SIZZ Tutor Interview

Q. Hi SIZZ! Thank you for taking the time to do this interview. May we ask you to briefly introduce yourself?: A. Hi everyone! I'm Sizz. I'm currently working as a Korean tutor on Cafetalk. I majored in Japanese and Chinese when I was in college. Right after graduation, I studied for a Master's degree in 'Peace Studies'. I love studying languages, so I'm trying my best to prepare quality lessons every day.
Q. Please tell us more about your hometown and the area where you currently reside.: A. I have been living in Gyeonggi-do ever since I was born. The city I live in is near the Incheon area, which you might be familiar with. It's not crowded as the city of Seoul. It is quiet and has fresh air. You can find some good restaurants.
Q. What motivates you to pursue your career as a tutor?: A. Learning foreign languages has been intriguing to me ever since I was young. In high school, among school subjects, my English grades were the best. I studied Japanese and Chinese when I was in college, but I couldn't afford to study abroad. What I needed was a native teacher who could speak Korean. I'm sure many students want to study abroad in Korea to learn the language but cannot afford it. I will be your tutor.
Q. What motivates you to pursue your career as a tutor?: A. Two things motivate me to keep working as a Korean language tutor here in Cafetalk. One is that I can become a native teacher who can speak students' mother tongues like I needed when I studied a foreign language. Students sometimes tell me they can enjoy studying Korean throughout my lessons. They said Korean was difficult to learn, but they actually enjoy learning it now. That is my other motivation to keep working as a tutor.
Q. A lot of students are probably curious about the atmosphere in your lessons. What can a student imagine a lesson with you to be like? What’s your teaching style?: A. I focus on balancing grammar and practical conversation. I think studying both grammar and being able to speak makes you level up your language skill set. That is the method I have been using to teach myself and my students. This method turned out to be very effective. If you overly focus on learning grammar, there is a risk of directing your studies toward the language itself. If you only pursue practical usage, you may not be able to build a comprehensive understanding of the language structure and a foundation for its application. In summary, I would say that my lessons are somewhere in between grammar and practical usage.
Q. Since you offer a variety of lessons, are there any lessons you can recommend in particular?: A. First of all, I would like to recommend the 'Free Talking' lesson for all levels. You can get feedback from a native teacher while talking in Korean, which helps you improve your speaking skills. Beginners can practice real conversations one-on-one, and advanced learners can learn even more native-like nuances. The lesson is 20 minutes long, but you can also take a 1-hour course and a 'banmal' course as well.

I would also like to recommend the 'Korean Language Lab (Korean Lab)' for intermediate or upper-intermediate students who want to get the gist of specific nuances of some expressions and have a deep understanding of differences in similar expressions. The lesson is not based on 'one-sided teaching' by the teacher but on a 'think together' system. This lesson is for those who have a vague understanding of various nuances.

My last but not least recommendation is the 'K-POP' lesson. I guess many of you might be motivated to study Korean by K-POP. We will translate the lyrics of songs you like and learn daily expressions.

The 'Business Korean Language' lesson is for students who work in Korea or in workplaces where you need to speak Korean. The 'Korean News' lesson is for advanced learners who want to improve their reading and speaking, and the 'Korean Language Training' is for those who want to focus on their speaking skills.
Q. What are you usually up to when you’re not teaching on Cafetalk? What are your hobbies and interests?: A. I am a sports person. I am a big fan of billiards and basketball which I have been playing for over 10 years. I love all types of billiards(Eight-Ball, Four Balls, and Three-Cushions) and my position in basketball is Small Forward. Plus, 'Pump It Up'(The dancing game in arcades) is one of my favorites and I have also been playing it for over 10 years.

Music is one of my favorites too. I love playing the piano and singing a song. I usually cover songs that I like and do composition with the piano. In my free time, I sometimes go to Karaoke.
Q. Finally, would you like to leave a message for your current and future students?: A. My goal is to create an educational setting where students can learn Korean without any financial and time-wise burdens. I hope everyone who loves the Korean language can improve their linguistic capabilities and enjoy studying Korean to the fullest through my lessons. I'll do my best!