A Korean Language Reader (9780804858878)

Learn about contemporary Korea while improving your language skills!

A Korean Language Reader contains 20 fascinating essays about contemporary Korean society in parallel Korean and English versions on facing pages. Vocabulary lists, grammar notes, comprehension questions and discussion points make this a great book for classroom use or self-study, and the wide range of fascinating topics make it equally appealing for general readers.

The stories are graded from beginner to intermediate level and written by two experts in Korean culture and language learning, Gigi Choi and Alex Runchman. Topics covered include:

• The Hallyu Wave: A brief history of K-Pop and how it became a worldwide phenomenon
• "Nunchi" and Other Cultural Differences: The authors share insights from their cross-cultural marriage, including the uniquely Korean concept of nunchi: the art of reading what others are thinking
• Korean Words in the English Dictionary: Mukbang, Dalgona, Maknae—if you don't know these yet, you need to; the global boom in Korean popular culture has made them English-language staples
• Coming to You: A review of a Korean documentary about a support group for parents whose children identify as LGBTQ+
• Crash Landing on You: An exploration of how this popular K-Drama challenges outdated stereotypes of North Koreans

With photographs and free online audio recordings, this volume provides unique insights into modern Korean life for students and anyone interested in Korean culture!


About the Author:
Husband-and-wife team Gigi Choi and Alex Runchman are language-teaching academics. Choi is a native-Korean speaker, born in Korea, and currently works as a teaching associate in Korean at Sheffield University in the UK. Runchman works as lecturer and assistant professor in English for Academic Purposes at the Centre for English and Global Languages, University College Dublin, Ireland. This is their first book.