We have been working on numbers and currencies (Korean number and currency), how to do self-introductions (에리카), the different tenses, and vocabulary from the document my instructor had prepared. I was pretty excited because I cannot understand numbers at all, so this is something I’ve been wanting to learn for some time now. We took a bit of a break from particles because I was starting to lose my interest in learning (too many rules!). So, to keep up with the pace we were at, she asked me what another goal of mine was and one of them was to learn numbers. So, in the past couple of lessons we’ve been reviewing the numbers and currencies and also started to learn how to do self-introductions. It’s convenient that I’m familiar in saying a proper self-introduction since formality and conveying respectfulness is a big part of Korean culture.
When we were going over the different tenses and vocabulary, it gave me a better understanding at how prevalent particles are and it helped in sparking that motivation/interest back again. I know I can’t avoid learning it and that learning a language takes time and effort. I know I can learn Korean and that becoming proficient can be attainable, but the process to get there has been a bit more frustrating than I expected. Therefore, my new goal is to find my genuine interest in learning about particles because I work best when there’s genuine intent and purpose to the things that I do. For the past couple of lessons, I just went into auto-pilot mode when it came to learning Korean and I realized that I wasn’t retaining information that well because I lost my purpose and goal.
I have been utilizing the different tips that my Korean friends have told me about watching variety shows. It helps that there’s a lot more options on YouTube or Netflix to choose from and it has made practicing the language a lot more enjoyable. I also tried listening to some Korean songs with the English translation—not romanization—so I can fully understand the meaning of the words. In using these other outlets to practice, it definitely helps in building connections with what I’ve been learning and see how it’s used in different social settings. Furthermore, I wrote my first Korean letter to a friend of mine which was very exciting. I never thought I’d be able to read, let alone write anything. But, with the help of my instructor, I was able to write a small letter utilizing all the concepts we’ve learned—aside from particles. It was also interesting because I thought I had the final consonants down, but I still struggle with writing words properly. I realized writing really helps gauge how well you know the Korean alphabet because when you’re texting, you’re able to see all the letters. But when you’re writing, you have to write everything down from memory. Doing this, I realized I actually was still struggling with complex vowels and that I definitely needed to keep reviewing past materials we went over.
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