I lived and worked in Korea for 5 years? Anybody interested in a great adventure--teaching in Korea?



http://www.liveinasiablog.com/2011/10/teaching-in-korea-how-to-ensure-a-great-experienc/ http://amplify.com/u/a1g3kg

How to Learn Korean: A Simple 3-Step Plan

Original Source: The Live in Asia Blog

Want to Master Korean? I bet you do! Korean is becoming a popular destination for both tourists and for those looking to find overseas work. Korean can be frustating and difficult to master, though, if you don't know what you're doing. Follow the 3 steps laid out below, on the other hand, and you'll learn Korean with ease.

How to Learn Korean Step 1: Master the Korean Alphabet

When I lived in Korea, I met lots of people who had tried to speak Korean without taking the time to learn to pronounce Korean characters. It seems like a quick shortcut to speaking the language. Glossing over Korean characters, though, impedes the learning process greatly. It causes problems because the sounds of English characters do not translate well into Korean. For example, here's how you say, "Korea has four distinct seasons." Hangugeun ne gyejeori tturyeothada. Read that and try to get the pronunciation correct! You're not going to like the results. What will happen is that you'll learn Korean with terrible pronunciation. Correcting bad pronunciation, bye the way, is much more difficult than just getting it right the firts time. So, don't use English characters to learn the Korean language--learn Korean characters now.

How to Learn Korean Step 2: Master Korean Grammar

Learning Korean grammar is essential to speaking Korean correctly. I see you cringing, and I feel your pain, but hear me out. I'm not suggesting that you spend tons of time doing sentence construction drills. What I'm saying is that you should get familiar with the basics. Why? Learning the basics of Korean grammar is necessary because it goes against what you'll "feel" is normal. For example, in English we use the structure Subject + Verb + Object. We would say, then, "I threw the ball."

Korean word order, on the other hand, is Subject + Object + Verb. In the example above, then, we must say "I ball threw." Notice also that I left out the article in this sentence. The Korean language does not make use of articles. Now, look at these two simple grammar rules I have given you. Then think about saying a sentence like, "I bought lunch." It's going to be easier knowing the grammar rules I gave you above, isn't it? It's going to be far easier, I'm sure you'll agree.

How to Learn Korean Step 3: Find Someone to Talk to

It's actually a good idea to begin speaking right away. I just want to make a point, though. Of course, my point is that you must learn proper pronunciation and correct grammar from day one. If you don't, you'll suffer from poor pronunciation and terrible grammar. Now you've got a great plan for learning the Korean language. Get to work, and enjoy your new language learning experience.

Want to learn Korean? View this great FREE Korean Course, with over 100 videos!

Teaching in Korea is fun and easy, and you can make a ton of money doing it. Discover it now!

Find Out if Online Learning is the Best Way to Learn Italian for You

Italian is one of those beautiful languages that most of us would like to know. What most of us are not sure of, if we do decide to start learning, is whether we should take Italian lessons online, join an Italian class, or just buy some books and start studying. This post is going to answer the question, "Should I take Italian lessons online?" Do you know the best way to learn Italian? Discover it now!

Are you pressed for time?
One of the biggest benefits of taking Italian lessons online is that it saves you quite a bit of time. How? The most obvious reason is that you don't have to travel to get to class. Your virtual classroom is right in your living room, or, if you have a laptop, on the bus and in your local coffee shop. There's more. When you take Italian lessons online, you also get to download audio files that go on your MP3 player. This saves you time by allowing you to study while you're jogging, commuting, or just relaxing on your front porch. Finally, when taking Italian lessons online, you get to pick what you learn. For example, if you just want to communicate verbally, you can choose an audio course that focuses on speaking Italian, not wasting your time with in-depth grammar lessons that you don't really care about.

How outgoing are you?
I wouldn't really describe myself as a shy person, but I do hate to be embarrassed. This means that if I take a classroom-based Italian course, I'll usually just sit quietly, missing out on valuable speaking practice. And, of course, with books there isn't any conversation practice at all. Things are very different when taking Italian lessons online. When taking Italian lessons online, you use interactive dialogues to perfect your pronunciation and engage in real-life conversations. If you're at all like me, this will be the easiest and most comfortable way for you to master the Italian language.

How much self-discipline do you have?
There are many benefits to taking Italian courses online. To get the most out of them, however, you must make a learning schedule and stick to it. This can be a problem for some people. If you're not the most self-disciplined person, I suggest that you get a calendar and write in the days and times you plan to study. Then ask a friend or family member to help you stick to the plan. Or, if that's going to be too difficult, you may want to take a local course, where your teacher will provide some structure for you.

Are you looking for the most cost-effective way to study Italian?
Another huge benefit of taking Italian lessons online is that it is very cost-effective. And don't let the cheap prices fool you. Online Italian lessons are just as comprehensive as other courses. Why do you get so much for so little? Mostly because you are buying a digital product, and digital products are very cheap to produce. You don't need expensive paper. You don't need expensive classrooms, and you don't have to pay any type of shipping fees--just download and go!

Should you take Italian lessons online?
If you don't think you can stick to a self-designed learning schedule, you may want to think twice about it. Also, if you need lots of social interaction, a classroom-based course may be best for you. On the other hand, if you're looking for the quickest, most cost-effective, and time-saving way to master the Italian language, then you should definitely take Italian lessons online.

Discover the best way to learn the Italian language!

How to Learn Chinese: Are Chinese Online Courses For You?

With a huge portion of the world being native Chinese speakers, and with the commercial rise of mainland China, it's safe to say that learning Chinese is plenty worth our time. And with online language learning improving rapidly, you have to ask yourself, "Should I take Chinese lessons online?" The answer to that question is, "Maybe." This post is going to tell you how to decide if taking Chinese lessons online is the right choice for you personally. To understand your learning situation even better, I suggest that you also read this article, The 3 Types of Chinese Language Programs.

Are you pressed for time?
Most of us have pretty busy schedules these days. If that includes you, you'll want to consider taking Chinese lessons online. Why? Because you can complete your online course from the comfort of your own home, from your office, or from your favorite cafe. Wherever you decide to study, you won't have to commute. You won't have to show up early for class, and you won't have to wait in line behind other students just to get a few minutes of speaking practice with a native Chinese speaker.

Do you want to get the most of your money?
Well, of course you do, but not all inexpensive products are good value. When you opt for Chinese lessons online, this is not the case--they are great value for your money. Why do they offer so much for so little? Because the business model is very efficient. First, the product is digital, which means it takes no expensive raw materials, like paper, to produce. Second, all instruction is pre-recorded, which means that it's not necessary to continually pay for expensive teachers and staff. Finally, there is no need for a classroom, and no expensive rent means much lower costs.

Are you looking for social interaction?
I tend to learn better when I sit down in a quiet place and study on my own. Others, though, get bored or distracted quickly if left alone. If you need social interaction to learn effectively, you may want to consider taking a classroom-based course. If you're more like me, on the other hand, you'll prefer taking Chinese lessons online. Also, I tend to be a bit shy when learning a new language--I get embarrassed easily. Because if this, I feel much more comfortable practicing my pronunciation in the comfort of my own home. How do you feel? If you're a bit shy or easily embarrassed, you should definitely take Chinese lessons online.

Can you make a Chinese language learning plan and stick to it?
When you take Chinese lessons online, you are not given a whole lot of structure. You study what you want, when you want to study it. For some people this is great. They like to set their own schedules, and they are good at sticking to the plans they create. Others are not so organized. You have to be honest here. Are you going to be able to make a learning schedule and stick to it? If so, then you should take Chinese lessons online. If not, you may want to go with something that offers a bit more structure.

Should you take Chinese lessons online?
If you are an independent person who is capable of making a Chinese language learning schedule and sticking to it, then, yes, you should take Chinese lessons online. If, on the other hand, you are someone who gets bored and distracted easily, you may want to consider a more structured option, or at least ask someone to be your study partner. Whatever you choose to do, I wish you the best of luck.

Stop by the Live in Asia Blog to learn even more--and have a little fun!

Chinese Courses: The 3 Types of Chinese Language Learning Programs

All online and software-based Chinese language program makers claim that their products are best. The fact is, however, that none of them are necessarily the best. Certain programs work better for certain people. And different programs are better suited for accomplishing different learning goals. To get the best program for you, you need to be able to recognize the different types of learning programs, of which there are three. This post will explain the three types of Chinese language programs and make recommendations in regards to choosing a program that is best your own personal needs. Before you read it in full, you may want to check out this article discusses whether or not you should take Chinese lessons online.

1. Audio-Based Chinese Language Programs
As the name implies, these courses are 100% audio-based. These programs do not offer vocabulary lists. They do not provide learning games, and they do not teach any kind of reading or writing skills. What do they do? They provide audio recordings. These audio recordings are designed to teach you Chinese grammar, vocabulary, and sentence structure through total immersion in the Chinese language. They do this by using listen and repeat drills. Learners first listen to and repeat words. Then they gradually move up to listening and repeating phrases and complete sentences. In the end, users have simulated question and answer types of conversations with the software.

2. Activity-Based Chinese Language Programs
These programs employ a learning strategy that is quite different from the immersion strategy used with audio-based courses. Activity-based programs use what I call the busy-work strategy. They provided lots and lots of different types of learning games and activities. These include word puzzles, fill-in-the-blank activities, word-find games, word association games, grammar drills, and sentence completion activities. The idea is to get a good base of theoretical knowledge about the Chinese language before actually trying to use it verbally. If you like busy work, you'll like activity-based Chinese language programs.

3. Consumer-Friendly Chinese Language Programs
Finally, there are what I like to call consumer-friendly language programs. These programs are a bit more balanced in their approach to teaching Chinese. The designers of these programs understand that many people are going to have a hard time learning in a total immersion environment. They also understand that most people don't want to sit around and do Chinese grammar drills all day long. So, what they do is provide interactive dialogues, just like the 100% audio-based courses. But they also provide vocabulary games and grammar instruction at a basic level. The vocabulary lists and learning games, along with the grammar lessons, are specifically designed to help students complete the interactive dialogues--no more, no less. These programs focus on situational communication, for example, "buying a train ticket," or "ordering food in a restaurant."

How to Use This Information
When deciding which Chinese language program to purchase, try to ignore claims made by manufacturers; they all think their learning methods are the best. Instead, think about your past learning experiences. How have you learned well in the past? How do you think you'll learn best now? Then, based on that information, decide which type of Chinese language program would be best for you? Once you make that decision, start looking for a program that fits your learning style and your learning goals.

If you've enjoyed this article, be sure to visit my blog about living in Asia.

Why Italian Language Learning Software is the Best Way to Learn Italian

What's the best way to learn Italian? That's easy. The best way to learn Italian is to use Internet or software-based Italian language courses. Not sure? Read this post and you'll see exactly why. 

Save a Ton of Money

With teachers, tutors, books and supplies, learning Italian can become quite expensive. With online learning, though, you don't need any of those things. Everything you need comes in one software package, including pronunciation and speaking practice with a native Italian speaker. How much does a program cost?

You can get a great software or web-based Italian course for about a hundred dollars. And for that hundred or so dollars you'll get hours and hours of instruction, including, in some cases, live support from a native speaker. So, if you're looking for the best value for your money, computer-based learning is, without a doubt, the best way to learn Italian.

Save a Ton of Time

Time and money, the two hardest things to hold on to. Fortunately, Software and Internet-based Italian courses help you make the most out of both. They save time by allowing you to study at home, instead of having to commute to some classroom. In addition, Italian language learning software programs help you make the most out of what is usually wasted time. How? By providing downloadable audio files. You just load them onto your MP3 player, and then you can listen and learn while riding the bus, driving to work, or walking the dog--multitasking made easy!

Stress-Free Learning

Getting put on the spot in front of a classroom full of people can be quite stressful and intimidating. That's another reason why I think using software is the best way to learn Italian. Sitting in the comfort of my own home, I can use my software program to perfect my Italian pronunciation without worry or embarrassment. With a book, I can't really practice pronunciation at all, and in a classroom, I tend to be a bit shy. Are you starting to see why software and Internet-based Italian courses are the best way to learn Italian?

Highly Efficient Learning

Today's Italian language learning programs are designed using time-tested learning strategies. Then they are taken a step further. They include interactive language learning games that are far more effective than anything used in books or classrooms. Plus they make use of great new technology, like voice recognition software. What makes them most efficient, though, are the fully interactive dialogues--you get to have full conversations in Italian without leaving your house.

My Recommendations For You

Italian language learning software is the best way to learn Italian. There is no doubt about that. What there is some disagreement on, however, is which software program is best. To ensure that you get the best program for you, you need to do some research. Some Italian learning programs aren't all they're made out to be. Others are great for certain types of learners, but not so great for others. In addition, different programs are better for particular learning goals. Consider your learning style, define your learning goals, and then research the top Italian learning programs. You'll be on your way to mastering the Italian language in no time.

Actually, I've done the research for you! Compare the 5 best language programs right now.