Post Learning Journal #4: Reflect on the presentations of your classmates.
My presentation group included Magic (Tana) and Nora (Ellie). In Nora’s presentation, I learned more about loans words in Korean, such as “ko-pi” which comes from the English word “coffee.” These loan words from English made me think about words shared between Japanese and Korea, such as “kaban” for “bag” or “yakusoku” for “promise.” This presentation has re-sparked my interest in the commonalities between Korean and Japanese and has given me a new tactic for learning vocabulary for Korean. I also thought it was cool how she connected what she’s learned about Korean to her studies of other European languages. That sort of thinking highlights the strong connections that can be found between languages regardless of region or people. So, kudos for you, Nora.
Magic’s presentation gave me some insight into military service in Israel. She said that every citizen is expected to serve at some point in their lives, and that most go through military training. Some people take alternative routes, like going to school for a degree first and then serving as a staffer afterwards, but for a longer period of time than those who go through the normal program. We compared that to the required service for men in Korea, which I think is less demanding than service requirements in Israel. It was interesting to compare two systems of mandatory service and think about how this service has affected and ingrained itself in to these cultures, especially since we have no such requirement in America.
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