The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi

In The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi, a little Korean girl, Unhei, struggles with her identity as she tries to decide if she should keep her Korean name or choose an American name.  The children in her class help her by writing down names they like on small sheets of paper which they then place into a jar on Unhei's desk--the name jar.  My students have gotten a few chuckles out of the suggested names! Ultimately, Unhei, with the help of her friend Joey, keeps her Korean name and shares it with her classmates.  The story relates the loneliness and disorientation of new immigrants through the eyes of Unhei: a relatable, multi-faceted character.  I think that many students (and their parents) will see some of themselves while reading this story.

Ideas for the ESL classroom:

• Class discussion about native-language names vs. "American" names
• List native-language words that have become a part of the English language; choose some words to illustrate and share
• Feelings and emotions are threaded throughout the story.  Discuss synonyms and antonyms of different emotions.  Make a chart.
• Unhei often visits the Korean store with her mother, where everything is written in both Korean and English.  Communities and markets around the city can be explored through maps, websites and possibly field trips with an emphasis on international connections.  Students can make maps of their local community and include places they visit with their families.
• Character development would be a great focus while reading this story.  Unhei changes throughout the story, and students could track her changes using evidence from the text.
• Unhei's mother tells her that although they are in America now, they will not stop eating Korean food.  Teacher and students can discuss aspects of their home cultures that they have kept up in America.  This could be a class discussion and then a journal activity or essay.
• Some words that might be tricky for ELL's: nervous, fingered, pouch, carved, grooves, blush, relieved, curious, identity, teased, familiar, characters (multiple meanings), concern, souvenir

Something cool to check out...an interview with the author: http://goodcharacters.com/newsletters/the.name.jar.html


Happy reading!
Jacquie