Session 1

Let’s Have a Talk!

1. How was your day? Tell us anything!
2. I heard more than 12 million people went to the ballpark in Korea last year and new season begins in 3 days. Are you planning on going to the stadium?
3. It feels like spring is coming. What music do you put in a “spring” playlist?
4. Many Korean tourists are heading over to Japan. Do you like going on a trip to Japan? Why?

The Best Places to See Cherry Blossoms in S. Korea
In South Korea, spring has a very colorful way of showing that it has arrived: cherry blossoms! Many people think of Japan when they think of cherry blossom season. And in fact, many of South Korea's cherry trees come from Yoshino trees imported from Japan during the early 20th century.

Known locally as beojkkoch ("bee-OH-kkot"), cherry blossoms have become an important part of South Korean spring. And if you'd like to go cherry blossom viewing in different parts of South Korea, Travel and Leisure says you should start in the south.

The island of Jeju usually gets the first of the country's cherry blossoms around mid-March. Go there to see Jeju's beautiful king cherry trees, believed to be native to the island. If you want to stay on the mainland, you can start in Busan, where the cherry blossoms usually arrive at the end of March. Not far from Busan is Jinhae, which has South Korea's largest and most popular cherry blossom festival.

Next, you can visit Hadong, which has a 4-kilometer Cherry Blossom Road full of cherry trees. It's said that couples who walk down this road together will get married and live happily for many years. In Seoul, the most popular place to look at cherry blossoms is by the Hangang River. Yeouido Park, which is on an island in the river, hosts a cherry blossom festival that usually takes place in the first or second week of April.

Travel and Leisure also says you should check the cherry blossom forecast to make sure your timing is correct. The blossoms usually only last for seven to 10 days after they bloom. And remember to be respectful ? they may be very pretty, but don't try to pick the flowers off the trees! Other people need to enjoy them too!


1. The flowers are blooming! Do you feel like checking out the cherry blossoms this weekend?
Where is your go-to place?
2. Have you ever seen cherry blossoms in Japan? What was it like?
3. What are the most beautiful natural sights you've seen?
4. What tips would you give to someone visiting Korea for the first time?








Session 2

Let’s Have a Talk!

1. How much do you normally spend on public transportation?
2. Which do you like to use, a laptop or a tablet? Why?
3. When dating, what’s more important: looks or personality?
How would you divide the percentage? (e.g., 100% looks, 0% personality)
4. Do you easily fall in love? (GEUMSAPPA)

Stock Market 101: A Beginner's Introduction
You may have seen the movies with people shouting at computer screens and into telephones as they work on the stock markets. But have you ever wondered what they are actually doing? It's okay to say "yes," and you're not alone! So let's start from the beginning.

What are stocks?
Stocks are small parts of a company that people can buy and sell. They're also often called "shares." Owning a stock means you own a piece of that company. If the company does well, then the value of your stock goes up and makes money, but if the company does badly, then your stock will lose value. Many people buy stocks to try to make money by selling them for a profit if the company does well, but it can be risky.

Not all companies have stocks that people can buy. First, the company has to "go public" and make its stocks available for anyone to buy. Companies may also be privately owned so their stocks cannot be bought or sold.

What is a stock exchange?
A stock exchange is a place where stocks are bought and sold. The people we've seen shouting in those movies work in the stock exchange. They are usually traders working for big banks or investment companies and they are trained to buy and sell stocks quickly to make money for their clients.

However, a lot of the buying and selling now takes place online, so the big stock exchanges in places like Wall Street in New York, or in Shanghai, Tokyo or London are often not quite like ones in the movies.

How do you buy stocks?
People called brokers buy stocks for their clients. And this can also be done online now using apps and online brokers, making it very easy to do ? but still just as risky!


1. It seems like almost all Koreans are into stocks these days and trying to make a quick buck.
What about you? Do you own any stocks?
2. Who do you want to ask for some tips before you buy some stocks?
3. Tell us what you think of high-risk, high-reward investment.
4. Have you seen any good movies about the stock market?