Sabrina - Conversation Partner WK 3 - "Seoul for the Road"

Shin Hye is getting ready to take the driver's license exam. You're excited? Just imagine how she is feeling! She is excited but also a tad nervous. From what I gather of our conversation (which is improving by the way) in Korea you apparently take the written and the driving test in one visit. There is no learner's permit. You just test and drive.

She had intended to bring her study guide but forgot it. After thinking about it for awhile, I asked if she was studying the English guide, she said yes (great!). I told her that would really help since the test itself would be in English as well. I could tell she did not think she would pass the first time. I said that even if she did not score well, there is no limit to how many times she can take it.

We were outside Panchero's again since this is close to the CIES building where she has class before and after our sessions (can you imagine such English overload?). The metal mesh tables outside have metal mesh benches on all four sides. Shin was to my right and I had an idea. "We're going to take the driver's test right now." Her slightly panicked answer was "Oh! now?" I asked her to switch to my bench on the "driver's side" and that I would be the examiner. We began the exam with lots of giggling from her friend Lyl who had joined us as before. We laughed too as I asked her to "start the car". She really must have been studying because instead of going directly for the ignition she said, "first seat belt". So we belted up and then she turned on the car. We ran through what you should check before backing up or driving (trees, cars, and humans were her answers - very good!) and then we were off.

We didn't get far because laughter loves company and funny enough, there was a trio of guys who appeared to be construction workers sitting at the next table. They were having lunch and were listening in on our conversation. I know they were listening because one of them asked across the divide if we were talking about the drivers test. All it took was one question about how many times HE took the test before passing and he was at our table asking all kinds of questions about where Shin was from and what we were doing, etc. He was a flirt, that was obvious, he also seemed to think Shin was pretty cute, which she is. He told us that he spoke two languages as well, English and Ebonics. After a short interchange he returned to table and then was off back to work.

I asked Shin if she understood what we had said and could she tell me what the conversation was about. She did a so-so job on the explaining part but I could tell she does understand quite a bit more than she can say. However, when I put her in the position of speaking whatever topic we are on doesn't get very far because we have to stop and do a bit of tutoring. I don't mind this - she seems to need it - but I worry about keeping her focused (and myself) on one conversation topic all the way through.

We did make some headway though with speaking in complete sentences. I can tell she gets tongue tied and then only a few words come out. We practiced taking a deep breath as well as taking our time to answer or make a statement with a complete sentence, or even a broken sentence, but something more than just few words that the listener has to put together.

Near the end of our session, I asked her again about sewing lessons. I feel like it would be a way for us to have more conversation in a way that we can both enjoy and relax. She said she would like to try. When we tried to figure out a time to meet I had another idea. I gave her the simple task of calling my phone and leaving a message. I asked that she leave one complete sentence telling me what time and day she wanted to meet. I reassured her that the machine would wait for her to take a deep breath and say what she wanted to say - completely.