By Yena Hong |Staff Writer| Communication is one of the biggest problems that many Korean students currently face here at CSUSB. Through verbal and nonverbal communication, Korean students find it difficult to adjust to the American culture, and may experience culture shock. One Korean student, Sohyeon Hong, says that the biggest part of culture shock is verbal communication. She explained that she gets confused with slang language in American culture. "One of my group members said 'I am down' in the class discussion," said Hong. "I've never heard this expression before, so I guessed she didn't agree with my opinion [...] Because 'down' sounds negative for me, but it means … [Read more...] about Communication differences
Korean students
The root of South Korean social tendencies
By Yerin Kim |Staff Writer| Seven in the morning, I arrive at school, saving two seats at the library for my friend Luna and myself—just in case. After night class, I have dinner with Luna in the cafeteria, and head back to the library, as always. At 2 a.m, we are still in the library, studying. Once I start to nod off, Luna pokes my belly, waking me up. “Hey, cheer up!” she says, giving me a lemon candy, bursting with Vitamin-C. This is my daily life in Korea, which is an example of our social tendency: collectivism and dedication to education. Korean society values group harmony and consensus; we prioritize group interests rather than individual interests by spending time … [Read more...] about The root of South Korean social tendencies