English Recordings

(about improving the competitiveness of seoul city )

Let me give a presentation on the subject.

First of all, I think, [for improving the competitiveness of seoul city]
public officials must have the two following basic minds.

First, public officials need to have the idea that citizens and public officials
work together to develop their nation and city not by facing each other
but by reciprocal action.
second, public officials must put public interest before that of the individuals.

Also we all know that actual practice is more important than the knowledges.
But It's difficult for us to put them into practice.

[
Culturenomics rules the world nowdays.
Seoul city now, of course, run various public services, projects and works
with citizens for realizing culturenomics.
These services and projects now, I think, work well.
Nonetheless, for sustainable development of seoul city,
public officials with citizens have to pursue active thinking and minding,
and continue to improve it especially through specific systems.
]

Therefore, we have to make out effective and practical system strategically.

[
These systems, of course, must be designed to motivate public officials to discover
new items actively, efficiently.
]

Then now, I will suggest my some ideas based on two above-mentioned basic minds
[about improving the competitiveness of seoul city for the systems],
considering the practical action.

[
Number one, consider material and ghuman resources glocally for sustaining economic growth
Number two, suggest various ideas actively and esepcially freely
though having some errors.
Number three, get ideas and opinions of experts or citizens carefully and actively.
]

Number four, benchmark successful cases of the systems
in other cities or in private companies, furthermore in overseas,
and apply them to our system,
considering the distinct characteristics of our city and country.

In conclusion, I'd like to say this :

[
no matter what they say,
it is important for public officials to have the attitude
that they are capable enough to generate orininal ideas and to improve the competitiveness
to the fullest extent.
]

This is the end of my presentation.
thank you for listening.

(about customer satisfaction)

Let me give a presentation on the subject.

First of all, I think, [for the customer satisfaction] public officials must have
the two following basic minds.

First, public officials need to have the idea that citizens and public officials
work together to develop their nation and city not by facing each other
but by reciprocal action.
Second, public officials must put public interest before that of the individuals.

Also we all know that actual practice is more important than the knowledges.
But It's difficult for us to put them into practice.

[
In a way, as servants, public officials have to serve administrative or public
services to the people of their city or nation especially through specific systems..
]

Therefore, we have to make out effective and practical system strategically.

[
These systems, of course,
must be designed to satisfy citizens and a nation effectively.
]

Then now, I will suggest my some ideas based on two above-mentioned basic minds
[about customer satisfaction for the systems], considering the practical action.

Number one, when a problem of a customer occurs,
calm down himself and then put ourselves into his shoes.
Number two, work with active attitude
and work with the principles of justice if any customer.
Number three, Apply customers' opinions in Improving old and new public systems,
considering put them into practice.
]

Number four, benchmark successful cases of the systems
in other cities or in private companies, furthermore in overseas,
and apply them to our system,
considering the distinct characteristics of our city and country.

In conclusion, I'd like to say this :

[
no matter what they say,
it is important for public officials to have the attitude
that they are capable enough to satisfy citizens to the fullest extent.
]

4)

Do you have any hobbies?

Yes. I like playing music.

Oh really? Do you know how to play the violin?

Yes I do. Playing the violin is easy.

Wow. I like playing music but I don’t know how to play the violin.

It’s not that difficult. I can teach you. Let’s do it tomorrow after school.

Sure sounds good.

3)

Do you have any hobbies?

Yes. I like computing.

Oh really? Do you know how to create a website?

Yes I do. Creating a website is easy.

Wow. I like computing but I don’t know how to build a website.

It’s not that difficult. I can teach you. Let’s do it on the weekend. I’m free on Saturday and Sunday.

Sure sounds good.

2)

Do you have any hobbies?

Yes. I like swimming.

Oh really? Do you know how to do the butterfly stroke?

Yes I do. Doing the butterfly stroke is easy.

Wow. I like to swim but I can’t do the butterfly stroke. I need to learn.

It’s not that difficult. I can teach you. Let’s swim together tomorrow.

Sure that’s a good idea.

1)

Do you have any hobbies?

Yes. I like cooking.

Oh really? Do you know how to make sushi?

Yes I do. Making sushi is easy.

Wow. I like to eat Japanese food but I don’t know how to make it.

It’s not that difficult. I can teach you. Let’s make it together on Monday.

Sure sounds good.

1948 Hey, that's a snappy coat!
2004 Don't be fresh.
2037 Any person said to bring bad luｃk by his presence is called a Jonah.
2044 Everything went without a hitch.
2089 You are putting a square peg in a round hole.

Personally, I would rather not even start than try to progress like this, for it's a sure path to frustration, and perhaps even eventual failure.

Of course, in many of these cases, those people only wanted to learn English because they thought it would help them get ahead at their job (or find a job, should they have been unemployed at the time); what they were lacking is passion, so it's only natural that they didn't make a serious commitment to their supposed "goal". When such people ask for my advice on how to proceed, I will often tell them to forget it - that is, until they are seriously willing to do what it takes to learn. If not, why waste time fooling yourself into thinking you are really progressing, when in fact your lack of dedication is slowing down progress almost to a halt? If the day comes when they feel that now, they not only think they "should" learn English, but are truly enthusiastic about doing so, it would then be the right time to start, with all the zeal at their disposal. That's when progress will not only be rapid, but will seem practically effortless. That's when they will be able to learn more English, in a single year, than they had in the previous five or ten years, while they were engaged in a half-hearted, and therefore nearly futile, effort to learn.

Make a commitment to your goal, and follow through on it with enthusiasm, even obsession: that's the surest ticket to learning a foreign language in record time!

The truth is, I think most people can pick up another language in a year, as I did with Spanish, if they go about it the right way (see the article in this book: "The absolute best way to learn a language quickly"). Not that it can't be done in less time, for I feel it can, especially if you are willing to spend more time in a foreign country. On the other hand, if you are unwilling, or unable to spend any time at all in a country where your target language is spoken, it will probably be very difficult indeed to reach fluency within a year (unless, of course, you have the opportunity to converse frequently with native speakers of that language while staying in your own country - something most of us would find either very difficult, or very expensive, to arrange).

A key concept here is "commitment". Have you really committed yourself to learning a foreign language fluently? If so, you will take the necessary steps, including making a financial investment, to reach that goal. While living in Spain, I knew more people than I can count who said they really wanted to learn English, but who then did not "walk the walk": they skipped classes, stopped learning completely whenever the holidays came around, didn't take the time to memorize
new vocabulary words, and so on.

A couple of years ago, a Spanish girl, about 20 years old, answered one of my ads for English classes. She had a very low level of English, but had decided that she now wanted to learn it once and for all. During our initial conversation, she asked me straight out: "¿Cuánto tiempo necesito para aprender inglés?" - "How long will it take me to learn English?"

I admit that I was speechless for a second (and this doesn't happen very often!). I replied: "Well, if you have a photographic memory, an excellent and refined sense of hearing, a profound knowledge of the grammar in your own language, an IQ of at least 150, and if you are willing to work on it for no less than 8 hours a day, you'll be speaking fluently in less than a month!"

That "less than a month" part was probably what put the delighted smile on her face, but then, looking more serious, she asked: "And if I don't have all those qualities?" I answered: "Then you're probably looking at a few years, that is, unless you decide to spend this summer in England or America, in which case you'll progress more quickly."

Obviously, mastering a foreign language has much to do with our natural talents. Years ago, I read an article about the German Grand Master of Chess, Robert Hübner. It seems that he had to go to Hungary for a tournament, but unfortunately, didn't speak the language. No problem! He bought himself a good book, boarded the train, and when he arrived in Budapest after an eight-hour journey, he could speak Hungarian more than well enough to get by. Of course, Herr Hübner almost no doubt does have a photographic memory, an extremely high IQ, and so on.

I myself have nowhere near the mental brilliance of a Robert Hübner (if my accomplishments, years ago, on my college chess team are any measure of this), though I am certainly not without talent as far as language learning is concerned.