South Korean students adjust to life in Potsdam

POTSDAM — Over cookies and tea, 20 South Korean students chatted about some of the differences between Potsdam and their hometowns, mostly large cities in the small Asian country.

The students will be here for the next year, working toward a master's degree in education from SUNY Potsdam. This is the 10th class of Korean graduate students to come to the north country.

"We were all surprised at how small it is," said Juwon Lee, a student from Busan, South Korea's second largest city. "We had this idea (of) New York state and we thought New York City. In the bus, we talked to each other: 'Is this really New York?'"

Taking in the town, the students quickly found Purple Rice, the small Asian market on Elm Street, and discussed the difficulties in finding a place to buy warm winter boots. A few were already researching buses that might take them to Watertown or Albany to go shopping.

The students have been here since the beginning of the semester, taking classes and getting used to life in a small town.

English professor Andrew K. Ha started the program in 2001, after going to a university in Seoul, South Korea, to teach for a semester. Faculty there asked Mr. Ha to create a program in which students could come to an American university to improve their English.

Though all of the students in the master's program read and speak English fairly well, they come here to learn it in real life, not out of a textbook.

"They have a strong grammatical background," Mr. Ha said.

While they are here, the students will be placed in elementary schools to work with students and teachers, both teaching and learning themselves.

"They pick up lots of idioms and expressions from the kids," said Mr. Ha, who has written several books about teaching English.

Many of the students, including Ms. Lee, have been learning English since they were in middle school. Ms. Lee has some teaching experience already, and English is in such demand in her native country that she has no worries about finding a job when she goes home.

Along with troubles finding a Starbucks and places to shop in downtown Potsdam, Ms. Lee said she had problems going to cafes and restaurants because there are too many choices, including types of bread, sauces and side dishes. But she is getting used to it, despite some homesickness, she said.

"The most impressive thing is people are so kind," she said. "I'm so surprised. I was born and raised in the city. Here, it's very fresh and peaceful."