This is another screen English class that I thought was fun to do for students. Josh has different groups of English people trying a famous drink in Korea for the first time. One of the people is a Catholic priest! While I don’t condone drinking to excess or underage drinking as the disclaimers on the video also do, this is a fun video. If you are teaching in Korea or if you are a student in Korea then you should enjoy this video and the questions that I have made to go along with it.
If you are teaching in Korea I can guarantee your students will find this video entertaining, but even if you are teaching in another country you might find that your students will relish this opportunity to learn about another culture. This can also lead to discussions about different cultures and the types of alcohol and customs associated with it.
Koreans are very big on customs and culture and that you follow certain protocols when you drink. It is seen as a way to get to know one another and also a way to show that you know and respect their culture. If you do not drink you may find yourself facing people who get upset but just explain that either for religious or personal reasons you cannot have any alcohol. It is almost even more fun to watch everyone around you get plastered while you are perfectly sober.
I have included a link to the video here. The picture below is also linked. I have to see if I can find one without subtitles. I looked but all of the ones I found had subtitles. One way to overcome this is to set up the video so the bottom half is cut off or covered in some way. The questions I made up follow the linked picture.
English People try Korean Soju and Beer
- What are some of the reactions to Korean beer?
________________________________________________________________________________________________ - Why does the priest think people drink soju?
________________________________________________________________________________________________ - Is straight soju for everyone?
________________________________________________________________________________________________ - What do you do if you can’t handle straight soju?
________________________________________________________________________________________________ - Why are English people surprised by Korea’s way of softening soju?
________________________________________________________________________________________________ - What should be illegal in England (according to the one guy)?
________________________________________________________________________________________________ - What is the overall thought about “Somek?”
________________________________________________________________________________________________ - What kinds of things do you think British people would find strange about Korea?
________________________________________________________________________________________________ - Are there things you find strange about other countries? What are they?
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Add Your Own Questions
The questions I made up are quite basic but you can always add your own. You can also notice that many of the people in the video mentioned some of the different kinds of customs that they have in Korea as the priest does when he says that Josh should be using two hands when he pours the beer.
Here are some other ideas I had after watching this that might be good for continuing the conversation if you are teaching different cultures.
- What are some customs you have about alcohol in your country?
- What alcohol is your country famous for?
- Do you like to drink?
- What are some problems caused by alcohol?
- What do you think the legal drinking age should be?
Make Sure you Know the Local Customs Regarding Alcohol
Just as warning that this video may not be for every class. If you are teaching in a majority Muslim country, then this is definitely a no-no, as well some Christians are also offended by the use of alcohol. Know your students and try this only after you are more familiar.
I remember that we went out one night for a drink as a class and one student told me she couldn’t come. When I asked why she stated that she was a Christian. I countered with, “You can just drink a coke.” I saw the light bulb go off over her head as she exclaimed, “Oh!” Long story short, we all went out and had a great time bonding as a class.
Eat, Drink, and Be Merry
On second thought, don’t be Mary. Be yourself and your students will love you for it! I hope the fun nature of this video is as infectious as it was when I played it for my class. They really enjoyed it and everybody had a great time. If you like this mention it in the comments below and I’ll be on the lookout for more great videos and activities like this in the future.
Until the next class have fun and always be learning while you teach. Your students will provide you with some of the greatest gifts in knowledge, experience, and wisdom.
Jim
