Asian and African Literary Responses to Modern Challenges

ENGLISH 8 LEARNING MODULE
QUARTER III (OVERCOMING CHALLENGES)
INTRODUCTION AND FOCUS QUESTIONS:
Was there ever a time in your life when you almost wanted to give up? What
pushed you to feel that way? How did you cope with the challenges that came in
that particular experience? Remember, it is normal to go through difficulties.
Whatever is the color of your skin, you have to keep in mind that everybody goes
through challenges in these modern times. You are certainly not alone in this
journey. For sure others, particularly, your brothers and sisters in Asia and Africa
have learned to overcome challenges of modernity. Do you think it is possible to
have a glimpse of how they are coping with these challenges of modernity from
their literary pieces?
In this module, you will find out how Asian and African literary pieces reveal the
diversity of the people’s temperament and psyche in their response to the
challenges of modernity. Remember to search for the answers to the following
questions:
• What does literature reveal about Asian and African character?
• How do Asians and Africans respond to the challenges of modernity as
reflected in their literary pieces?
LESSONS AND COVERAGE:
In this module, you will examine this question when you take the
following lessons:
Lesson 1 – KOREA (with Philippine lit.)
Resilience in embracing challenges
The Temperaments and Psyche of the Koreans
in Response to the Challenges of Modernity
Lesson 2 – BURMA (with Philippine lit.)
Faith in times of challenges
The Temperaments and Psyche of the Burmese
Lesson 3 – ARABIA& ISRAEL (with Philippine lit.)
Strength in facing challenges
The Temperaments and Psyche of the Arabian and Israelites
Lesson 4 – SOUTH AFRICA (with Philippine lit.)
Audacity in rising above challenges
The Temperaments and Psyche of the South Africans
1

In these lessons, you will learn the following:
Lesson 1 L1:The Psyche and Temperament of the People of Korea
L2: Response to the Challenges of Modernity
L3: Resilience in Embracing Modernity
Lesson 2 L1: The Psyche and Temperament of the People of Burma
L3: Faith in Times of Challenges
Lesson 3 L1: The Psyche and Temperament of the People of Arabia
L2: The Psyche and Temperament of the People Israel
L3: Strength in Responding to the Challenges of Modernity
Lesson 4 L1: The Psyche and Temperament of the People of South Africa
L3: Audacity in Rising Above Challenges
MODULE MAP:
Here is a simple map of the above lessons you will cover:
2

EXPECTED SKILLS:
To do well in this module, you need to remember and do the following:
Listening
Speaking
Vocabulary
Reading
Viewing
Literature
Writing
Grammar
Study Strategies
: Write an editorial article concerning an issue raised by
the speaker in a text listened to.
: Conduct a formal structured interview of a specific
subject
: Produce a frequency word list
: Produce a digital chart of various text types with
clickable features
: Write an evaluation paper of a program viewed
: Produce a critical review of articles with the same
themes but different genres
: Create an e-journal of poetry and prose entries with
emphasis on content and writing style
: Write a précis/summary of the gathered data on Asian
and African temperament and psyche
: Produce a clip report on the various sources of data
PRE-ASSESSMENT:
Let’s find out how much you know about this module. Encircle the letter that you
think best answers the question. Please answer all items. After taking this short
test, you will find out your score. Take note of the items that you were not able to
correctly answer and look for the right answer as you go through this module.
1. Before doing an interview, the interviewer should know a good deal of
knowledge about the topic of the interview. In order to formulate sensible
questions, what skills can help the interviewer gather or synthesize
information?
A. comprehension
B. linguistic
C. locational*
D. psychomotor
Using locational skills can help an interviewer gather and synthesize information
from general and first-hand sources of information.
2. What do you mean by psyche and temperament?
A. the heart, the life-force that drives a person to decide on things – bad
or good
B. the inner self, the essence of the soul plus the strength of body and
soul
C. the mind, the deepest thoughts, beliefs plus the nature or character of
the person *
3

D. the soul, the inner thoughts, outlook and humor plus the attitude of the
person
Psyche always refers to the mind – its consciousness and awareness.
Temperament refers to the nature or character or personality of the person.
3. Long before any written forms of literature, what was the principal form of
literary entertainment of the Koreans?
A. describing persons
B. narrating history orally
C. reciting poems
D. telling legends orally*
Legends were for long the principal form of literary entertainment enjoyed by the
common people of Korea.
4. Confucianism and Buddhism are two of the great religions in the history of the
world. What do you think is the contribution of Confucianism and Buddhism
in Korean literature?
A. aesthetic intensity
B. divine seriousness
C. spiritual weakness
D. thematic depth*
Confucianism and Buddhism contributed to the thematic depth of Korean
literature.
5. After reading a Korean legend, you notice one striking similarity between
Korean and Filipino legends. What similarity is this?
A. Legends from both countries described the rich natural resources back
then.
B. Legends from both countries narrated ethnic rituals practiced by the
natives.
C. Legends from both countries were orally transmitted first before they
were written.*
D. Legends from both were written by ordinary people.
Legends normally started from old stories from ancient times when writing and
alphabets did not yet exist.
6. You are reading a Korean story with two to three difficult words in every page.
What should be the best immediate strategy to use in order to deal with the
difficult words?
A. Define words through context.*
B. Get the dictionary and get the meanings of the difficult words.
C. Highlight the difficult words and get back to them later as soon as I
finish reading the book.
D. Just ignore the words. I better just finish reading the book.
4

Defining words from context is the most instant and quickest vocabulary skill that
you should develop first. You can, by all means, consult the dictionary to make
sure your first definition through context clues is correct.
7. Koreans are our friends. What kind of a sentence is this?
A. complicated sentence
B. compound sentence
C. kernel sentence*
D. ordinary sentence
A kernel sentence is a basic sentence that has only the necessary details to
make its meaning clear and specific.
8. What are the common characteristics of a well-constructed paragraph?
A. It has a good content, coherence and cohesion.*
B. It has a topic sentence.
C. It has an interesting topic.
D. It observes correct grammar and punctuation.
A well-constructed paragraph must not only have a good topic but it should have
coherence and cohesion of well-organized sentences.
9. You interviewed a Korean about the ways of coping with the challenges of
modernity. The Korean answered all of your questions with a degree of
certainty. How do you somehow preserve all the Korean’s answers so that
you can use these answers in the making of a feature article?
A. Just remember everything so that you will not disturb or distract the
interviewee.
B. Let the interviewee stop from time to time so that you can write down
everything in a notebook.
C. Record the entire interview through a video or voice recorder (with the
interviewee’s permission).*
D. Take down important details and make sure that you can write very
fast.
Recording everything that will happen in an interview is the best thing to do in
order to get exactly all the important information. Be sure to inform the
interviewee ahead of time so that she or he will not feel intimidated or distracted
during the process.
10. Why is literature a good source of knowing Koreans?
A. Literature gives all the updates about all the important events in a
country.
B. Literature mirrors the psyche, temperament, culture and traditions of
the people.*
C. Literature provides a descriptive picture of how the people dress and
speak like.
5

D. Literature is a work of art that describes citizens with breeding and
refinement.
Literature is a reflection of the people’s psyche and temperament, culture and
tradition. It mirrors the people’s way of life and thinking in a particular period of
the country’s history.
11. The liberation of 1945 produced a flowering of poetry of all kinds. Some
poets were determined to bear witness to the events of their age, some
sought to further assimilate traditional Korean values, while others drew
variously on Western traditions to enrich their work. What does this
information tell you?
A. As far as literary direction was concerned, Koreans did not respond
similarly to the situation at that time.*
B. Koreans were not united as a people because they did not agree on
one common direction.
C. Priority should be given to the following of Western traditions because
a country always prospers in doing this move.
D. We should be grateful to the Koreans because they set a very good
example in making good decisions.
This information simply tells us that Koreans in 1945 did not follow the same path
in developing their poetry. Others felt that preserving their own traditional Korean
values or assimilating Western traditions could help them as writers.
12. In this last two lines of the poem titled On A Rainy Autumn Night by
Ch’oeCh’iwŏn, how do you define the highlighted phrase? Choose the best
analysis.
A. “Does the heart fly? Of course, not! But the heart is a symbol of love,
and because love flies, love is certainly gone.”*
B. “If the heart flies, then it must have wings on its own; therefore, this
heart must have been borrowed by somebody else.”
C. “Perhaps, the heart is too weak to handle the situation so it finds a way
to fly and just be in any place that it wants, like miles away.”
D. “The heart literary flies. The heart must be taken away from the
persona’s body because it is weak. It is not fit to stay in that body.”
The best way to have a quick understanding of what the given word or phrase is
all about is to settle for two things: one, if the phrase can be defined through
context and two, if the word can be defined through symbolism. Obviously,
these two can help you a lot in defining this phrase. By context, you can
distinguish movement. By symbolism, you can take a symbol of the heart which
is love and asks why the love flies.
At third watch, it rains outside.
By the lamp my heart flies myriad miles away.
6

13. What is the best observation regarding this paragraph?
Modern Korean literature attained its maturity in the 1930s through the efforts
of a group of talented writers. They drew freely upon European examples to
enrich their art. Translation of Western literature continued, and works by I.A.
Richards, T.S. Eliot, and T.E. Hulme were introduced. This artistic and critical
activity was a protest against the reduction of literature to journalism and its
use as propaganda by leftist writers.
A. It has a topic sentence that gives the best practices of the Koreans.
B. It has an impact because it has a well-chosen topic.
C. It has coherence in its sentences and cohesion in its ideas.*
D. It has one imperative sentence and three declarative sentences.
Note that the sentences are all consistent with what the paragraph is talking
about and the sentences have a solid one idea.
14.Though written in Chinese, Kim Sisŭp’sKŭmoshinhwa (“New Stories”), which
incorporates legends involving dream meetings of spirits and dream
journeys, is considered the first example of a Korean fictional narrative. What
does this literary piece suggest about the Koreans?
A. Koreans are highly imaginative
B. Koreans believe in afterlife.*
C. Koreans consider dreams important.
D. Koreans have faith in dreams.
It is in this time of the Korean history (early CHOSŎN: 1392–1598) that
Buddhism and Confucianism both had profound impact to Korean literature.
Dream meetings of spirits and dream journeys are metaphors of their belief that
there is life after death.
15. Just like any other citizens of the modern world, Koreans tried to resist the
challenges of modernity, in fact, in the last quarter of the 20th century a host
of talented writers perfected the art of being themselves. You are one of the
writers in Korea. You want to write a novel that depicts the Korean psyche
and temperament. Where would you get the best source of inspiration and
materials from?
A. from the ideas of fellow writers who wanted to pursue Korean identity
B. from the stories of people who tried to colonize them
C. from their own experiences and the common dilemma of the Korean
people*
D. from their own literary experts who were not open to changes
As a literary writer, perfecting the art of being yourself can only be realized if you
consider your own experiences and the customary challenges of your people a
part of your own literary identity.
7

16. You have encountered a short poem titled On A Rainy Autumn Night by
Ch’oeCh’iwŏn featured in one of the pages in ASIA MAG, a travel magazine.
As the section editor, you are tasked to decide whether this poem should be
featured in your travel magazine or not. What should be your best reason to
feature this poem?
A. The poet has successfully blended his own emotions of sadness and
the panorama of the place which would incidentally be so apt to the
quarterly theme of the magazine.*
B. The poet has described his friends who are situated in all parts of the
world which would ignite friendship and camaraderie among the
readers of the magazine.
C. The poet has combined the description of place and the persona’s
views of the world which would encourage readers to write poetry on
their own.
D. The poet has let the setting of the poem separate from the emotions
of the persona which would teach the readers to do the same in their
attempts to write poems.
As a section editor, it is always good to consider content, style, form and
audience in deciding for poems or any articles to be included in your magazine.
The phrases chant painfully, autumn wind, few friends, rains outside are enough
symbolism of the poet’s extreme sadness which is a beautiful fusion of what is
going on with the surroundings of the place: autumn wind, rains outside. This
poem could be a very good exposure of your readers to Korean literature.
17.Korean literature proves to be very difficult to you as a Grade 8 student. You
have encountered several words in English that give you a challenging time in
understanding Korean stories or poems expressed in English. In reading an
article about the introduction of Korean literature, you are to apply what you
have learned about defining words through context clues and word analysis.
As a student, what very important tip can you give in doing context clues to a
Korean classmate who also experiences the same problem?
A. Classify the word right away whether the word is a name word or an
action word, then keep on guessing the meaning of the word by giving
a synonym or an antonym.
B. Identify the possible meanings of a word which is intended by the
writer or speaker through definition, restatement, example or multiple
meanings (depending on neighboring words).*
I only chant painfully in the autumn wind,
For I have few friends in the wide world.
At third watch, it rains outside.
By the lamp my heart flies myriad miles away.
8

C. Recognize the part of speech of the difficult word like if the word is a
noun, a verb, an adjective or an adverb; and then, proceed to defining
it by trying to use the word in a sentence.
D. Underline or encircle the word and try figure out the possible meanings
by figuring out the root word of the word and by breaking the prefix or
suffix and the base word.
Defining the words through context by definition, restatement, example or
multiple meanings (depending on neighboring words) is the best skill that one
can master in order to cope with the challenges of reading comprehension.
18.You and your partner are tasked to interview a Korean about how he or she is
coping with the challenges of modernity and globalization. In the process of
the interview, you ask her about some of the Korean writers that have
impacted her as a young Asian of the modern world. She gives names like
ChŏngChisang for a very sad poem that reveals the pain of separation and
Pak Wansŏ for writing the novel Winter Outing that reminds her about the
human stress that caused by societal difficulties faced by the characters.
Knowing that this interview would be your material in making a character
sketch, how do you present this Korean to your reading public?
A. A Korean who has become sick and tired of her own experiences and
eventually becomes modest in her dealings with other Asians like her
B. A Korean who has been impacted directly and indirectly by her own
difficult experiences in the past and has emerged as a stronger person
in the present times*
C. A Korean who is arrogant of her own beginnings and has become an
egotistical individual who is ready to show off what she has as a
person
D. A Korean who is unassuming in her own success as a person and in
the end becomes a little disturbed as she faces the difficulties of being
an Asian
The names and reasons given by the Korean would be enough clues that this
person has truly been influenced by the lessons of these literary pieces. Despite
the difficulties or challenges of modernity, this Korean has come out to be a
stronger individual ready to face the world.
19.Modernity demands a lot of decisions in the life of UiHyan Park. He has been
trying to preserve his own individuality as a Korean. Somehow he has been
influenced by his father and mother with the idea that modern society negates
freedom and individuality. If you were UiHyan Park, what of your being a
Korean will stay as you face the challenges of modernity?
A. I would rather embrace everything that modernity has to offer and
forget about the native traditions of my people.
B. I would rather fail to remember that I am a Korean and go with the flow
of modernity as a response to the call of globalization.
C. I would rather perfect the art of being myself as a Korean and
disregard the goodness that modernity has brought to Korea,
9

D. I would rather strike a balance between the integrity of my own psyche
as a Korean and the goodness that modernity has brought to my
country.*
Striking a balance between who you are as a person whether you are Asian,
African or Caucasian and the goodness that modernity has brought is basic in
order to live life in the present world. You cannot exist by solely living in the past
but you cannot have the genuine identity of yourself as a citizen of your own
country if you also forget where you came from.
20.Your Korean classmate has been a student here in the Philippines for two
years. In studying a formal essay, you are given by your teacher to react on
the first paragraph of Carlos Romulo’s I Am a Filipino. The first paragraph
goes like this:
I am a Filipino, inheritor of a glorious past, hostage to the uncertain
future. As such I must prove equal to a twofold task – the task of
meeting my responsibility to the past and the task of performing my
obligation to the future.
You cannot help but discuss pertinent characteristics about you, being a
Filipino and your classmate, being a Korean and the challenges of modernity
that somehow affected you both as Asians. What would be the best lesson of
the paragraph that you can present to your teacher and classmates that
somehow will be true to you both as Asians?
A. We have to acknowledge that as Asians we exist because of our past
and because society is constantly evolving, we must keep up and see
the positive things brought about by these changes.
B. We have to respond to the challenges of so many tasks so that we will
be more prepared in facing the future.
C. We need to recognize where we really came from and that we should
also prepare ourselves for the uncertainty that the future will bring.*
D. We should accept that whatever we will become in the future, it will
always be the product of what we decide for our present.
The phrases inheritor of a glorious past / task of meeting my responsibility to the
past and hostage to the uncertain future / performing my obligation to the future
are your signs to accept your past and to execute the challenges or
responsibilities of the future.
LESSON NO. 1 Resilience in Embracing Challenges
Korean Literature
10

In your life, have you ever felt so down in the dumps that you almost
wanted to give up? What was the last thing that came to your mind: surrender
and quit or contend with all the hardship or pain that came your way? How did
you cope with all the challenges? With all the answers in your head right now,
remember that it is normal to experience all these teething troubles. Everybody
goes through the same situation. Have you ever wondered how others,
specifically the Koreans, overcome these challenges? Is it possible to learn this
from the literary selections of Korea?
In this lesson, Korean Literature – Resilience in Embracing Challenges, you
will find out how appreciation and understanding of Korean literary pieces can
help recognize and reveal their temperament and psyche in their response to the
challenges of modernity. Remember to search the answers for the following
questions:
• What does literature reveal about Korean character?. What do they
have as Koreans that help them cope with the challenges of
modernity?
• How do Koreans respond to the challenges of modernity as reflected in
their literary pieces?
• Do you think it is possible to have a glimpse of how they were coping
with these challenges of modernity from their literary pieces?
LESSON AND COVERAGE:
Therefore, you will examine the said questions when you take this lesson:
LESSON TITLE: The Temperaments and Psyche of the Korean People
In this lesson, you will learn the following:
Topics/Skills/
Domains
Learning Competencies
Listening
Comprehension
1. Determine the persons being addressed in an
informative talk, the objectives of the speaker and his
attitudes towards issues.
• Use attentive listening strategies with informative texts.
Speaking (Oral
Language and
Fluency)
2. Use appropriate turn-taking strategies (topic nomination,
topic development, topic shift, turn-getting, etc.) in
extended conversations.
• Interview to get opinions about certain issues.
• Respond orally to ideas and needs expressed in face-to-
face interviews in accordance with the intended meaning
of the speaker.
Vocabulary 3. Develop strategies for coping with unknown words and
11

Development ambiguous sentence structures and discourse.
• Identify the derivation of words.
• Define words from context and through word analysis
(prefix, roots, suffixes)
• Use collocations of difficult words as aids in unlocking
vocabulary
• Arrive at the meaning of structurally complex and
ambiguous sentences by separating kernel sentences
from modification structures and expansions
Reading
Comprehension
4. Utilize varied reading strategies to process information in
a text.
• Note the function of statements made as the text unfolds
and use it as a basis for predicting what is to follow.
5. Utilize varied reading strategies (covert dialogue with the
writer and the sectional approach) to process information
in a text.
• Express emotional reactions to what was asserted or
expressed in a text
6. Employ approaches best suited to a text.
• Note the functions of statements as they unfold and
consider the data that might confirm / disconfirm
hypothesis
Viewing
Comprehension
7. Analyze the elements that make up reality and fantasy
from a program viewed.
Literature 8. Discover Philippine and Afro Asian literature as a means
of expanding experiences and outlook and enhancing
worthwhile universal human values.
• Express appreciation for worthwhile Asian traditions and
the values they represent
Writing and
Composition
9. Use specific cohesive and literary devices to construct
integrative literary and expository reviews, critiques,
research reports, and scripts for broadcast
communication texts, including screenplays
• Expand ideas in well-constructed paragraphs observing
cohesion, coherence and appropriate modes of
paragraph development
Grammar
Awareness and
Structure
10. Use subordinating and correlative conjunctions
12

Study Strategies 11. Derive information from various text types and sources
using the card catalog, vertical file, index, microfiche
(microfilm), CD ROM, Internet,etc.
• Use locational skills to gather and synthesize information
from general and first-hand sources of information
Attitude
12. Ask sensible questions on his or her own initiative
MODULE MAP:
Here is a simple map of the above lesson you will cover
13

ACTIVITIES MAP
ACTIVITIES FOR
ACQUIRING
KNOWLEDGE
AND SKILLS
ACTIVITIES FOR MAKING
MEANING AND
DEVELOPING
UNDERSTANDING
ACTIVITIES LEADING
TO TRANSFER
KNOW
• Pretest (Individual) • Help Us if You Can!:
Eliciting Prior Knowledge
through Drawing Korean
Costumes (Group)
• Beliefs Inventory and Hand
14

Signals (I, G)
• In My Hand Organizer (I, G)
• Introduce EQ and share
initial ideas
PROCESS
• 한국에 오신 것을 환영
합니다.(Welcome to
Korea!) Summary
Reading (I)
• 한국에오신것을환영합니다.
(Welcome to Korea!)
with Vocabulary
Prompts (I)
• Comparing and Contrasting
with Graphic Organizer (G)
• Actitude Analysis Strategy
with Jigsaw (G)
• Build Me Up! with Team
Building Spinner (G)
• The Korean Style! A
Glimpse of Korean Culture
with Sentence Prompts and
Numbered Heads Together
G)
• Guess What? with Personal
Guesses (I)
• A Myriad of Reflections
with Literary Elements
Advance Organizer, FALL
(formulate, articulate, listen,
lengthen), What If…Game!,
Literary Circles, M
DrawingI, G)
• Build Me Up! :
Frequency Word List
(I, G)
• Hot Seat Interview (G)
• Dear Diary Entry
REFLECT AND UNDERSTAND
• Focused Listing (I)
• Cross Me Out! with
Opinion Proof (I)
• Questioning the Author (G)
• So What’s the Problem? (I)
•
TRANSFER
• Listening to an
Interview (I)
• Listening to an Interview
with Tips in Doing an
Interview (I, G)
• Listening to an
Interview with Writing
Sample Interview
Quesitons (I)
• Considering the
Interview Rubric (I)
• Preparing to Conduct
15

an Interview (I)
• Conducting the
Interview (G)
• Evaluating
Performance through
Team Quality Chart G)
• Answering the
Essential Question
through Numbered
Heads Together (G)
• Writing Well-
Constructed
Paragraphs through
RAFT ( I )
ACTIVITIES FOR
ACQUIRING
KNOWLEDGE
AND SKILLS
ACTIVITIES FOR
MAKING MEANING AND
DEVELOPING
UNDERSTANDING
ACTIVITIES LEADING TO
TRANSFER
KNOW
• Pretest (Individual)
• Problem Solving
(Group)
• Inbox/Compare
and Contrast (map
of conceptual
change) (I)
• CSI Form
(Character Study of
an Individual) (G)
PROCESS
• Welcome to Burma
aka Myanmar
(butterfly
organizer) (G)
• Odds on Ads
(advertisements)
(I)
• Bull’s I (idiom) (G)
• Introducing, the
Burmese People
(table) (G)
• One’s
Vision/Character
Analysis Model (G)
• Draw it (I)
• Listen and be
Heard (chart) (G)
• Speak Up, Let’s
Talk about it (G)
• Frequency Word List
(I)
• First Impressions
(impression writing)
(I)
REFLECT AND UNDERSTAND
• The F’s (Faith and
Fight for Freedom)
(G)
• Character
Revelation Figure,
• PS at your Fingertips
(précis/summary) (I)
• Lend me your Ears
(editorial article) (I)
16

Roleplay (G)
• 3-2-1 (map of
conceptual change)
(I)
TRANSFER
• Outbox (I)
• Lesson Closure (I)
• Handing in your
Evaluation Paper (I)
EXPECTED SKILLS:
To do well in this lesson, you need to remember and do the following:
• Listening/Writing: Write an integrative literary and expository character
review of a Korean being interviewed
• Speaking/Reading: Engage and respond orally in a conversation through
an interview in order to get opinions about certain issues, process
information in a text, and note the functions of statements as they unfold
• Reading/Literature/Vocabulary/Study Strategies: Utilize varied reading
strategies to process information in a text, produce a frequency word list
and construct a paragraph containing impressions from a text or passage
read
• Viewing/Writing: Analyze the elements that make up reality and fantasy
from a program viewed and expand ideas in well-constructed paragraphs
observing cohesion, coherence and appropriate modes of paragraph
development
• Grammar/Reading/Literature:Express appreciation for worthwhile Asian
traditions and the values they represent through a character review
With a positive attitude and the will to accomplish all the lessons in this
module, It is possible to answer all these questions and learn from Lesson 1
the literary selections of Korea.
Therefore, you will examine the said questions when you take the following
lesson:
LEARNING GOALS AND TARGETS:
For your expectations, write your own possible goals and targets for this
lesson in the box below.
17

LESSON: THE TEMPERAMENTS AND PSYCHE OF THE KOREAN
PEOPLE IN RESPONSE TO THE CHALLENGES OF
MODERNITY
.
KNOW:
We are back, so let us begin this module by reflecting on what you know
so far about Asian and African literature, in particular, Korean literature.
Let’s start the module by letting the students be involved in a simple
problem.
ACTIVITY NO.1 : Help Us If You Can!
To start, you are going to be involved in solving a simple problem. Read
the situation of Leila and Geo with a partner. Talk about the sample Korean
masks and costumes.
18
Hey! I’m Leila. This is my
friend Geo. We want to
attend a Korean traditional
costume party tonight. Can
you please help us to choose
the right costume? We really
need your help. Thanks a
lot!
Should Leila and I wear
masks? I heard traditional
Korean costumes would
include a mask. What kind
of a mask? Help!

fromgoogle image
Which of these masks is appropriate for Geo and Leila? What do you think?
Here are sample Korean costumes.
19

Obviously, these are for Geo!
Do you think this is appropriate for Geo? Why?
Recognizably, these costumes are for Leila.
Which one is appropriate for her?
20

Which do you think Leila would choose?
This time, try you sketching prowess! You may start drafting Leila and Geo’s
Korean traditional costume for tonight - from head to toe.
21

with Leila!
And now, with Geo!
Believe in the power of your imagination!
22

Have a partner and write your responses. Try to be sensitive to person being
addressed in an informal but informative talk. Use attentive listening strategies.
Be sure to share your insights / ideas to the big class.
1. What reasons made you decide for Leila and Geo’s costumes?
2. Did you already have any idea about Korean traditional costumes?
23

3. Given the costume that Leila and Geo will wear tonight, what is the
meaning of each of their ‘fashion statement’ for the party?
4. What probable Korean traits are revealed in their costume?
Let’s try to work on this next activity.
ACTIVITY NO.2 : Beliefs Inventory
The following Beliefs Inventory is designed to expose unfounded or
unreasonable ideas or even judgment when it comes to the Koreans. Answer
this activity as sincerely and honestly as you can. Score each statement and
take note the sections where your scores are highest.
Remember that it is not a requirement to think over any item very long.
You are going to mark your answer quickly and then go to the next statement.
Be sure to mark how you actually think about the statement, NOT how you think
you SHOULD think.
Agree Disagree Score Statement
_______ _______ *_____ 1. It is important to me that Koreans are also
Asians.
_______ _______ *_____ 2. I hate to think that Koreans are superior than
the Filipinos.
_______ _______ *_____ 3. Koreans who have learned to overcome
challenges of modernity are admirable.
_______ _______ **____ 4. I usually consider Koreans as our brothers
and sisters.
_______ _______ **____ 5. If Koreans can overcome the challenges of
modernity, so can the Filipinos.
_______ _______ *_____ 6. I have biases against Koreans.
_______ _______ *_____ 7. I usually admire modern Koreans than
traditional Koreans.
_______ _______ *_____ 8. Every Korean has the capacity to embrace
modernity.
_______ _______ *_____ 9. A Korean is deeply rooted to her / his own
‘past’.
_______ _______ *_____ 10. I prefer Koreans as friends than the other
Asians.
_______ _______ **____ 11. I like the respect that we Filipinos have for
the Koreans.
_______ _______ *_____ 12. I avoid things that Koreans have done.
After answering the Beliefs Inventory, go back to your partner and do
Hand Signals. Follow these instructions carefully”
24

If you believe in any particular statement, you will do the thumbs up sign
and say “I understand that Koreans _______________ and can explain it.
If you don’t agree, you will do the thumbs down
sign and say, “I do not understand why I believe /
do not believe
that Koreans are _______________”.
If there is a statement that is vague or
not clear to you, do the thumb sideway
sign and say, : I’m not completely sure
about the statement _______________”.
Just make sure your reasons are clearer this time!
Form groups of five members. Be open in answering the following questions.
Write down important responses of your group members in the handprint
provided below.
PROCESS QUESTIONS:
1. What knowledge do you have about Koreans that made you to
believe this way?
2. What personal traits or characteristics do Koreans have that we
Filipinos also have or don’t have?
3. Do you think reading Korean literature expressed in English would give
you a little idea of the psyche (human spirit) and temperament (prevailing
or dominant quality of mind that characterizes someone) of Koreans?
Why or why not?
ACTIVITY NO. 3: IN MY HAND!
This activity allows you to reflect your own personal ideas and opinions
about the Koreans’ way of life.
25

Try to compare notes. Read each others' notes as fill in the gaps in your
own note-taking.
26
I think…
Others
think…
I feel…
Others
feel…
I hope…
It’s all about the
Koreans.

As a review, you gave your initial ideas on the focus questions and
Korean literature. This time, let us find out how others would answer
the questions and compare their ideas to our own. As you compare, you
will also learn other concepts which will help you complete the required
project. This project is about an integrative literary and expository
character review.
We will go on by doing the next activity.
PROCESS:
Your goal in this section is to learn and understand key concepts
regarding Korean literature focusing on the temperaments and psyche
of the people of Korea in their response to challenges of modernity.
ACTIVITY NO. 4: 한국에오신것을환영합니다.(Welcome to Korea!)
If you are not a Korean, reading this 한국에오신것을환영합
니 다 is a task you would not dare doing! Reading in
English could be also tough if there are words that are too
difficult to understand. Try reading a beautiful tale in
Korea titled Tale of Ch’unhyang. Of course this has been translated to English,
yet, some words may be too hard on your part. This may hinder your own
appreciation and understanding of the text. Try reading the summary first (from
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2199671/plotsummary ).
http://www.google.com.ph
27

Another partner can help you this time. Can you share to your partner two
difficult words from the summary? What are these words? Write them below.
First difficult word is _________________.
Second difficult word is _______________.
Try to be humble in owning that these words are really difficult for you. At this
point, you should not worry. The next activity may help you.
ACTIVITY NO. 4: Comparing & Contrasting
By the time you will be reading Tale of Ch’unhyang, perhaps you will
realize that there are words that are quite hard to understand. In this activity, you
are exposed to three articles that are found in the following websites below. Go
and click the following suggestions from
http://moodle.unitec.ac.nz/mod/book/view.php?id=93283&chapterid=3333,
28
A tender hearted young noble
man, MongRyong, falls in love
with the famous Chun Hyang,
the most beautiful girl of a
Korean village, who is also a
pure hearted artist but
unfortunately from a humble
family. This forbidden love
yields a secret marriage which
is doomed when MongRyong
departs for Seoul to pass state
exams and his absence lasts
for three years, during which
no news is heard of him.
Meanwhile, the arrival of an
infamous new sheriff puts
Chun Hyang in great peril
when she refuses to break her
marriage and obey the desires
of the sheriff.
by: Ehsan
summary:
Tale of
Ch’unhyang

http://www.scribd.com/doc/51661583/Techniques-for-Dealing-with-Difficult-
Words and http://www.uefap.com/reading/underst/difficult/difficult.htm. And then
do the Comparing & Contrasting Graphic Organizer that follows. These are the
highlights of the suggested websites:
29

Prove that you have understood the three articles by doing the Comparing &
Contrasting graphic organizer.
30

Article # 1
Coping with Difficult
Words
Article # 2
Techniques in Dealing
with Difficult Words
Article # 3
Dealing with Difficult
Words
Most Striking
Technique /
Tip
Easiest
Technique /
Tip to Do
Most Difficult
Technique /
Tip to Do
Technique /
Tip that Needs
Further
Discussion
My
Realizations /
Comments /
Insights
Gained
adapted from http://www.sanchezclass.com/reading-graphic-organizers.htm
Try answering these questions on your own.
1. How will this activity help you deal with difficult words?
2. Defining words through context can be very helpful to you in
dealing with difficult words. Choose five difficult words from the
tale. Can you try defining difficult words?
3. Now that you have been exposed to the different techniques in
coping with difficult words, do you think you are ready to read some
Korean selections that exemplify Koreans’ ways of responding to
the challenges of modernity? Defend your answer.
ACTIVITY NO. 5: Actitude Analysis Strategy
Before doing the Actitude Analysis /strategy, read the selection titled Tale
of Ch’unhyang. This reading activity allows you to analyze the story on a basic
31

level and hopefully, you will be able to identify themes using character analysis,
setting, and plot. After reading Tale of Ch’unhyang(from
http://instrok.org/instrok/home.html) , start accomplishing the Actitude Analysis.
Tale of Ch’unhyang
32
Formerly there lived in the province of Cholla, in the town of Namwon, a magistrate's
son named Yi Mong-Yong. He had much literary talent, and grew up to be a handsome
young man.
One beautiful morning, Master Yi Mong-Yong called his servant, Pangja, and asked him
to show him a place where he might see wild flowers. Pangja led him to a summer
pavilion near a bridge called "Ojak-kyo," or the "Magpie Bridge." The view from the
bridge was as beautiful as the summer sky, and thus was named after the tale of the
Herdboy and the Weaving Maid.
Looking at the distant mountains, Yi Mong-Yong caught sight of a young maiden
swinging beneath one of the trees. He asked Pangja about the lovely maiden and her
attendant. He replied that she was Ch'unhyang (Spring Fragrance), a daughter of
Wolmae (Moon Plum), the retired kisaeng entertainer. Pangja related to his young
master that this young girl was not only beautiful but also virtuous. Yi Mong-Yong
insisted that Pangja inform Ch'unhyang that he wished to meet her.
"Don't you know the butterfly must pursue the flower, and the geese must seek the
sea?" retorted Ch'unhyang.
The wind blew back her hair and long ribbon over her rosy face, and she glowed with
virtue and happiness. "This good fortune is offered me today. Why wait until tomorrow?
Should I not speak to this pretty girl now?" Yi Mong-Yong said to himself.
Just then Ch'unhyang, frightened at being watched, jumped down from her swing and
ran toward her house. Stopping under a peach tree at her garden gate she plucked a
blossom and kissed it, her lips and cheeks redder than the bloom, and was gone.
Pangja urged his master to hasten home so that his father might know nothing of his
adventure, and then punish Pangja for allowing Yi Mong-Yong to wander so far. The
youth returned home in a trance, and went immediately to sit at dinner with his parents.
With the meal finished, Yi Mong-Yong went to his room, lit a candle, and opened a book.
Reading proved impossible. The words blurred before his eyes and every word and every
character was "Spring" and "Fragrance"- Ch'unhyang, Ch'unhyang, Ch'unhyang. Calling
Pangja, he said, "Tonight I must see Ch'unhyang. Did she not say that the butterfly
must pursue the flower?"
They went to Ch'unhyang's house, stopping under the peach tree in the garden as they
approached. At that moment Ch'unhyang's mother was telling her daughter that she had
had a dream in which a blue dragon coiled itself around Ch'unhyang's body and, holding
her in its mouth, flew up to the sky. Looking up, instead of the dragon in the clouds, the
girl's mother saw a dragon on earth, for Yi Mong-Yong walked out of darkness and spoke
to her.
On learning the purpose of his visit she called Ch'unhyang to meet the young yangban,
and Yi Mong-Yong asked Ch'unhyang's mother for the hand of her daughter. The old
woman, thinking her dream had come true, gladly consented, and said, "You are a
yangban's son and Ch'unhyang is the daughter of a kisaeng, so there cannot be a formal
marriage. If you give us a secret marriage contract, writing your pledge not to desert
her, we shall be contented."
Yi Mong-Yong seized a brush and set down the following lines: "The blue sea may
become a mulberry field, and the mulberry fields may become the blue sea, but my
heart for Ch'unhyang shall never change. Heaven and earth and all the gods are
witnesses."
In their sleep that night they dreamed of Mandarin ducks swimming together. For
several nights he visited his beloved, until she teased him, saying that he should go
home and study hard to become a great official like his father. Unfortunately, their time
together did not last.
Not long after the secret marriage, the servant brought Yi Mong-Yong a message saying
that his father, newly appointed to the King's cabinet, was being recalled to the capitol.
Yi Mong-Yong, who was to accompany his father, went that evening to Ch'unhyang and
told her the bad news. The young couple was forced to say a tearful goodbye at the
Magpie Bridge.
"Since there is no way to change our fate, let us embrace and part," said Ch'unhyang,
throwing her arms around her lover.
She then gave him a ring. "This is my token of love for you. Keep it until we meet again.
Go in peace, but do not forget me. I shall remain faithful to you and wait here for you to
come and take me away to Seoul." With these words, they parted.
The new Namwon magistrate arrived soon afterward, and among his first words to his
servant were, "Bring me Ch'unhyang, the pretty girl I have heard of."
"This is difficult sir," replied the retainer, "for she is already married secretly to Yi Mong-
Yong, the son of the former magistrate."
Angered, the new magistrate ordered Ch'unhyang summoned at once. Too terrified to
disobey an order by the magistrate, Ch'unhyang accompanied the servant. The
magistrate looked at her attentively. "I heard much of you in Seoul, and today I see you
are very beautiful. Will you come to me?"

33
Choosing her words carefully, Ch'unhyang replied, "I am committed to Yi Mong-Yong.
That is why I cannot do as you ask. The King has sent you here to take care of the
people. You have a heavy responsibility to the throne. It would be better to fulfill your
duties and apply justice according to the laws of the country." Ch'unhyang's defiance
enraged the magistrate, and he ordered her taken to prison.
"Why put me in prison?" Ch'unhyang protested, "I have done no wrong. A married
woman must be faithful to her husband, just as a magistrate should be faithful to the
king."
This merely served to anger the magistrate further, and before long Ch'unhyang found
herself in a prison cell.
Meanwhile, Yi Mong-Yong had arrived in Seoul, where he studied hard and learned all
the famous Chinese classics. He passed the government examinations with the highest
distinction, thereby qualifying for a position in the king's service. In congratulating him
after the munkwa examinations, the king asked Yi Mong-Yong. "Do you wish to be a
magistrate or a governor?"
"I should like to be appointed amhaengosa," replied Yi Mong-Yong. Yi Mong-Yong, as an
amhaengosa, traveled around the country with his attendants, disguised as beggars.
They inquired everywhere after the needs of the people in order to assess the quality of
local districts' administrations. Soon he arrived near Namwon, and came to a small
farming village where the people were planting rice.
While working, the peasants sadly chanted: "We come out in the scorching heat, plough
our fields, sow our seeds, and make the rice grow. First we must pay tribute to the king,
give a part to the poor, a part to travelers who come knocking at our doors, and save
money for ancestral services. This would be all right if the magistrate did not squeeze us
for even more, leaving us with hardly anything to eat."
Much interested, Yi Mong-Yong approached and said, "I have heard that the magistrate
of Namwon has married Ch'unhyang and that they live together happily."
"How dare you speak like that?" retorted one of farmers. "Ch'unhyang is faithful, true
and pure, and you are a fool to speak thus of her and that tyrant, who is cruel to her.
No, her fate is even worse than that because the son of the former magistrate seduced
and deflowered that poor girl, and then abandoned her, never coming back to see her.
He is a bastard, the son of a dog, the son of a pig!"
The farmer's anger shocked Yi Mong-Yong. He found that many villagers felt the same
way. The local yangban aristocrats shared the people's wrath. Yi Mong-Yong happened
on a spot where some yangban were having a picnic, comparing poems and conversing
on a hillside. He listened as a scholar presented a poem railing against the unjust
provincial government. When he was done, another picnicker said, "These are sad days!
I've heard that a young woman called Ch'unhyang is to be executed in two or three
days."
"Oh! This Magistrate is a wretch!" said another.

34
said another. "He is thinking only of overpowering Ch'unhyang, but she is like the pine
and bamboo, which never change. She has remained faithful and true to her husband."
Another added, "She was married to the son of the old magistrate. What a pig her
husband is! He abandoned the poor girl."
These comments made Yi Mong-Yong, weary and ashamed, hasten to Namwon. hasten
to Namwon.
Meanwhile, Ch'unhyang, in prison all this time, remained faithful to the memory of Yi
Mong-Yong. She had grown thin, feeble, and sick. One day she had a dream, in which
she saw her house. In her garden, the flowers that she had planted and loved had faded.
The mirror in her room was broken. Her shoes were hanging on the lintel of the door.
She called to a blind man who happened to be passing by her cell window, and asked
him the significance of her dream.
"I shall tell you what it means. These dried flowers shall bear fruit, the noise of the
broken mirror will be heard throughout the world, and the shoes on the door indicate a
large crowd visiting to offer congratulations."
Ch'unhyang thanked the blind man and prayed that his prophecy would come true. In
reality, however, Ch'unhyang's doom was near. That very day the evil magistrate called
his attendants together and said to them, "In three days I shall celebrate a great feast,
to which I wish to invite all the magistrates of the nearby towns, and on that day
Ch'unhyang shall be executed."
Meanwhile, Yi Mong-Yong arrived in the town and went to Ch'unhyang's house. At first,
her mother did not recognize him. "I do not know who you are," she said. "Your face
reminds me of Yi Mong-Yong, but your clothes are the clothes of a beggar."
"But I am Yi Mong-Yong," said he.
"Oh!" she gasped. "Every day we have waited for you, but alas, in two or three days
Ch'unhyang will be dead."
"Listen to me, Mother," replied Yi Mong-Yong. "Even though I am a miserable beggar, I
still long for Ch'unhyang, and I want to see her."
With Yi Mong-Yong following, she knocked at the prison window, calling her daughter,
who was asleep. Awakened, Ch'unhyang asked immediately if anyone had seen Yi Mong-
Yong or heard news of him.
The mother replied that in place of Yi Mong-Yong, a beggar had come who claimed he
was Yi Mong-Yong, and was there now to see her.
Yi Mong-Yong appeared at the window, and Ch'unhyanglooked at him. It seemed to
make no difference to her that he was badly dressed, and seemed to have failed at life
in Seoul. Instead, she reached for him through the bars and struggled to be as close to
him as possible.

35
"I may be a beggar in dress," replied Yi Mong-Yong, "but I have no beggar's heart!"
"Dear heart," said Ch'unhyang, "how hard your journey must have been. Go back with
my mother and get some rest. Only please - since I am under a sentence of death and
must die tomorrow after the feast - come to my window again in the morning so I may
have the joy of seeing you once more before I die."
Yi Mong-Yong went home and slept in Ch'unhyang's room. But the next morning, when
his mother-in-law opened the door, she was surprised to find that he was gone. In fact,
he had gone early to collect his attendants, all disguised as beggars like himself. He
gave them strict orders. Then, as the magistrate received his guests and presided over
the banquet, Yi Mong-Yong managed to get into the palatial office compound and
approach the host.
"I am a poor man," he said, "and I am hungry. Please, give me something to eat." It
was customary in Korea, during big feasts in the countryside, for a number of beggars to
show up for handouts, but the furious magistrate commanded his servants to kick the
intruder out.
Then Yi Mong-Yong entered the palace a second time, by climbing on the shoulders of
his servants and going over the wall. The first guest he encountered was the magistrate
of Unbong, named Pak Yong-Jang. He said to him, "I am hungry, could you not let me
have something?" Yong-Jang, feeling some compassion called one of the kisaengs and
asked her to bring something to the beggar.
Yi Mong-Yong then addressed Yong-Jang: "I am obliged to you for giving me good food,
and I wish to repay you with a little poem." Then he extended a paper on which Yong-
Jang read the lines:
This beautiful wine in golden goblets
Is the blood of a thousand people.
This magnificent meat on these jade tables
Is the flesh and marrow of a thousand lives.
Burning in this banquet hall,
The tears of the hungry people
Pour from their sunken eyes.
Even louder than the noisy song of these courtesans
Resound the complaints of the oppressed peasants.
Yong-Jang , greatly alarmed, cried, "It is against us," and he passed the paper to the
host, who asked, "Who wrote this poem?""It is the young beggar," said Yong-Jang ,
pointing to Yi Mong-Yong, but he was frightened, thinking that whoever wrote such a
poem must be more than a common beggar. Rising up, he suddenly pretended to have
urgent business elsewhere and fled. The other officials likewise sprang to their feet and
stampeded out of the room, only to be stopped by Yi Mong-Yong's men, who were
waiting outside with their swords. The officials soon understood that the beggar-poet
was in fact an amhaengosa. As they cowered together in a corner of the courtyard, Yi
Mong-Yong revealed his ma-p'ae and ordered the magistrate's runners to
fetchCh'unhyang from her cell and to say to her, "The King's envoy has sent for you. He
is going to hear your case and pronounce judgment."

36
In the jail, Ch'unhyang was greatly frightened.
"Oh!" she cried. "I am going to die! Please, may I see my mother?" Ch'unhyang's
mother ran to her daughter. "Mother, now is the hour of my death. Where is Yi Mong-
Yong?"
"The King's officer is waiting. Do not stop to chitchat!" snapped the runners, and before
Ch'unhyang's mother could speak, they carried her away to the magistrate's courtyard.
They removed the wooden cangue from around her neck and placed her in the presence
of the Royal Secret Inspector, who, sitting behind a screen, questioned her sternly: "If
you do not love the magistrate, will you love me and come to me, the King's envoy? If
you refuse I shall order my men to strike off your head immediately."
"Alas!" exclaimed Ch'unhyang. "How unhappy are the poor people of this country! First
the injustice of the magistrate, then you, the King's Inspector, who should help and
protect the unhappy people - you think immediately to condemn to death a poor girl
whom you desire. Oh, how sad we common people are, and how pitiful it is to be a
woman!"
Yi Mong-Yong then ordered the courtesans to untie the cords that bound the hands of
Ch'unhyang. "Now raise your head, and look at me," he said to her.
"No," she answered, "I shall not look at you, I shall not listen to you. Cut my body into
pieces if you like, but I shall never go to you."
Yi Mong-Yong was deeply touched. He took off his ring and ordered a courtesan to show
it to Ch'unhyang. She saw that was the very ring she had given to her husband Yi Mong-
Yong and, lifting her eyes, recognized her lover.
"Oh," she cried in joy and surprise. "Yesterday my lover was only a beggar and today he
is the King's officer!"
Yi Mong-Yong ordered a sedan chair to be brought at once and saw that Ch'unhyang was
safely carried home. The people shouted joyfully and cheered for Ch'unhyang and Yi
Mong-Yong. Then he summoned the magistrate of Namwon and said, "The King gave
you instructions to feed the people well, and instead you fed upon them. I condemn you
in the name of the King to forfeit yourposition. I banish you to a faraway island without
meat, without wine, and without company. I give you permission to eat the wild grass till
your stomach repents for the way you have fed off the people of Namwon!"
When all this was done, Yi Mong-Yong took his bride back to Seoul and wrote out the
story Ch'unhyang as an appendix to his official report. The King read it and was
surprised to find such fidelity in a country girl of low birth. He made her
ach'ungnyolpuin, or a faithful wife, and declared that her loyalty was proof that she was
just as good as any yangban daughter, even though her mother was a lowly kisaeng,
and that her conduct should be a model for allwomen. Ch'unhyang was then officially
presented to the parents of Yi Mong-Yong, and they accepted her as a proper daughter-
in-law. In time, Ch'unhyang bore three sons and twodaughters, and they all lived happily
for many years come.

To aid you to fully appreciate and understand the story, try doing this
Actitude Analysis.
An Actitude Analysis strategy plays on and is a combination of, the two
words act and attitude. It helps you make connections between attitudes and
actions of people and groups. First, analyze the given idea, position or belief
expressed by the tale. Secondly, the students summarize the meaning of the
identified idea or belief. Thirdly, students identify and record the Attitudes/ Values
imbedded in the idea, belief or position. Fourthly, students devise Actions /
Practices that match the attitudes and values.
Now, cluster yourselves into different Jigsaw groups. Be guided by the sample
way of grouping below.
38
Attitudes/Values Action/Practices
Actitude Analysis of the Tale of Ch’unhyang
Summary

Jigsaw Groups:
Group One Group Two Group Three Group Four
Member 1 Member 1 Member 1 Member 1
Then, reorganize yourselves into “expert” groups. Follow the guide below.
Expert Groups:
Group One Group Two Group Three Group Four
In your “expert” groups, you are assigned to answer only one question
comprehensively. The question that you will answer matches with the number of
the question. For example, Group One will answer question number one only.
Group Two will answer question number two and so on and so forth.
Here are the questions:
1. What attitudes of the characters Yi Mong-YongandCh'unhyang do you
really like? Are these reflective of the psyche and temperament of the
Koreans?
2. Were there ideas, perceptions or biases that you had believed before
that have changed now?
3. How has what you’ve learned now changed your thinking about Koreans?
4. Do you personally like the psyche and temperament of the Koreans? Why
or why not?
After around five minutes, it is time to go back to your Jigsaw Group. Share what
you have discussed with your Expert Group members.
Having discussed the tale, you should move on to the next activity that will help
you cope with the difficult words.
ACTIVITY NO. 6: Build Me Up!
At this point, you have probably met difficult words from The Tale of Ch’unyang.
Prepare your Frequency Word List. It may look like this.
39

You need your Expert Team Group for the next activity called Team Building
Spinner (adapted from © 2008 Laura Candler - Teaching Resources at www.lauracandler.com). Create a spinner just
like this!
40

Directions: To use the spinner, you’ll need a paper clip and a pencil. Put the
paper clip down with one end over the center dot. Put the pencil point down
inside the paper clip and hold the pencil in place. Thump the paper clip. It will
spin around the pencil point and point to one section on the Teambuilding
Spinner. The Leader reads the question aloud and team members take turns
answering it. Switch Leaders for each round and continue as time allows.
Enjoy and learn!
ACTIVITY NO. 7: The Korean Style! A Glimpse to Korean Culture
Reading an article titled Beliefs, Social Structures, and Practices allows you to
have a glimpse of the Koreans’ rich culture and history that will eventually help
you appreciate and understand better Korean psyche and temperament that is
reflected in their rich literary pieces. Read this short article carefully.
41

Right after the “tour”, you will
finish the following
prompts and
share your
answers
to
your
own
partners.
1. The Koreans cultural
values focus on
interdependent, collective self
rather than an independent,
autonomous self, of role dedication rather than self-fulfillment. From this, I
personally like / dislike the Koreans’ cultural values because
____________________________.
2. Thepsyche (human spirit) and temperament (prevailing or dominant
quality of mind that characterizes someone)of the Koreans that I really like
are ____________________________________________________.
42
The Choson Dynasty, also known as the Yi Dynasty, has
long been celebrated for its artistic, scientific and
intellectual achievements, including the 1443 invention
of the Korean alphabet (han'gul) by the greatest of all
Choson kings, King Sejong. The Choson Dynasty, which
means the kingdom of morning serenity, is one of
modern history's longest dynastic rules, lasting over
500 years. This achievement is even more impressive in
light of Korea’s strategic and, some might say,
precarious geopolitical location at the center of the
East Asian corridor.
How did Korea achieve such political stability? What
social forces were at work? The Choson Dynasty
adopted Confucianism as its state religion and
developed concomitant social structures, ultimately
establishing cultural values, which supported
continuous dynastic rule.
These cultural values of the Choson Dynasty,
centerpieces to the Ch'unhyang story, still resonant in
contemporary Korean life. The idea of an
interdependent, collective self rather than an
independent, autonomous self, of role dedication
rather than self-fulfillment, and the privileging of
harmony and order rather over justice or progress are
all typically Confucian cultural values that have carried
over from the Choson era into the present.
Choson Dynasty officially began in 1392 when Yi
Songgye, an army general, was declared king,
following his successful coup against the Koryo
government. With the support of Neo-Confucian
scholar-officials, he and the twenty-six Yi kings that
followed him adopted and enforced the principles of
Confucianism, a belief system founded by the Chinese
philosopher Confucius, as the for guide their actions as
well as virtually every citizen of their dynasty.
Confucius taught that men of wisdom and virtue,
chosen for their knowledge and moral quality, should
lead the government. They were to rule, not by force
or law, but by example. This theory of government was
an ideal held for centuries by many countries of East
Asia; the application of the theory, however, was less
than ideal. Korean rulers during the Chosen reign
established social structures and institutions to enforce
Confucian ideology and practice.
King T’aejo (Yi Songgye) instituted the Chinese
examination system to recruit wise and moral men into
government. Men that could demonstrate through
rigorous examination that they understood proper
governance, classic literature, and morality, as it was
taught in the sacred books of Confucian philosophy,
were appointed to government positions. Once in
place, they were expected to lead by moral example.
Beliefs, Social Structures, and Practices

3. I want to ___________ in Korea because __________________.
4. Koreans must be ___________________ as a people because
_________________________________.
5. The kind of literature that Koreans have must be _____________ because
__________________________________________.
With a partner, discuss what you have answered and share your responses tothe
following questions:
1. What is with Koreans that makes them strong in responding to the
challenges of modernity?
2. Do you think they are stronger than the Filipinos? Why or why not?
3. What do Koreans have that we Filipinos should emulate?
ACTIVITY NO. 8: Guess What?
You will be exposed to a few Korean literary pieces through different websites
and extracted lines from the reviews. These lines would show the Korean
characters’ painful experiences in life.
Go to the following sites. Try to make guesses of the Koreans’ way of
responding to the challenges of modernity.
website extracted lines from the review
http://www.ktlit
.com/korean-
literature/revie
w-early-spring-
mid-summer.
• Early Spring, Mid-Summer by Yi Munyol: contains a couple of
historical/metaphorical tales of the cost of war, including Kim Won-
il’s The Spirit of Darkness, and a couple of stories that mix their
historical stories with great and sometimes shocking sadness,
particularly, Pak Si-jong’sTwo Minutes to Seven.
• The Spirit of the Darkness by Kim Won-il: The story has a sad ending,
but is an excellent introduction to the collection.
• Wings That Will Carry Us Both by Chon San-guk: And, yet, this luck,
as a Korean philosophical tradition suggests, leads not only to
happiness, but also to anxiety and dread.
• The Cave by Han Sung-won: The story is of two children “saved” by
their father, who dooms himself in the process, and the unhappy lives
they subsequently lead.
My Guesses on Koreans’ way of responding to the challenges of MODERNITY
• ____________________________________________________________________
• ____________________________________________________________________
• ____________________________________________________________________
43

• __________________________________________________________________
http://www.ktlit
.com/korean-
literature/revie
w-wayfarer-
new-fiction-by-
korean-women
• Wayfarer: New Fiction by Korean Women: It also discusses the
introduction of hangul, and how that introduction created a small
opening for female authors and how, then, modernization and
colonialization that began to pry that small opening wide open.
• Human Decency by Gong Ji Young is one of the smaller works in the
book as it is parochially Korean, pitting a facilely “international”
character against a “true Korean hero” who has stayed inside the
grinder of Korean politics. The narrator is self-tortured by her own
history and has a quite obvious loathing for all things foreign. All this
adds up to a work highlighting han and Korean exceptionalism of the
simplest kind.
My Guesses on Koreans’ way of responding to the challenges of MODERNITY
• ____________________________________________________________________
• ____________________________________________________________________
• ____________________________________________________________________
• ____________________________________________________________________
•
Share your guesses to a group of five members and experience a
cooperative learning strategy called Numbered Heads Together(Slavin, 1995). This
strategy holds each of you accountable for learning more about Korean literature.
You are placed in groups and each of you is given a number (from one to the
maximum number in each group). The teacher poses a question and you "put
your heads together" to figure out the answer. The teacher calls a specific
number to respond as spokesperson for the group. By having all of you work
together in a group, this strategy ensures that each of youknows the answer to
problems or questions asked by the teacher. Because no one knows which
number will be called, all team members must be prepared. Here are the
questions.
1. Given all the problems that characters have faced in the different
circumstances of their lives, what kind of attitude or psyche or
temperament have the Koreans shown?
2. Is this the kind of attitude or psyche or temperament that we have been
practicing as Filipinos?
3. What are the advantages of facing the challenges of modernity with a wounded
history like the Koreans?
4. Do you have any comments on the way Koreans face the challenges of modernity?
5. What does literature reveal about Korean character?
6. How do Koreans respond to the challenges of modernity as reflected in their
literaryselections?
If all the groups are ready, the teacher would start calling the members
who really “put their heads together”. 행운을빈다(haenguneulbinda
44

>hengoohn-oohlbeehn-dah= Good luck!
ACTIVITY NO. 9: A Myriad of Reflections
This activity allows you to enjoy short selections from Korea. Hopefully,
the selections will allow you to embrace the goodness of the Korean psyche and
temperament.
The Tale of the
Woodcutter and the Tiger
http://www.instrok.org/instrok/t_story.html
Korean folklore recalls the tale of a
woodcutter who encounters a tiger in
the woods. Fearing that he would
soon be the tiger’s dinner, he
exclaimed: “You must be my long
lost brother! Our mother cried for
you when you left home. She had
dinner ready for you every night,
waiting for your return. Sadly, out
mother has just passed away. How
happy she would have been had she
known you are alive and well!” The
woodcutter took out his handkerchief
and pretended to wipe at his eyes.
The tiger turned away, as tears fell
down his cheeks, leaving the
woodcutter unharmed.
Every year thereafter, on
Chesa, the memorial day of the
woodcutter’s mother’s death, an
offering appeared on her grave -
sometimes a peasant, or even his
mother’s favorite mountain berries.
The woodcutter did not know where
these offerings came from.
One year, the woodcutter
noticed that the customary offering
had not been placed on his mother’s
grave, and he wondered what had
happened. Out from the bush, three
baby tigers appeared, carrying
offerings. They approached the
woodcutter and cried: “You must be
our uncle! Mother tiger is gone now,
and we know how important it is for
her to honor grandmother by bringing
an offering to her Chesa table beside
her grave. We are here to bring
offerings for our grandmother in
loving memory of our mother.” The
woodcutter noticed that his face had
turned suddenly warm and realized
that it was his own tears streaming
down his cheeks.
Comment from http://www.instrok.org/instrok/t_story.html
Tales, like this one, capture and reflect fundamental cultural values of
Koreansociety and its people, such as the transformation of potential
conflict into opportunity through the use of intelligence and the power of injong
45

(human feeling). No one misses the importance of children’s devotion to their
parents, even after their death. In addition to the Confucian emphasis on filial
piety, the tale conveys how interlinked one is to past, present and future
generations of family and how bonded one is to family by a sense of duty and
shared destiny. The Buddhist notion, adopted by many Koreans, of equality
among all living things is also portrayed in the sibling relationship of the
woodcutter and tiger.
Now that you have read the selection, find another reading partner and by
pairs, write what is asked in the Literary Elements Advance Organizer.
Choose one element and use as a basis for answering the questions below.
Continue the interactive discussion until you get clarified with the Koreans’
ways of using their cultural values in coping with the challenges of modernity.
1. Identify the characters in the story. What roles do the characters
play in the tale? What are the characteristics of these characters
that you admire / don’t admire?
46

2. What particular event or circumstance in the story has contributed
to the Tiger’s way of looking at things in a different way? How has
this new way of looking at things being passed on to the next
generation?
3. What kind of conflict led the woodcutter to “fool” the tiger? What
would be your own way of saving yourself from danger?
4. What would you do if that sense of duty and shared destiny passed
on to you is in conflict with your own principles and beliefs in life?
5. Could this tale be used as basis to have a glimpse of how the
Koreans at present are coping with the challenges of modernity?
Explain your answer.
The next selection encourages you to FALL (formulate, articulate, listen,
lengthen by Dan White (et al)). Your Learning Team members privately
Formulate a response; Articulate their ideas to the group; Listen in turn to other
responses and Lengthen the thinking during the subsequent discussion by
systematically building upon and elaborating the ideas of others.
Listen to your teacher read the poem below or its recorded version.
Author is trying to convince us to forget past prejudices and hatred and come
together for a better life.Do the FALL now as you answer the following questions:
1. According to the author, when should one invite a long-lost friend to his
house?
2. When can two people speak as true good friends?
47
WHEN WINE AT YOUR HOUSE IS RIPE
By YugGim
When wine at your house is ripe,
Please ask me to visit you.
When flowers at my cottage bloom,
I will invite you to come.
And then let’s talk of the things,From: An Introduction to Korean Literature
By In-sob Zong
Sam Young Printing Co., Ltd. (1970)
Seoul, Korea

3. How are feelings of optimism, goodness and piety shown in the poem?
4. How are the words wine …ripe, flowers…bloom…over a hundred years
used to symbolize a reality in life?
5. What does this poem reveal about Korean character?
Here is a Korean contemporary literary piece (from
http://jaypsong.wordpress.com/ )for you to appreciate. Try to focus on the very
few characters introduced in the selection. Be sure to relate in the kind of
situation that they are in.
Illustrated by Kwon Shin-ah
http://jaypsong.wordpress.com/
48
Shhh* by Moon In-soo
I have been to his father’s funeral.
He told me a story: he, who had
passed his sixtieth year, held his
father, beyond 90 and helped him
urinate. Even though life’s important
controls had left the old body, his
mind was still like a lantern. Afraid
that the old man might feel hopeless,
he helped him, half joking and half
playing the baby, saying “Father,
shhh, shhh, all right, all, right, you
must feel good.”
When he held his father, it was as if
he entered deep into the whole body.
When he held his father like that as
though giving back to the body, how
much might the old man have tried to
shrink himself to make himself
smaller and lighter? His urine thread
cut off frequently, but such a long
thread that the son again and again
tried to tie it down to the earth
pitifully, but the father with difficulty
might sever it now. Shhh,
Shhh! The universe must be quiet.
*In Korean, this word refers to not only a way to
make someone hush, but also is used as an
onomatopoeia to help children urinate.
After you have either listened to, or read Shhh by
Moon In-soo, one of your classmatesshould be
chosen to sit in a chair (the hot seat) in front of the
class. The hot seat classmate then chooses to be
one of the characters from the story. The rest of
the class asks the hot seat classmate questions.
The hot seat classmate answers as the character
in the story would answer.
Listening to the answers of your hot seat
classmate, try to write down in a short Dear Diary
Entry journal your thoughts as you are guided by
the following questions:
1. What feelings could you identify during and
after reading Shhh?
2. While reading, were you able to think about
your own mother or father or even yourself
when all of you would be old? What scenario
can you foresee now?
3. Despite the challenges of modernity that all
Afro – Asians have tried to cope with for many
years, do you consider this contemporary
selection a good way of understanding the
psyche (spirit) and the temperament
(prevailing or dominant quality of mind that
characterizes someone) of the Koreans?
Illustrated by Kwon Shin-ah jaypsong.wordpress.com/http://jaypsong.wordpress.com/
http://

Paired Interview Strategy
Brief:
The traditional poetry of a country takes several forms. Japan has the haiku; the
limerick originated in England; Italy produced the sonnet. In Korea, the
sijo /’si – ho/ is a short lyric poem which sketches a picture and then tells
the effect of the scene on the beholder. Graeme Wilson, who lives in
Hongkong, has published translations of many Far Eastern poetry.
Some hundreds of his versions of sijo have been published throughout
the English-speaking world.
Bridges to Understanding
Tree of Unhappiness
Kim Sang – yong (1592 – 1637)
(Translated by Graeme Wilson)
On broad leaves of pau-low-nia
The one and only tree
Whereon the phoenix will set foot
The rain falls heartlessly.
The rain’s sad tapping overhead
Compounds my weight of grief.
Who now could have the heart to plant
Trees of so broad a leaf?
49
Trousset encyclopedia (1886 -
1891)

Pomegranates
Sin Hum (1566 – 1628)
It rained last night, The pomegranates
Red and orange-res
Have all burst into flower.
Not to be comfort,
I sit in this cool pavilion
Set in a lotus lake
And under its glass-bead curtains wait
For my closed heart to break.
http://www.google.com.ph/imgres?q=pomegranates
http://weheartit.com/entry/22528897
On your own try to answer the following questions (from Bridges to
Understanding) silently in five minutes.
50
Girl in the Rain
Anonymous (18th
century)
Her violet cloak clutched round her head,
As quickly as she can
She runs through rain-fall to the pear bloomed
Village and a man.
What blandishments, I wonder,
What whispers, what untrue
But wonderful wonderful promises
Have soaked that silly through.

After spending time to show understanding of the selections all by yourself, it is
time to play a game! Deepen your appreciation of the selections you have just
read. Play with your chosen group members theWhat If…Game!
The What If… Game enables you to reflect on problems, situations and to
visualize a better time and place.
Review the lines of the poems presented to you that allow you to think of
situations /problems that youhave experienced in your life. Write the lines on a
sheet of paper. You may enclose these lines in a box or border – like this one
below.
Explain the underlined words. Then answer the question in complete sentences.
What blandishments does a mother use to make her five-year –old child stop crying
What is the belief regarding the life and death of the phoenix? Why is it a symbol of
What is the local name of the pomegranate?
In “Girl in the Rain,” what is the girl doing? Why? In the last line, the word silly is a
l
.
In “Tree of Unhappiness”, the pau-low-nia is a Korean tree.What belief about the tree
In Korea, the pomegranate is a symbol of happiness in love. What feeling is hinted a
From what you have heard others say, or from your own personal experience, what f
51

Now, while doing the What If…Game!, you are going to be in a Literary Circle.
These Literary Circles are small groups of students who meet together to talk
about books or any literary selections that they have read.
• Each member of the group has a job with certain responsibilities.
• If the group is to work effectively, each person must do his job.
• Participation and self-control are important ingredients in successful
Literary Circles.
Consider all the questions in the wheel. With your job and responsibilities,
come up with an output demanded from your position. Be sure your outputs
visualize a better place, a better time not only for the Koreans but all the citizens
in Africa and Asia.
52
the rain falls heartlessly
compounds my weight of grief
for my closed heart to break
wonderfulwonderful promises

Here are your roles and responsibilities in your Literary Circle:
53

Slides courtesy of[www.lexington1.net/technology/.../ppts/LAppts/35/LiteratureCircles.
After accomplishing your tasks and making your outputs, ask yourself if you have
generated ideas on the Korean psyche and temperament of charity, kindness,
generosity, love, joy, being peaceful people, patience, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, and self-control. Express all your realizations in a drawing.
My Drawing
55

In doing your outputs, always consider the proper and correct use of
cohesive and literary devices for you accomplish your tasks. Try to get
your outputs while you review the correct usage of these devices.
(Slides courtesy of sers.ipfw.edu/wellerw/transitionaldevices.ppt)
What are they?
• cohesive devices are like bridges between parts of
your paper
• They are cues that help the reader to interpret ideas
in the way that you, as a writer, want them to
understand
What do they do?
cohesive devices help you carry over a thought from one
sentence to another, from one idea to another, or from
one paragraph to another with words or phrases.
cohesive devices link your sentences and paragraphs
together smoothly so that there are no abrupt jumps or
breaks between ideas.
56

Why do you use them?
• cohesive words and phrases are used to link
sentences and paragraphs, to show which direction
your thought patterns are going, to help the reader
accurately follow your train of thought.
• They signal the relationships among the various parts
of your subject.
Types:
There are several types of cohesive devices, and each
category leads your reader to make certain connections
or assumptions about the areas you are connecting.
Some lead your reader forward and imply the "building" of
an idea or thought,
while others make your reader compare ideas or draw
conclusions from the preceding thoughts.
To signal relation in time:
• Before, meanwhile, later, soon, at last, earlier,
thereafter, afterward, by that time, from then on, first,
next, now, presently, shortly, immediately, finally
To signal similarity:
Likewise, similarly, once again, once more
To signal difference:
But, yet, however, although, whereas, though, even so,
nonetheless, still, on the other hand, on the contrary
To signal consequences:
As a result, consequently, therefore, hence, for this
reason
Try using these cohesive devices in making your outputs.
57

End of PROCESS:
In this section, the discussion focused more on the temperaments and
psyche of the Korean people in their response to the challenges of
modernity.
Go back to the previous section and compare your initial ideas with the
discussion. How much of your initial ideas are found in the discussion? Which
ideas are different and need revision?
Now that you know the important ideas about this topic, let us go deeper by
moving on to the next section.
REFLECT AND UNDERSTAND:
Your goal in this section is to take a closer look at some aspects of the
topic on the temperaments and psyche of the Korean people in their
response to the challenges of modernity.
ACTIVITY NO.10: Focused Listing
After reading different selections, you are going to take out a sheet of paper
and begin generating a list based on your most favorite reading text. You briefly
summarize the major trends or themes as a way of letting you express your
realizations.
58
List 5 to 7 words or phrases that describe or explain the
major concepts of the psyche and temperaments of the
Koreans as reflected in their literary pieces.
1. ___________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________
4. ___________________________________________
5. ___________________________________________
6. ___________________________________________
7. ___________________________________________

ACTIVITY NO. 11: Cross Me Out!
Below are probable descriptions of the Korean psyche (human spirit) and
temperament (prevailing or dominant quality of mind that characterizes
someone). After reading a few of their selections, you already have an idea on
what to cross out from the following descriptions by now. Add more words if
necessary.
Answer the following questions in an Opinion Proof template.
1. Which of your ideas would appropriately describe the psyche and
temperament of the Koreans?
2. Given these descriptions and a chance to interview a Korean, what
questions would you ask?
3. Can you make a distinction between Korean and Filipino characters now?
4. Would it be better if Koreans are the opposite of what you are describing
them right now? Explain your point.
5. What do Koreans have that help them cope with the challenges of
modernity?
6. Are there worthwhile Asian traditions and values that are reflected in
Korean literature? How can these traditions and values help them in
coping with the challenges of modernity?
59
resilient
proud
bitterstrong
patient
materialistic
loyal

ACTIVITY NO. 12: Questioning the Author [McKeown, Beck, & Worthy, 1993]
This activity is a protocol of inquiries that you can make about the content
you are reading. This strategy is designed to encourage you to think beyond the
words on the page and to consider the author's intent for the selection and his or
her success at communicating it.
The idea of "questioning" the author is a way for you to evaluate how well a
selection of text stands on its own, not simply an invitation to "challenge" a writer.
You will now be looking at the author's intent, his craft, his clarity, his
organization.
Go and get a partner. Read an excerpt about the viral video on Korea’s
global sensation called Psy (shortened name for Psycho). Help each other in
doing the next activity.
60

Viral Video Gets Propaganda Treatment
By SU HYUN LEE
Published: September 20, 2012
SEOUL, South Korea — Ordinarily, a star turn on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” teaching Britney Spears
his dance might be one of the surest signs that a performer has made it. But this week, Park Jae-sang, the
South Korean phenomenon behind a dance video called Gangnam Style, got an even clearer sign of success.
North Korea — so cut off from the world that satellite shots show most of the country plunged in darkness at
night — parodied the video.
Why the original video, released in July, has gained such popularity is anyone’s guess. In it, Mr. Park, 34,
does a “horse riding” dance that looks vaguely like what children do when they hop around pretending to be
galloping. He raps and dances around Seoul, all in the company of pretty women and to a song with an
infectious beat.
In short, the performer, popularly known as PSY (short for Psycho), has done what K-Pop bands have failed
to do. While those groups have choreographed their way to success all over Asia, they have made less
headway in other parts of the world. Mr. Park, with his willingness to allow himself to be made fun of with a
buffoonish performance, is a global success.
What Mr. Park is singing about is Gangnam, a fashionable neighborhood in Seoul where the nouveau riche
shop at Chanel, drive fancy cars and send their children to well-known prep schools. He grew up there, and
although his dance moves are anything but what someone might expect of Gangnam’s sophisticates, the title
seems to both celebrate — and possibly mock — the lifestyle.
That plays especially well in South Korea, where the growing gap between rich and poor is serious enough to
have become an issue in the presidential campaign.
In any case, South Koreans have banded together to celebrate Mr. Park’s success, with media outlets
breathlessly reporting each new sighting. PSY on “Ellen.” PSY on “Saturday Night Live.” And now a PSY
parody in North Korea.
It does not seem to matter at all to many South Koreans that possibly their most famous cultural ambassador
is, well, less than refined. For them, he still represents a “soft power” moment, a way of selling their culture
to the world.
Jeffery DelViscio and Shreeya Sinha contributed reporting from New York.
What is the author
trying to tell you?
Why is the author
telling you that?
.
Is it said clearly?
How might the
author have
61

written it more
clearly?
What would you
have wanted to
say instead?
http://www.readingquest.org/strat/qta.html
ACTIVITY NO. 13: So What’s the Problem?
With all the reading selections given to you, have you noticed some problems
that Koreans have been facing as they cope with the challenges of modernity?
Use the Problem-Solution Chart in identifying and solving these problems?
Problem- Solution Chart
What Is The
Problem?
What Are The
Effects?
What Are The
Causes?
What Are Some
Solutions?
http://www.readingquest.org/strat/problem.html
In this section, the discussion was about the temperaments and psyche
of the Korean people in response to the challenges of modernity.
What new realizations do you have about the topic? What new connections have
you made for yourself?
Now that you have a deeper understanding of the topic, you are ready to do the
62

tasks in the next section.
TRANSFER:
Your goal in this section is apply your learning to real life situations.
You will be given a practical task which will demonstrate your
understanding.
ACTIVITY NO. 14: Listening to an Interview
This activity will prepare you to do your own interview. Choose an interview
buddy. The two of you should work together as a team. Interview a Korean who
is willing to share his or her own perspective about the Koreans as Asians in this
modern world.
You will be exposed to the different steps, helpful techniques and courteous
ways in the interview process. Remember that an interview is remarkably
helpful in getting the story of any important issue of a person’s life. The
interviewer can engage in a detailed pursuit for information. Interviews, in
general, are useful as a source of information and enlightenment. The
interviewer has the obligation to plan the details of the interview so that she or he
can save not just her or his time but the interviewee’s time as well. Most of the
time, open-ended questions are useful during interviews.
Here is a sample interview. Read it carefully as if you are viewing it live. If
you can try to view a real interview in http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=yd-at838m3A . This is an interview of a Korean lawyer. This also
presents tips in doing interviews. You may also refer to
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8wjyafrnXI . This is titled Heejun
Good Day New York Interview. You can analyze the elements that make up
reality and fantasy from a program viewed in watching this interview. In the
meantime, here is the sample interview.
http://www.google.com.ph/imgres?q=interview+cartoon+images
63
An Interview With a Korean-
American on Cultural
Differences
http://www.123helpme.com/preview.asp?id=40709
In this interview Ben Bagley asks Theresa Han
about the difference between Korean and
American culture. Theresa is a teenager who
recently moved to the United States so she has an
excellent perspective for understanding the
differences and similarities between these
countries.
[BAGLEY] This is Ben Bagley, and I'm going to
interview Theresa Han about Korea. Could you
introduce yourself?

In the table below, outline five of the most important tips before, during and
after the interview.
Tips in Doing an INTERVIEW
before during after
• _______________
_______________
• _______________
• _______________
_______________
• _______________
• _______________
_______________
• _______________
64
[HAN] My name is Theresa Han, I'm from South Korea, I'm 18 years old, and I'm a freshman in College.
[BAGLEY] How long have you lived in America?
[HAN] I think a little bit less than 3 years.
[BAGLEY] Where did you live in Korea?
[HAN] I lived in Pyoung Tek, It's right below Oosan, where the American Air force is located.
[BAGLEY] What were the people like where you lived?
[HAN] They're really busy. Fathers go to their work; Mothers if they have a job go to their work, and
students go to school, so they don't have enough time to communicate with each other, like time to
spend together, because mostly students come home like 10:00pm-11:00pm.
[BAGLEY] What did you do with your friends?
[HAN] We mostly go to each other's house, rent a movie or something, watch it, and do homework
usually, because we have a whole bunch of homework. On the weekends we would go downtown; it's
kind of like a shopping mall. It's a street. There are small restaurants, small cloths shops and all that
stuff. It was...
... middle of paper ...
... came home 7:00pm. But some students stay longer, like even 10:00pm if you are a senior and about
to go to college because there is kind of, like parents and teacher think their kids or students should go
to college. Like have to go to college. They’re gonna pressure them to study a lot, so when you?re a
senior you start to study a lot and you don’t sleep that much. Usually I think some people sleep 3 or 4
hours per day and just study. No free time.
[BAGLEY] And they stay at school and study?
[HAN] ?Till like 10:00pm but after school ends they come home and study like until 2:00am or 3:00am
[BAGLEY] Would it be ok if I publish this interview on the internet?
[HAN] Sure
[BAGLEY] Well, Thank you very much for your time.

_______________
• _______________
_______________
• _______________
_______________
• _______________
_______________
_______________
• _______________
_______________
• _______________
_______________
• _______________
_______________
_______________
• _______________
_______________
• _______________
_______________
• _______________
_______________
Before you start to design your interview questions, you should have a clear
idea of your problem or objective. This would help you have a clear focus on the
intent of each question.
Below is a table that would help you plan for the interview. Write you sample
question on the appropriate column.
Purpose of the Interview: ___________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Tips My Sample Question
1. Questions should be open –ended. Respondents
should be able to choose their own terms when
answering questions.
2. Questions should be as neutral as possible. Avoid
words that might influence answers, for example,
evocative or judgmental wording.
3. Questions should be worded clearly. Know any terms
particular to the program or the respondents’ culture.
Use locational skills to gather and synthesize
information about your interviewee.
4. Be careful when asking “why” questions. A “why”
question infers a cause-effect relationship that may not
truly exist. Such question may also cause respondents
to feel defensive that they have to justify their
responses, The question may inhibit their responses
to future questions.
Below is the Interview Rubric that will help you come up with the best
interview. This will be given in advance so that you will have an idea on how you
are going to perform the said interview.
Interview Rubric
Interviewee: _______________________ Interviewer: ______________________
Criteria Needs Improvement
(1)
Within
Expectations
(2)
Meets
Expectations
(3)
Beyond
Expectations
(4)
Score
Appearance  Overall
appearance is
 Appearance is
somewhat untidy
 Overall neat
appearance
 Overall
appearance is
65

untidy
 Choice in clothing is
inappropriate for any
job interview (torn
unclean, wrinkled)
 Poor grooming
 Choice in clothing
is inappropriate
(shirt not tucked,
tee-shirt, too
much jewelry,
etc.)
 Grooming attempt
is evident
is acceptable for
the type of
interview
 Well groomed (ex.
Shirt tucked in,
jewelry blends with
clothing, minimal
wrinkles)
very neat
is appropriate for
the interview
 Very well groomed
(hair, clothes
pressed, etc.)
 Overall appearance
is businesslike
Greeting  Unacceptable
behavior and
language
 Unfriendly and not
courteous
 Acceptable
behavior
language
 Attempts to be
courteous to his /
her interviewee
 Well mannered
in dealing with
the interviewee
 Courteous to the
intervieweer
 Very professional
behavior and
language
(handshake,
“hello”, “thank
you”, eye
contact, etc.)
 Friendly and
courteous to all
involved in
interview
Communicat
ion
 Presentation
shows lack of
interest
 Questioning is
unclear – very
difficult to
understand
message of what is
being said (ex.
mumbling)
 Facts about job not
included
 Volume is
inappropriate for
interview (ex. Spoke
too loudly, too softly)
 Showed some
interest
 Questioning is
unclear– lapses
in sentence
structure and
grammar
 Knowledge of
job is minimal
 Volume is
uneven (varied)
 Showed
interest
throughout the
interview
 Speaking
clearly
 Perfect in
sentence
structure and
grammar
 Knowledge and
facts are
included /
shared
 Volume is
appropriate
 Very attentive
 Speaking very
clearly
 Exceptionally
accurate use of
sentence
structure and
grammar
 Commitment &
enthusiasm for
job is very well
conveyed
 Volume conveys
business tone
Body
Language
 Fidgeted – ex.
constant
movement of
hands and feet
 Lack of eye contact
 Slouching all the
time
 Minimal
fidgeting (ex.
occasionally
shifting)
 Eye contact is
made
intermittently
 Occasionally
slouching
Uses hands and
body to express
 Eye contact
when speaking
 Correct Posture
 Highly animated
expression (not
just speak:
brings words,
sentences to life
 Eye contact
made all
throughout the
interview
 Sitting straight in
chair all
throughout the
inverview
Content  Very inappropriate
questions
 Did not ask relevant
questions
 Inaccurate
questions
 Questions were
not relevant or
related to the
objective of the
interview
 Questions are
acceptable and
accurate
 Questions are
appropriate.
 Thorough
questions
 Questions were
very well planned
and detailed
66

Total
Answer the following questions and share your answers to the big class.
1. What do you really understand now about doing an interview?
2. If your interviewee would really be a Korean, do you think it can
help you more in knowing the Koreans’ psyche and temperament?
In what way?
ACTIVITY NO. 15: Preparing to Conduct an Interview with a Korean
This time, you should already have a lot of information in conducting the
interview. You can still, however, follow the reminders in conducting the
interview. These reminders may serve as a checklist for you to be more
confident in the actual interview.
REMINDERS Are you ready?
yes no
1. If you are using a tape or video recorder, occasionally check if it
is really working.
2. Ask one question at a time.
3. Attempt to remain as neutral as possible.Do not show string
emotional reactions to their responses. An author suggests to act as if
“you’re heard it all before”.
4. Encourage responses with occasional nods, “uh huh”s, etc.
5. Be careful about showing facial expressions or reactions when
taking down notes. If you suddenly make a move while taking down
notes, it may appear as if you are surprised or very pleased about an
answer. Such reaction may influence answers to future questions.
6. Provide transitions between major topics. You may say. “We’ve
been talking about (a topic), and now I’d like to move on to (another
topic).
7. Do not lose control of the interview. Some respondents /
interviewee may stray to another topic. It may take them too long to
answer a question that time begins to run out, or they may even begin
asking the interviewer some questions.
If most of your answers are ‘yes’, you are now ready to conduct the interview.
Answer the following questions on your own.
1. How do you feel right now after doing the checklist?
2. Do you think you are ready to conduct an interview? Why or why not?
3. Would this interview help you know the psyche and temperament of the
Koreans?
67

Asian and African Literary Responses to Modern Challenges

Asian and African Literary Responses to Modern Challenges

Recomendados

Recomendados

Más contenido relacionado

La actualidad más candente

La actualidad más candente (20)

Destacado

Destacado (20)

Similar a Asian and African Literary Responses to Modern Challenges

Similar a Asian and African Literary Responses to Modern Challenges (20)

Más de Ignatius Joseph Estroga

Más de Ignatius Joseph Estroga (20)

Último

Último (20)

Asian and African Literary Responses to Modern Challenges