During this period, my primary tasks focused on improving my pronunciation of Korean tense and aspirated consonants, learning the changes in the consonants, and engaging more actively with reading content. My goal was to strengthen both my speaking, reading and writing skills, also expand my vocabulary. I hoped to become more confident in communicating with others and to gain greater control over switching between formal and informal speech styles.
In my interactions with my language partner, we set up goals. During our sessions, we first talked about the rules of different consonants changes, and then have a few practices to see if I can acutally see the change and pronounce the vocabulary right. In addition, I practiced reading short stories and read them aloud and then attempting to restate them in English. My partner will read them again and ask me to try again. She provided corrective feedback, particularly on pronounciations. I noticed that when I concentrated too much on accuracy, my fluency decreased, but for repeatation run, my fluency will increase. Also, I found my strength is listening because when my partner read the stories again, I can catch up on the details I missed when I read it myself.
To make improvement, I used several strategies. First, when I am watching variety shows, I will pull out the subtitles and try to read it outloud before I listen to how they pronounce it. I also keep repeating afterward if I am not so satisfied with my reading speed. Second, I review my notes often to remind me the changes of consonants and their rules of pronounciaiton. Third, I try to read the Korean posts on social media before I directly hit "translate". This helps me to conciously learning the pronouciation and learn new vocabulary. Overall these really helped me improve my Korean reading and speaking.
This period of learning involved both frustration and pride. I felt frustrated when I realized that even after focused practice, I still hesitated when choosing appropriate speech levels in real-time conversation. At the same time, I experienced pride when my language partner commented that my pronunciation had noticeably improved. This balance of struggle and visible progress reinforced my motivation.
Culturally, I have become more aware of how language structure reflects social relationships in Korean society. Shifts in verb endings are not merely grammatical adjustments; they signal respect, intimacy, and hierarchy. Observing these patterns in media has deepened my understanding of how language and culture are inseparable. I am beginning to see Korean not simply as a system of rules, but as a socially embedded mode of interaction.
Moving forward, I plan to build on my understanding of Korean phonology by integrating pronunciation practice more into spontaneous speaking tasks. Also, I am accepting to get to learn more about writing skills as we delve more into the grammar part. In terms of strategy development, I have learned that combining focused analytical practice and communicative practice is more effective than relying on one approach alone.
This reflection process itself has helped me become more intentional in my learning. By evaluating both my linguistic progress and my strategies, I feel better equipped to adjust my methods and set more precise short-term goals. Rather than viewing challenges as failures, I now see them as diagnostic information that guides the next phase of my learning plan.
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