanne: Really? You've been there three times?

Tony: Yes, why do you ask?

Leanne: This semester I am planning a trip there. What would be good to see?

Tony: You should see 모모 because 모모.*

Various scenarios are given, so you can practice the grammar pattern. I break away from these patterns.

At one point I said, "Don't you have ears? Yes, three times!"

At another point, about Germany, I said, "Oh, but I can't drink beer because I'm an alcoholic. What should I do instead?"

Good Man's lucky I don't know what "ladyboy" is in Korean, because I've actually been to Thailand. I stuck with the "delicious fruit" scripted bit.

Good Man is getting pretty good at learning how to talk back to me though. He told me he'd never been to Germany, and I had to work around that.

Still, I know he thinks I'm slightly crazy.

* Note: The dialogue sounds very easy, but I simplified the grammar patterns to make them sound normal.