[KS] Finally, a proper Korean learners' dictionary

Fri Mar 24 02:19:47 EST 2006

Thank you Stefan for making us aware of this dictionary. 

  Am I the only one who finds its title--and the title of certain textbooks--a bit odd? That is "Oeguginu^l Wihan Han'gugo^ Haksu^p Sajo^n_ ("Korean Study Dictionary 
for Foreigners"? 

  This is a very different conception than, say, "Korean as a Foreign/Second Language"--the latter having nothing to do with nationality/ethnicity. The simple and ironic fact is that the majority of learners of KFL/KSL are ethnically Korean, and, as such, often not considered "foreigners" by those very people who produce such dictionaries/textbooks.

  John Frankl 

Stefan Ewing <sa_ewing at hotmail.com> wrote:
  Dear KS list members:

First of all, thanks to Mark Peterson, David Mason, Adam Bohnet, Gari 
Ledyard, et al. for the fascinating thread on enduring Ming loyalties. As 
Hildi Kang commented, this is entirely new to many of us, but no less 
interesting!

Anyhow, on a brief stint in Korea, I popped into the Jongno store of Kyobo 
Mungo and found, finally, that someone (or rather, several people) had 
published a proper dictionary for learners of Korean.

This is not a proper book review and may only be of interest to those on 
this list who are directly involved in Korean language education (or 
librarianship?)--and for all I know, such individuals may have already 
received a press release concerning the book--but here goes.

The _Oeguginu^l Wihan Han'gugo^ Haksu^p Sajo^n_ ("Korean Study Dictionary 
for Foreigners"; ISBN 8995501715; 35,000 Won) was just published in January 
2006. Its authors include (please forgive me for not knowing how they 
prefer to romanize their names) So^ Sanggyu, Paek Pongja, Kang Hyo^nhwa, Kim 
Hongbo^p, Nam Kir-im, Yu Hyo^n-gyo^ng, Cho^ng Hu^ijo^ng, and Han Songhwa, 
edited and reviewed by Hong Chaeso^ng and Pak Chinho, with participation 
from the Kungnip Kugo^wo^n (NAKL) and Han'guk Segyehwa Chaedan. The 
publisher is S(h?)inwon Prime (Sinwo^n Pu^raim).

At 888 pages on A5 (14.8 x 21.0 cm; approx. 6 x 8 ins), the book is nothing 
if not hefty. Only more essential or commonly used words are included for 
entries, and the entries are lengthy and informative--written using only 
words included in the dictionary--with far more collocational and 
grammatical information than a Kugo^ Sajo^n would see fit to include. The 
book features several appendices, including an overview of grammar, 
irregular verb conjugations, and a condensed list of approx. 3,000 key 
words. The dictionary's selection criteria are based at least in part on 
the NAKL's _Han'gugo^ Haksu^byong O^hwi Mongnok_, published a few years 
back.

In the end, I didn't buy the book. Even though I'd been hoping in vain for 
many years for just such a book to come out, the dictionary omits many less 
commonly used or less essential words that a learner may nevertheless 
occasionally encounter. And thanks to two-colour printing (red and black), 
the ink gives me a headache! On top of which, I was really searching at the 
time for a *pocket* _Kugo^ Sajo^n_, and I would have needed a kangaroo's 
pocket to fit that dictionary in.

Nevertheless, I would strongly recommend that those on the list who are 
involved in Korean language education at least take a look at the book, as 
the dictionary is excellent in its own right and for its express purpose, 
and I'm quite sure I'm not the only person who's been waiting for just such 
a book for a very, very long time.

A (very long) link to Kyobo's page on the book follows my signature....

Yours sincerely,
Stefan Ewing

Link (if it doesn't work, go to http://www.kyobobook.co.kr and search for 
"han'gugo^haksu^psajo^n" under "Kungnae Toso^"):
http://www.kyobobook.co.kr/category/bookdetail/BookDetailView.jsp?CLICK=FRE&NEWCLICK=HA1&BKIND=KOR&CATE=&BARCODE=9788995501719&FLAG=0&PRE_QUERY=%28%5B1.0%5Dbook_nm%3D%C7%D1%B1%B9%BE%EE%C7%D0%BD%C0%BB%E7%C0%FC%29%3Cor%3E%28%C7%D1%B1%B9%BE%EE%C7%D0%BD%C0%BB%E7%C0%FC%29%3Cin%3E%28book_nm%2Cauthor%2Csubject%2Ctranslator%29&QUERY_TEXT=&PRE_QUERY_TEXT=%C7%D1%B1%B9%BE%EE%C7%D0%BD%C0%BB%E7%C0%FC&REQUERY_CHECK=&CLASS_CODE_CHECK=&PAGENUM=START&PAGE_CLICK=&INITIAL=&INITIAL_CLICK=&INITIAL_QUERY=&TOTAL_CHECK=&BEST_CHECK=&TOP_CHECK=&TOP_FIELD=total&ADD_FIELD=total&QUERY=&inputParam=f%7C%7C05%7C%7C%C7%D1%B1%B9%BE%EE%C7%D0%BD%C0%BB%E7%C0%FC&logName=kor_click.log&targetUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kyobobook.co.kr%2Fcategory%2Fbookdetail%2FBookDetailView.jsp&firstQuery=%C7%D1%B1%B9%BE%EE%C7%D0%BD%C0%BB%E7%C0%FC&secondQuery=&EJK=KOR&CLASS_CODE=ROOT&SORT_FIELD=sale_qty&MAX_DOC=1000&DOC_PAGE=10&FIELD=book_nm&REQUERY
=&INPUT_GB=1&INPUT_GB=1&INPUT_GB=1

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