Reflection Paper #1
As my parents are immigrants from South Korea, I grew up speaking Korean. Especially being the first-born daughter, I always carried a lot of responsibility when it came to translating and interpreting things. I recall attending parent-teacher conferences to help bridge the communication gap, filling out field trip forms, ordering food for my parents at restaurants, and talking to cashiers and bankers, from as early as second grade. Although I was very happy to be such a big help to my parents, I definitely felt a lot of pressure to do and say the right things. Additionally, I was enrolled in Saturday Korean school throughout elementary school, and at the time, that was the bane of my existence.
During middle and high school, I began realizing how lucky I was that I could speak two languages fluently. My younger brother, on the other hand, speaks very broken Korean and has a difficult time understanding and conversing with my parents. In this way, I have become the translator and mediator in my family, as well as in public settings. The FIRE Model has shown up throughout my life in a multitude of ways. The fact is, I am the only one in my immediate family that can play this role. My interpretation of this situation often differs depending on my surrounding circumstances, but most of the time, I lean towards viewing myself as a multidimensional and linguistically competent person. This makes me proud of my younger self for sticking it out when learning and exclusively speaking Korean at home felt like an unfair chore. In the end, I am unconditionally grateful for how connected I am with my family and culture, and how knowing Korean makes me a more knowledgeable person.
According to the learning styles survey, I am 45% a visual learner and 40% an auditory learner. I have found that watching TV shows and movies in Korean, as well as listening to Korean music really helps me pick up on vocabulary that I would not learn or use otherwise. This helps me broaden my scope of knowledge and allows me to interact with a wider variety of people with different backgrounds and interests. Similarly, speaking my native language and being immersed in environments where I am constantly exposed to Korean has always expedited my learning process. As for writing, spelling in Korean is trickier than many people may realize. I find it useful to read Korean text so that I can visualize the spelling the next time I need to write or type it myself. I am also very pattern-oriented and enjoy grouping relevant concepts together, as this helps me organize my thoughts. One way I think I can expand on my learning activities is by reading more content in Korean. Because I am more comfortable with English and use it more day-to-day, I default to English, as it takes significantly less effort and brainpower. I know that reading in Korean will significantly improve my writing and spelling skills, and help me expand my vocabulary. All in all, I am very proud of my Korean-American identity and consider being bilingual one of my biggest strengths that make me stand out.
As my parents are immigrants from South Korea, I grew up speaking Korean. Especially being the first-born daughter, I always carried a lot of responsibility when it came to translating and interpreting things. I recall attending parent-teacher conferences to help bridge the communication gap, filling out field trip forms, ordering food for my parents at restaurants, and talking to cashiers and bankers, from as early as second grade. Although I was very happy to be such a big help to my parents, I definitely felt a lot of pressure to do and say the right things. Additionally, I was enrolled in Saturday Korean school throughout elementary school, and at the time, that was the bane of my existence.
During middle and high school, I began realizing how lucky I was that I could speak two languages fluently. My younger brother, on the other hand, speaks very broken Korean and has a difficult time understanding and conversing with my parents. In this way, I have become the translator and mediator in my family, as well as in public settings. The FIRE Model has shown up throughout my life in a multitude of ways. The fact is, I am the only one in my immediate family that can play this role. My interpretation of this situation often differs depending on my surrounding circumstances, but most of the time, I lean towards viewing myself as a multidimensional and linguistically competent person. This makes me proud of my younger self for sticking it out when learning and exclusively speaking Korean at home felt like an unfair chore. In the end, I am unconditionally grateful for how connected I am with my family and culture, and how knowing Korean makes me a more knowledgeable person.
According to the learning styles survey, I am 45% a visual learner and 40% an auditory learner. I have found that watching TV shows and movies in Korean, as well as listening to Korean music really helps me pick up on vocabulary that I would not learn or use otherwise. This helps me broaden my scope of knowledge and allows me to interact with a wider variety of people with different backgrounds and interests. Similarly, speaking my native language and being immersed in environments where I am constantly exposed to Korean has always expedited my learning process. As for writing, spelling in Korean is trickier than many people may realize. I find it useful to read Korean text so that I can visualize the spelling the next time I need to write or type it myself. I am also very pattern-oriented and enjoy grouping relevant concepts together, as this helps me organize my thoughts. One way I think I can expand on my learning activities is by reading more content in Korean. Because I am more comfortable with English and use it more day-to-day, I default to English, as it takes significantly less effort and brainpower. I know that reading in Korean will significantly improve my writing and spelling skills, and help me expand my vocabulary. All in all, I am very proud of my Korean-American identity and consider being bilingual one of my biggest strengths that make me stand out.
Comments