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April 19, 2013

ULM education professor translates renowned English teaching guide into Korean

University of Louisiana at Monroe's Dr. Kioh Kim, Assistant Professor at the College of Education and Human Development, recently translated Harry and Rosemary Wong's famous book "The First Days of School: How to Be an Effective Teacher" from English into Korean.

"It is my hope that Korean teachers learn how to manage classrooms and adopt American teaching strategies from the translated book," said Kim.

"I am glad that I can share with Korean educators what effective American teachers do in the classroom."

According to Amazon.com, "The First Days of School" is "used by new and veteran teachers, college instructors, and administrators. This is a beautifully designed book on classroom management, student achievement, and teacher effectiveness."

Dr. Michael Beutner, ULM Associate Professor of Instructional Technology, said, "Offhand, I don't know any other book for teachers that is this popular or famous. I'm sure that every College of Education in the country refers to this book as a practical and recommended guide for new teachers."

Kim began working on this translation in May 2011, taking nearly two years to complete the project.

"This was my first time translating so many pages," said Kim.

"Before beginning, I thought it would be easy to translate this book, so six months would be enough to complete it. I wanted to give up many times while translating. Sometimes I had to spend more than a day to translate one single page or even one single sentence."

Because he has studied and taught in both America and Korea, Kim found it important to translate an educational text on education as an attempt to bridge gaps between the two countries' educational systems.

"I have seen some similarities and some differences between Korea and the U.S. in terms of the educational environment," he said.

"I thought this book would be a perfect tool to connect education between Korea and the U.S. I attended the original authors' presentation a few years ago – the big convention hall was packed with school teachers, administrators, and professors. After their presentation, I was lucky to have a long conversation with them about the book and the possibility of translation."

Considering all his experiences with the education systems in both countries, Kim feels excited to share Wong's observations with Korean educators.

"I put not only my time but also my passion and love into each of the sentences in this book. I wanted to test my ability and patience. Now, it's time for my book to be evaluated by readers."

The book has sold nearly 4 million copies in English; Dr. Kim's Korean translation is now being sold at every major bookstore in Korea and can be purchased online at Yes24.com and KyoboBook.co.kr

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