March Journal Entry
I have noticed a lot of improvement in my Korean, as well as an increased comfort level with making mistakes. There are a lot of Korean words that I know when I hear in conversation, but can’t seem to think of it myself when I try to use it in another context by myself. This has taught me the significant role that context plays in communication and conversation, and how it can be a really helpful tool in creating common understanding amongst people that have different skill levels for a said language. I used to get really frustrated that I couldn’t think of the exact word I wanted to use, and I could remember the exact meaning, but lately, I am learning that that is a part of the learning curve. Giving myself the grace and understanding to learn without frustration has allowed me to make mistakes more comfortably and learn with a more open mind. I have also noticed that my conversations with my parents, especially, have gotten a lot smoother, as I am introducing more vocabulary into my knowledge. It is exciting to see that speaking in Korean has contributed positively to my skills and comfort, as well as my understanding of how important sharing a language and culture is. Recently, I have found that I have been expressing myself a lot more in Korean. For example, if I get scared, my natural response is in Korean, rather than something like “oh my goodness”. I have also found that whenever I don’t have the brain capacity to explain myself in the English language, it is often easier for me to concisely express myself in Korean. I am wondering where this transition could be coming from and if it has any direct correlation to speaking more in Korean lately. This semester of increasingly speaking in more Korean has been extremely impactful and nothing short of informative. For the last couple weeks of the semester, I want to be more intentional with my language learning goals. First, I want to write more in Korean. Since I am graduating soon, I decided I wanted to write my closest friends letters. A lot of my close friends are Korean so I think it would be really meaningful to write a couple sentences in Korean and it would add a lot of sentimental value, as well as a feeling of connectedness. Second, there are some Korean youth group kids at my church who do not speak great English, so I would like to reach out to them and make them feel more welcome and at home at church. I can do this by speaking to them in Korean and really meeting them where they’re at. Third, I want to read more in Korean. I have not been as consistent with this goal as I initially wanted to. Whether that is song lyrics, news articles, or anything else, I would like to immerse myself in more Korean writing and reading. I am looking forward to updating this journal and recapping the semester in April.