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Thu, October 19, 2017 | 03:25

Opinion > Thoughts of the Times >

Prerequisites for horizontal culture

In a meeting with the managers in charge of the organizational culture of their medium-sized corporation, they told me, “You don’t have to submit a detailed consulting report, as long as there are visible outcomes. We have already gone through many attempts to change our corporate culture; however, they never succeeded, so all we care about are results. We will leave the spec...

Thoughts of the Times | 2017-09-17 17:54

A friend of mine impressed me by saying that his guiding philosophy is “Carpe diem."“Carpe diem” is a Latin aphorism taken from the Roman poet Horace’s “Odes.” This phrase is part of the line that reads, “carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero,” which is translated as “pluck/seize the day, put very little trust in tomorrow.” It is interesting to note that “carpe diem” is in...

Thoughts of the Times | 2017-09-15 16:45

'Owning' a word

When we know all the various definitions or meanings of a word and know how to use it in various contexts, with the use of prefixes, suffixes, compound forms and others, then, we “own” that word. We own it like a perfect piece of our vocabulary that we can call upon at any time. I present here the word “word” with various expressions. In its simplest meaning, a word is someth...

Thoughts of the Times | 2017-09-14 18:03

Developing high-performing teams

Developing effective high-performing teams is a key driver for business performance and organizational growth. The challenge for all organizations lies in finding the right solution for success and determining what can be done better to increase employee engagement. Creating effective teams requires good communication, strategy and decision making. The most successful teams h...

Thoughts of the Times | 2017-09-13 17:11

Memories from Korea University

I am a fervent learner in the areas of English-language education and applied linguistics. I have often attended the KOTESOL, ALAK, KATE and PAAL conferences and have found them to be a great opportunity for professional development and networking with like-minded people. Nevertheless, attending the numerous presentations for two days is daunting. By the time the KATE 2017 in...

Thoughts of the Times | 2017-09-12 17:28

Importance of learning English

Language is the principal means with which we conduct our social lives. Used in the context of communication, it binds humans together in multiple, complex ways. The world today is a global village, in which we and our activities are strongly interconnected. More people now speak English as a second language than as a first language, or a mother tongue. In fact, English is no...

Thoughts of the Times | 2017-09-11 17:34

Tuition hike for foreign students

When universities in Korea increased tuition fees by 8 percent for international students, the decision was immediately attacked as discriminatory. In quick succession, the hike was defended as necessary to pay for the additional cost of support services and scholarships. A similar controversy arose in the U.S. when the University of California system charged out-of-state stu...

Thoughts of the Times | 2017-09-10 17:21

Nativity and extinction

A baby comfortably sitting in a new stroller being pushed by her young mother in a subway car caught my eye. My mouth broke into a big smile, and I nodded in response to the baby’s greeting of a stranger. Shy, she turned her face away from me, but curiosity overcame her and she quickly looked up, probably wondering about this ugly, bald man in contrast to her mother, who has ...

Thoughts of the Times | 2017-09-08 17:13

Maybe there is a God, after all

Lately, I have been watching the daytime sky go suddenly dark. I have seen a dark spot crawl across North America like a giant blob. I have heard a thousand different voices; oohs and aahs from a thousand different people as they witnessed the Moon obscure the Sun. I have vicariously visited almost every state in the line of totality, seeking to take the pulse of America. I h...

Thoughts of the Times | 2017-09-07 17:44

Candles for Peace

Candles are for dreamers. And "peace" is achieved by weapons, strategies and guarantees of mutual destruction. But not so in Korea. What mighty anti-weapons candles can be not only surprised the powerful, the corrupt and the cynical, but I think, the protesters themselves who eventually toppled a government and brought democracy, transparency and fairness back to Korea. But I...

Thoughts of the Times | 2017-09-06 17:22

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Lunch with Navy sailors