Language Learning Journal #3
Over the past two weeks, my sessions with my language partner Eunkyung (은경쌤) and student partner Kate have continued to build on both our cultural discussions and technical language skills. We are still using Moving (무빙) as our main source, but our focus has expanded to include deeper attention to grammar, specifically tense, and more frequent spelling practice. We have also been having rich discussions on Korean popular culture, particularly in relation to actors and their significance in Korean film history.
We are continuing our spelling lessons each week with greater intensity. Korean spelling has many challenging areas, especially for learners who do not naturally associate sound with spelling patterns. For example, I frequently confuse “해요” and “하여요,” especially in more formal writing. While both forms can be correct in different contexts, learning when to use contractions and standard forms is key. Another example is the difference between “맞다” (to be correct) and “맡다” (to take charge of / to handle). Although they sound similar, their meanings and spellings are completely different, and mixing them up can lead to misunderstandings. Eunkyung gives us weekly lists of commonly confused word pairs, and we practice by writing short example sentences. We also review compound vowel combinations like “ㅙ,” “ㅚ,” and “ㅞ,” which are easy to mishear and misspell.
In addition to spelling, we have been focusing more on Korean verb tenses. Moving offers an excellent opportunity to practice this, as the show switches between the past, present, and future frequently. Many scenes are flashbacks, while others are based on current events or even future predictions. We use these scenes to identify which verb forms are used and how time is expressed in Korean. For example, we compared “먹었어요” (ate), “먹어요” (eat), and “먹을 거예요” (will eat), and practiced forming similar sentences based on our own daily routines. To reinforce this, Eunkyung often asks us to summarize scenes in the past tense and make predictions in the future tense, which helps us apply what we are learning in context.
Making predictions about the show has become one of our most engaging activities. We each guess what might happen next in the storyline and support our opinions using new vocabulary and grammar. This gives us the chance to use conditional forms and speculative language like “-ㄹ 것 같아요” (I think it will…), which feels very useful in everyday conversation.
Finally, we have been spending time learning more about contemporary Korean popular culture through the lens of Korean film and television. We’ve discussed well-known Korean actors, both from the show Moving and beyond. Eunkyung explained how some actors, such as Song Kang-ho (송강호) and Jeon Do-yeon (전도연), are considered foundational figures in Korean cinema. We also talked about the international rise of actors like Lee Jung-jae (이정재) and Ma Dong-seok (마동석), and how their success reflects larger trends in Korean pop culture and global recognition of Korean media.
These discussions are not only interesting but help us learn respectful and descriptive language, such as how to give opinions politely, describe someone’s achievements, and compare actors' roles across genres. Going forward, I hope to continue exploring more film-related vocabulary and strengthen my use of grammar through both writing and conversation.
Over the past two weeks, my sessions with my language partner Eunkyung (은경쌤) and student partner Kate have continued to build on both our cultural discussions and technical language skills. We are still using Moving (무빙) as our main source, but our focus has expanded to include deeper attention to grammar, specifically tense, and more frequent spelling practice. We have also been having rich discussions on Korean popular culture, particularly in relation to actors and their significance in Korean film history.
We are continuing our spelling lessons each week with greater intensity. Korean spelling has many challenging areas, especially for learners who do not naturally associate sound with spelling patterns. For example, I frequently confuse “해요” and “하여요,” especially in more formal writing. While both forms can be correct in different contexts, learning when to use contractions and standard forms is key. Another example is the difference between “맞다” (to be correct) and “맡다” (to take charge of / to handle). Although they sound similar, their meanings and spellings are completely different, and mixing them up can lead to misunderstandings. Eunkyung gives us weekly lists of commonly confused word pairs, and we practice by writing short example sentences. We also review compound vowel combinations like “ㅙ,” “ㅚ,” and “ㅞ,” which are easy to mishear and misspell.
In addition to spelling, we have been focusing more on Korean verb tenses. Moving offers an excellent opportunity to practice this, as the show switches between the past, present, and future frequently. Many scenes are flashbacks, while others are based on current events or even future predictions. We use these scenes to identify which verb forms are used and how time is expressed in Korean. For example, we compared “먹었어요” (ate), “먹어요” (eat), and “먹을 거예요” (will eat), and practiced forming similar sentences based on our own daily routines. To reinforce this, Eunkyung often asks us to summarize scenes in the past tense and make predictions in the future tense, which helps us apply what we are learning in context.
Making predictions about the show has become one of our most engaging activities. We each guess what might happen next in the storyline and support our opinions using new vocabulary and grammar. This gives us the chance to use conditional forms and speculative language like “-ㄹ 것 같아요” (I think it will…), which feels very useful in everyday conversation.
Finally, we have been spending time learning more about contemporary Korean popular culture through the lens of Korean film and television. We’ve discussed well-known Korean actors, both from the show Moving and beyond. Eunkyung explained how some actors, such as Song Kang-ho (송강호) and Jeon Do-yeon (전도연), are considered foundational figures in Korean cinema. We also talked about the international rise of actors like Lee Jung-jae (이정재) and Ma Dong-seok (마동석), and how their success reflects larger trends in Korean pop culture and global recognition of Korean media.
These discussions are not only interesting but help us learn respectful and descriptive language, such as how to give opinions politely, describe someone’s achievements, and compare actors' roles across genres. Going forward, I hope to continue exploring more film-related vocabulary and strengthen my use of grammar through both writing and conversation.
Comments
Your progress with both Eunkyung and Kate sounds really rewarding! It's great that you're tackling specific aspects of Korean grammar like tense and spelling, which can be tricky but are so important for fluency. You seem to have learned a lot really quickly, even with the trickiness of spelling. I remember dreading spelling lessons in Chinese because the characters are really difficult to understand. On another note, I thought it was very cool that you used movies and TV shows to continue your learning journey. I love to see more people learning languages through media! All the best in your language learning journey!