East Asian Language Learning meetup report (1130)

Hi! How was your Thanksgiving holiday? Here is the summary of our regular practice on 11/30.

[Chinese team]
Topic: Chinese students in America

We discussed some issues on Chinese students in America based on this article :http://fangbolin.blog.caixin.cn/archives/26251. We disagreed with most of the author’s opinions that led to a very active discussion.

[Selected vocabulary]

固然(gùrán) no doubt; it is true. 承认某个事实，引出下文转折，如：A固然好，B也很好。
不亚于(búyàyú) not second to
障碍(zhàngài) barrier, obstacle
死记硬背(sǐjìyìngbèi) cram up; memorize mechanically
批判性思维(pīpànxìngsīwéi) critical thinking
不屑于(búxièyú) disdain to do sth. 近义词：不值得，成语：不屑于顾（不值得一看）
开明(kāimíng) enlightened 指思想开通，不守旧。
造就(zàojiù) bring up 培养并使其有成就，如：造就人才。
做文章(zuòwénzhāng) to make an issue of 如：他想在这件事上做文章。
煽动(shāndòng) instigate

[Japanese team]
Topic: Polite expressions, mangas and brains

This week we further learned more polite ways of saying verbs and existence, using a conversation between a room clerk and a guest at a Ryokan. We then read an article about mangas and their influence toward brain, citing a famous Japanese neuroscientist Ryuta Kawashima.

[Selected vocabulary and expressions]
客室（きゃくしつ） guest room
客室係（きゃくしつがかり）room clerk (of a Ryokan)
非常口（ひじょうぐち）emergency exit
浴衣（ゆかた）Japanese bathrobe (cotton kimono)
館内（かんない）inside (of a building)
敷く（しく）lay (a paper, futon etc.)
いたします a more polite way of saying する (e.g., お茶をお入れいたします)
ございます a more polite way of saying ある (e.g., お風呂は１階にございます)
小言（こごと）nagging word
第一人者（だいいちにんしゃ）top expert in a field
前世（ぜんせ）previous life (<-> 来世（らいせ）next life）

[Korean team]
Topic: Korean neologism and proverbs

This week, we had reading and shadowing practice with a Korean drama script (연애결혼: Marriage for love, KBS2, 2008). Through it, we learned some neologisms which are popular among young people- For example-된장녀(Soybean paste girl). Here is one blog which explains about this new syndrome: http://psycho5728.wordpress.com/category/korean/page/2/
And we also learned famous Korean proverbs and practiced writing them. http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Korean_proverbs

[Selected vocabulary]
버티다: endure
과: major
끈적한: sticky
신조어: neologism, new words
뭐니 뭐니 해도: no matter what, after all, when all is said and done
허접하다,후지다: sloppy, lousy
구원하다: save, rescue
아우성: shout, outcry (아우성을 치다: make a outcry)
중매쟁이: matchmaker, marriage broker
모조리: all
혼내다: scold
~ 노릇을 하다: play a role as ~(부모 노릇을 하다:act as parents)
졸부: nouveau riche, upstart
품위: dignity
눈을 버리다: ruin one's eyes
분위기를 띄우다: brighten up the mood
속물: snob, materialistic person

Feel free to join us : http://www.meetup.com/East-Asian-Language-Learning-through-Interpretation-Methods/events/42919232/