I learned about the importance of the Korean Independence movement on March 1st. We spent time reading a Korean comic that explained what happened that day through characters that went back in time. We practiced our listening skills by having Seong-hye read the comic, and we wrote down words that we didn't understand and practiced how to pronounce the words and which words are used most often. We went over how to converse with others in a dorm setting, the importance of the 60th birthday, and current pollution crisis in Korea. We also went over idiomatic expressions and how to ask questions in formal and informal terms. We also learned how to change verbs into the progressive form. I enjoy how Seong-hye incorporates relevant topics about Korean news and holidays into our lesson plans, especially since I get to practice talking about these events in Korean and get help on bridging the gap between vocabulary and grammar that I don't know from my peers and Seong-hye.
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The approach you are describing sounds very helpful. Practicing listening skills and writing down words you don't know during can really help to understand them in the context. I also agree with the usefulness of incorporating current events and cultural and historical milestones into the learning because it helps with having meaningful conversations and being culturally competent.