This podcast covers English grammar and vocabulary topics that you don't normally see in textbooks.  Stop "just memorizing" and start to see the big picture!

Difficult English Explained

🧭 Life in Korea through the Eyes of Foreign Residents: An Interactive Exploration

📊 1. Overview
80.3% of long-term foreign residents in Korea report overall satisfaction with their life here.
 However, 19.7% say they have experienced discrimination in everyday situations like restaurants, banks, and shops.
 Korea's convenience and safety are major strengths, but language barriers and cultural challenges still exist.

🔍 2. Deep Dive: Pros vs. Cons
This section allows users to filter and compare Korea’s strengths and weaknesses across key themes.
Top Pros:
Excellent public transportation and infrastructure

Advanced digital services and delivery culture

High level of public safety


Affordable daily living compared to some home countries

High-quality healthcare system

Top Cons:
Language barriers and complex administrative systems

Intense work culture and lack of work-life balance

High housing costs, especially in Seoul

Lack of personal space in public areas

Cultural misunderstandings and subtle social exclusion

🧭 Users can explore by theme: Daily Life, Work & Culture, Social Connections

✅ Final Takeaway
Korea offers a highly livable environment for many foreigners—especially thanks to its safety, infrastructure, and modern conveniences.
 However, language and cultural gaps, along with social isolation or subtle bias, still affect the daily lives of many.
This interactive project goes beyond data—bringing in real voices, real choices, and real-life insight.





Reading Korea.

K-Life Long Term Foreign Resident Pros and Cons

Hello, and welcome to the Beyond the Textbook Korean podcast! 🌟
In today’s episode, we explore so-called “sleeping expressions” that appear in textbooks but sound awkward in real-life conversations.

For example, phrases like “Bikisehyo (비키세요)” and “Cheonmaneyo (천만에요)” are grammatically correct but often avoided in daily speech. Why?
Because of Korea’s cultural preference for indirect speech and humility.

📌 Bikisehyo → Jamkkanmanyo / Excuse me

📌 Cheonmaneyo → Aniehyo / It’s okay / No problem

Still, there are exceptions. In emergencies or professional contexts, direct expressions like “Bikisehyo” may be necessary for clarity and safety.

👉 Remember: Language is not just grammar—it’s culture.
By practicing expressions that reflect the Korean mindset, you’ll sound more natural and take your Korean to the next level.

See you in the next episode! Hwaiting! You got this! 💪

Textbook Korean vs Real Life: Why “Bikisehyo:비키세요” Sounds Awkward

Hello everyone!
Welcome to TOPIK Writing: Mastering Question 51,
a podcast designed for learners aiming for high scores on the TOPIK II writing section.
I’m your study partner, Summer. 😊

Today, we’ll focus on the practical writing task, question 51,
and go over real test examples and strategies for high scores.
Let’s get started!

🧾 Part 1
Question 51 tests your ability to write short, practical sentences used in daily life.
The key is to write naturally and accurately according to the situation.

Examples include invitations to friends, announcements to colleagues,
or messages via email or text.
The tone and style change depending on the audience and purpose.

Let’s look at a past test example:

수미 씨,
지난번에 빌려간 책,
다 읽었으면 (ㄱ)반납해 주세요.
다른 사람이 기다릴 수 있습니다.
시간을 정해서 (ㄴ) 주시면 좋습니다.
연락 주세요.

In this task, you need to fill in blanks ㉠ and ㉡ with one sentence each.

Short, clear, and appropriate for the context.

📚 Part 2
From past exams, the types are usually:
Invitations → to a friend
Giving reasons → to a company
Making requests → to a friend
Announcements → to a company or school
If you remember these patterns, you can respond more quickly in the exam.

🎯 Part 3
Here are four strategies for a high score:
Skim quickly and find the purpose.
Adjust formality depending on the audience.
Write exactly one sentence per blank.
Review and correct mistakes at the end.

⚠️ Part 4
Don’t copy the text directly; rephrase it.
Pay attention to punctuation like periods and question marks.
If there are two blanks, write one complete sentence for each.



Today we learned about TOPIK II writing question 51,
analyzed a past example, and explored strategies for success.

Remember, the test is a skill.
With patterns and practice, high scores are within your reach!

In the next episode, we’ll solve practice problems together.
Keep up the great work in Korean learning!
I’m Summer, and I’ll see you next time. 👋

Mastering TOPIK II Writing 51 | High-Score Strategy

[conversation 1]


A : 리디아 씨, 오늘 학교에 가요?
B : 아니요, 안 가요.
A : 그럼 뭐 해요?
B :  운동해요. 그리고 영화를 봐요.


[converstaion 1]


A : Lydia, are you going to school?
B : No, I am not.
A : Then what are you doing?
B : Exercising. And watching a movie.

[conversation 2]


A : 미호 씨, 주스를 좋아해요?
B : 아니요, 안 좋아해요.
A : 커피를 좋아해요?
B : 네, 좋아해요. 커피가 맛있어요.

[conversation 2]


A : Miho, do you like juice?
B : No, I don't.
A : Do you like coffee?
B : Yes, coffee is tasty.


[Vocabulary]

운동하다 exercise 청소하다 clean 먹다 eat 배우다 learn 공부하다 study 만나다 meet
좋아하다 to be like 마시다 drink 입다 wear 가르치다 teach 사다 buy 빨래하다 laundry
맛있다 tasty 재미있다 interesting 안 NOT 그리고 and 아주  very

[Grammar points]

안 A/V
the negatin adverb '안' comes before a verb or an adjective and marks negation.


Daily Life

[conversation]

A : 진아 씨, 이분은 누구세요?
B : 우리 아버지세요.
A : 아버지는 무슨 일을 하세요?
B : 은행에서 일하세요.
A : 이 사람은 누구예요?
B : 제 동생이에요.
A : 동생은 뭘 해요?
B : 학생이에요.

A : Jina, who is this?
B : My father.
A : What does he do for a living?
B : He works at a bank.
A : Who is this?
B : My younger brother.
A : What does he do?
B : He is a student.


[vocabulary]

할아버지 grandfather 할머니 grandmother 아버지 father 어머니 mother
형 elder brother (from a male perspective) 누나 elder sister (from a male perspective)
오빠 elder brother (from a female perspective) 언니 elder sister (from a female perspective)
남동생  younger brother 여동생 younger sister 동생 younger brother or sister
가족 family
이분 this person (honorific) 저분 that person (honorific)

[grammar]

N의 N
When expressing possessive case, '의' is added to posessor, N.
Also note that '의' is often omitted.

N(이)세요
-(이)세요 is a combination of -이에요/예요 and -(으)시-, which shows respect towards the subject.
nouns ending with a vowel + -세요
nouns ending with a consonant + -이세요

무슨 N
무슨 is used when asking someone to choose and answer from a pool of options.

