Korea Herald 20090218

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COMMUNITY

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 18, 2009

Teaching Korean to Aussies

Expat Living is a section dedicated to the daily living of expatriates. It is printed on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. To share stories about your life abroad, send stories or story ideas to Matthew Lamers at [email protected] Submissions may be edited for length or clarity.

By Jessica Carter

PHOTO CHALLENGE WINNER — On a winter day, the sun shines through a wooden structure at Nagan Folk Village, Jeollanam-do. Photo by Simon Bond/www.369photography.co.uk

In Focus: Finding right image file The Photo Challenge is sponsored by Hyosung Camera (English: 010-7203-9599) and Babo Shirts (www.baboshirts. com). Winners of the weekly competition receive a 50,000 won store credit at Hyosung Camera and a Babo Shirt. To take part in the competition, simply upload your photo at www.flickr.com/groups/seoulp hotoclub — Ed. If you have a digital camera, you are no doubt familiar with at least one of these types of image file. Maybe you have wondered what the difference is and what the advantages of shooting in one format over the other are. Well, there are advantages to both, and likewise, both have drawbacks. Let’s try to answer a couple of questions and hopefully you can decide what’s right for you.

IN FOCUS JPEG vs. RAW By Aaron Raisey

Q: JPG and RAW, what are they? A: JPG files are the de facto file format for images on the Web. Almost all the images you see on the Web and that people e-mail to each other are JPG files. They are the finished product — ready to share with family and friends and to upload to your website. RAW files are just that — raw. They are the image as the camera initially sees it. The file needs to be processed further by software to be shared, printed or uploaded to the internet. All cameras can do this processing in-camera, preparing the JPG image for use. Some cameras give you the option of

doing it yourself at home on the computer. Q: Does my camera save my pictures as RAW files, or JPG files? A: Mid to low range pointand-shoot cameras only shoot JPG. If you have a top of the line point-and-shoot or a DSLR, you will likely be able to choose either, or even both, simultaneously. Q: So, what are the pros and cons of RAW? A: The big advantages of RAW are that it gives you another chance and more options. If, for example, you didn’t get the exposure quite right, you want some more contrast or if the white balance is off, you can adjust these (and many more) aspects of the image accurately and safely. The original file is never altered. The major disadvantages of RAW are that they need special software and time. The appro-

priate software should be supplied when you purchase the camera, but you need to invest time in learning how to use it and time in front of the computer after every shoot to produce those JPG images to share. RAW files are also big. If you are shooting a lot, or shooting action, memory cards fill up very quickly. At about 3-4 times the size of a comparable JPG image, storage can become an issue. Q: What about JPG? Why would I shoot JPG? A: JPG is easy. Just shoot and share. You don’t need specialized software to see the files and if you want to adjust your image, there are many image editing programs that are free and easy to use. However, JPG doesn’t give you the flexibility of adjustment that RAW does. Changing, for example, the exposure or white balance on a JPG file is more difficult and often produces results that aren’t

satisfactory. Q: My camera shoots both, but which kind of image is best for me? A: That depends. If you are confident that you can get the image right the first time, or you can’t be bothered with learning new software and twiddling with images on your computer, then JPG might be best for you. Shoot RAW if you like the options it gives you in terms of the wide range of adjustments that can be successfully applied to your image and if you enjoy the time it takes. Don’t forget though, good photographers produce good images irrespective of which type of file they choose to work with. The importance of file format takes a back seat to actually getting out there, shooting more, applying a critical eye to your results and getting out there again. ([email protected])

Learning English isn’t always easy for Koreans. But learning Korean is not always easy for English speakers either. Jennifer Lewis has taught Korean at Temora High School in rural New South Wales, Australia, for the past 10 years. Although she admits that teaching another language may be difficult at times, Lewis loves her job and her students love their Korean classes. “Students believe it is a hard language to learn but I’m quick to point out how difficult the English language is in comparison,” she said. “The kids love it, and I love it.” Lewis traveled to Korea in January with 16 other teachers as part of the Endeavour Language Teacher Fellowship, a program sponsored by the Australian government to encourage Korean language teachers to visit Korea and practice their language skills. The program was offered for the first time this year, reflecting how important Korean is becoming for many Australians. Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has committed $62.4 million over the next three years for the National Asian Languages and Studies in School Program. The program aims to have 12 percent of graduates fluent in Korean, Mandarin, Japanese or Indonesian by 2020. Suzanne Lofts, who also traveled to Korea on the Endeavour Language Teacher Fellowship program, teaches Korean at Wollumbin High School in Murwillumbah, a small community in New South Wales where language classes are compulsory for all students in grade seven. Lofts said that it is important for her students to learn Korean because it builds on the strong relationship that already exists between the two countries. “Korea is a valuable trade partner for Australia and we have a large Korean population as well,” she says. According to the 2006 Australian census, 60,873 residents of Australia identify themselves as being of Korean ancestry. Korean language classes are not only offered in high schools, but also to help those with Korean ancestry maintain their cultural identity. Su Hill, who was the Group Leader on the Endeavour Language Teacher Fellowship trip to Korea, teaches Korean in Sydney. “I teach Korean as a community language program for speakers with a background in Korean. I have been teaching an average of 30 Korean stu-

dents per year for almost ten years now.” Hill said that community language programs such as hers do not offer language classes to speakers without a background in Korean. Australian students with an English language background must take the subject in high school and have the option of continuing it until their final year of school. Lofts said that the number of students at her school choosing to take Korean classes, once they finish taking it as a compulsory subject in grade seven, is growing. “I currently teach about 150 students and the number of students taking Korean classes in the higher years is gradually increasing.” According to the Australian Embassy in Seoul, Korea is Australia’s third largest merchandise export market, making trade a crucial element between the two countries. But the reasons these teachers and their students want to keep learning Korean is about more than just politics and economics. Elizabeth Florence is training to become a Korean language teacher at the University of Queensland, and said that the Endeavour Language Teacher Fellowship trip gave her the chance to embrace Korean culture. “My favorite moment in Korea was my homestay experience,” she says. “I loved being welcomed by a warm family and having the chance to be involved in day-to-day Korean culture.” Hill agreed that it is the people and Korean way of life that matters. “The people here are very friendly and they have a rich culture,” said Hill. “Korea is a rapidly changing country that isn’t scared to change. Even the language is changing.” With more students interested in learning Korean and the Australian government keen to provide more funding for Korean classes, teachers like Lewis, Lofts, Hill and Florence play a crucial role in communicating the changes Korea is undergoing. Lewis said that the Endeavour Language Teacher Fellowship helped her understand more about the culture behind the language she teaches. “Korea 10 years ago is even different from Korea today. If I want to continue teaching Korean language and culture to the students then programs like this are incredibly beneficial.” “I can’t wait to get back in the classroom.” To comment on this article, email [email protected] — Ed.

PHOTO CHALLENGE SECOND PLACE — Kimchi pots seen at Suwon Folk Village, Gyeonggi-do. Nathan Woodward

Free tickets for COEX travel exposition By Jung So-ya

The Seoul Global Center invites both expats and Koreans to the 2009 edition of the Korea Travel Expo. Feb. 19 is the opening day of the event at the Atlantic Hall at COEX (Line 2, Samsung Station, exit 5 or 6) from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The four-day annual event attracted close to 100,000 visitors in 2008, and this year the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, its organizing body, is

expecting an even larger turnout. The number of booths in this year’s event has increased by 17 percent to a total of 491, with 160 regional governments participating. Although the main focus of the event is travel information, the Korea Travel Expo also offers entertainment, shopping and events with prizes. The travel expo is a good place to go to learn what each region of the country has to of-

fer in terms of tourist attractions, food, natural beauty and other regional products to plan day trips or short holidays within Korea. It is also a great place to take the whole family, as there will be many opportunities to experience Korean culture with interactive exhibits and hands-on activities for children and adults. The kids might be interested in making insects out of wood, making beaded bracelets, mak-

ing pressed flower key chains, or trying on the clothes of old Confucian scholars. There will also be booths available for learning how to weave straw shoes, making natural soap using wine, making red pepper paste, and catching your own clams in the recreated mud flats. For those of you who are fans of the global talk show “Chatting with Beauties,” it will even be possible to pose for photos with a poster of New

Zealander Baillie Catherine Dewar, representing Daegu. Drop by the Travel Information desk at the Seoul Global Center to pick up your free tickets (otherwise the admission is 2,000 won per person). The SGC is located on the 3rd floor of the Press Center near exit 4 of City Hall Station (subway line 2). Feel free to call the SGC at 1688-0120 for more information. ([email protected])

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