English Lessons

Are Koreans more superstitious than people in other countries? Perhaps. Is there a culture that doesn’t have any superstitions? That’s quite unlikely. We all have our old wives’ tales. In the West, many children don’t look under their bed, and can’t go to sleep if their bedroom door is closed, claiming that a ghost or monster might be lurking.

It is true that not everyone in the West is superstitious, but a lot of people do have their share of supernatural beliefs. Many people would feel a little uncomfortable if they broke a mirror or spilled salt and then forgot to throw some over their left shoulder to protect themselves from bad spirits.

Many Westerners do believe in UFOs. There are many claims of sightings, and people can’t seem to get enough information and material on this subject.

There are several conspiracy theories about government cover-ups and alien abductions.
Koreans generally give more credence to what a fortune-teller might tell them than Westerners do. The practice of visiting a fortune-teller before making a major decision, such as opening business or marriage, is very common in Korea. People in the West do visit fortune- tellers but for the most part, the predictions are not taken seriously. Most of the time, psychics are consulted as a form of entertainment or just out of curiosity.

DISCUSSION:

1. Are Koreans generally superstitious than Westerners?
2. Do you have any lucky charms or items you carry with you on special occasion? Do you have a lucky hat/shirt/pencil for exams?
3. Do you know anyone who visits psychic regulary?
4. Have you ever visited a fortune-teller to hear your “sa-joo”? Do you believe in “sa-joo”?
5. Will or did your mother visit a fortune-teller to hear your “goong-hap”?
6. What happens to people after death? Are they reincarnated? Do they go to Heaven? Hell?
7. Do you think there are some truths behind superstitions? Would you write someone’s name in red?
8. What superstitions did you have as a child? What about now? Were you afraid of the dark when you were young? If so, what did you do?
9. If someone you trust told you they’d seen a ghost, would you believe them? Why or why not?
10. Do you believe in miracles? Do you know of any miracles?
11. How many Korean and Western superstitions do you know of? Name some.
12. Have you or anyone you know ever seen a UFO? If not, how would you respond if someone told you they’d seen one? If you had no proof, would you tell someone you’d seen a UFO?
13. Is it possible that UFO exist? Where might they come from?
14. Do you think that aliens might be smarter than us? Do you think they would be friendly or hostile? What do you think they might look like? Describe one.
15. Can you remember your dreams? Do you often have dreams? How about recurring dreams? How about nightmares?
16. What was your “tae-mong”? What do people say it means?
17. Do dreams come true? Do they predict the future? What experiences have you or anyone you know had with this phenomena?
18. Do you believe that houses can be haunted? Have you or anyone you know ever been in a haunted house?
19. Do you believe that there are people, like the “moo-dang”, who have special abilities to communicate with the spirit-world and see the future and the past?
20. Why are some people afraid to admit that they’re superstitious? Are they afraid that others will think that they are weak or foolish?

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