This semester I will be focusing more on my writing skills. There is a gift that my grandmother gave to me over the summer and it is a book that helps people write Korean verses of the Bible. I know it is a very simple task where I would have to write phrases and paragraphs but I think it is a very good practice. I feel like it will help me get more comfortable at writing the language. Last semester, I did several writing assignment projects where I would have to research about a topic and write a short essay. I think those assignments were really fun and helpful so I might consider adding a couple to my plan for this semester.
I never thought I would lose my language skills, but I think last semester I spoke the bare minimum korean. It did not take me back to the starting point where I forgot the language however it did affect me when I went back to Korea over the summer. It took me some time to get used to the culture and words that native Koreans would use. Also, the reason why Korean could be hard to maintain is because even if you know the basic language it can change rapidly throughout time. There are new phrases and slang words that the native korean’s use in South Korea.
I have been traveling to Korea every school break but there would be a gap in between those times where new words and phrases have developed. The language itself did not change, but the way people use the language is changing. So I want to keep up with the pace this semester and continue to speak korean with my korean friends that are living in korea but also people that are here on campus. I have met couple of freshman Korean students that came from South Korea and I am hoping that by communicating with them I will be able to keep up with the change.
Somyung was my very first language partner in my freshman year and I am honored to have her as my language partner for her senior year. We haven’t had our first Korean meeting yet but I am eager to tell her my goals and keep sharing our knowledge to strengthen our language skills. I often found working with someone very helpful in learning any knowledge.
So to put in a summary, My short term goal is to finish writing the book that my grandmother gave me over this whole semester. Another short term goal is to keep up with the culture and trends by communicating in Korean this semester. My long term goal is to develop my Korean language so I can get tested and certified for it. I do not know what will happen in the future but there might be a possibility for me to go live in South Korea and work there. I want to be prepared in case that opportunity comes and be ready with more complicated vocabulary such as business terms that are used in the work environment.
Replies
Continuing to practice writing in the book your grandmother gave you seems like excellent practice throughout the semester to stay updated and informed on writing on your own. Being able to have the same language partner since your freshman year seems extremely helpful in long-term language acquisition and also having someone familiar that you enjoy working with while you learn. Hope it has gone well!
I think that writing/ copying phrases is a great idea! It will definitely help you get more comfortable and confident when writing in Korean. Also, I think eventually you will start to memorize characters and such. You can also try to read over your sentences aloud. Have you tried any of this this semester? How has this been coming along?