Journal Entry 1
In the beginning of our meetings I told my partner Jason that my main goal this semester was to improve my fluency in speaking Korean through consistent conversations. We met regularly to talk about our daily lives, asking questions like “오늘 뭐했어?” (What did you do today?) or “수업은 어땠어?” (How were your classes?). These conversations might have seemed simple on the surface, but they were incredibly important for building fluency. I wanted to move beyond textbook Korean and into the more fluid, natural way people my age speak. Also, the conversations would often lead to different topics such as what classes we thought were hard, what subjects were interesting and why we thought so, and more etc. in Korean. My goal was to reduce pauses in conversation and increase fluency so I could sound more natural when speaking Korean. Although I grew up in a Korean-speaking household, the way I spoke with my parents didn’t necessarily reflect how Korean is used among peers. By talking with Jason, I was able to encounter more colloquial expressions and adjust my speech style. Our conversations often revolved around relatable topics, such as recent dramas. These were not just helpful in a linguistic sense but also exposed me to cultural norms and slang I hadn’t encountered at home. I think it was really helpful having Jason around too. He would correct my grammar and pronunciation when I would mispronounce or hesitate on words.A strategy that proved especially effective was recording our conversations. I recorded one of our earlier meetings and then another a few weeks later. When I compared them, I could hear a clear difference in my fluency. My pronunciation had improved, my sentences were longer, and I was using more complex vocabulary with ease. I also wasn’t pausing as much to think before responding, which was a major goal of mine.To build on this progress, I’ll continue having regular conversations in Korean with Jason and other friends who are fluent. I want to branch out into deeper topics, including opinions and personal stories, to further challenge myself. I’m also planning to start a small audio journal in Korean to maintain and track my fluency over time. In terms of strategies, I’ve realized that repetition and immersion are key. I’ll keep recording myself and possibly even try short video clips to practice both listening and speaking. Overall, this semester showed me that fluency isn’t just about memorizing vocabulary—it’s about consistent practice, reflection, and pushing through discomfort in real time conversations.
In the beginning of our meetings I told my partner Jason that my main goal this semester was to improve my fluency in speaking Korean through consistent conversations. We met regularly to talk about our daily lives, asking questions like “오늘 뭐했어?” (What did you do today?) or “수업은 어땠어?” (How were your classes?). These conversations might have seemed simple on the surface, but they were incredibly important for building fluency. I wanted to move beyond textbook Korean and into the more fluid, natural way people my age speak. Also, the conversations would often lead to different topics such as what classes we thought were hard, what subjects were interesting and why we thought so, and more etc. in Korean. My goal was to reduce pauses in conversation and increase fluency so I could sound more natural when speaking Korean. Although I grew up in a Korean-speaking household, the way I spoke with my parents didn’t necessarily reflect how Korean is used among peers. By talking with Jason, I was able to encounter more colloquial expressions and adjust my speech style. Our conversations often revolved around relatable topics, such as recent dramas. These were not just helpful in a linguistic sense but also exposed me to cultural norms and slang I hadn’t encountered at home. I think it was really helpful having Jason around too. He would correct my grammar and pronunciation when I would mispronounce or hesitate on words.A strategy that proved especially effective was recording our conversations. I recorded one of our earlier meetings and then another a few weeks later. When I compared them, I could hear a clear difference in my fluency. My pronunciation had improved, my sentences were longer, and I was using more complex vocabulary with ease. I also wasn’t pausing as much to think before responding, which was a major goal of mine.To build on this progress, I’ll continue having regular conversations in Korean with Jason and other friends who are fluent. I want to branch out into deeper topics, including opinions and personal stories, to further challenge myself. I’m also planning to start a small audio journal in Korean to maintain and track my fluency over time. In terms of strategies, I’ve realized that repetition and immersion are key. I’ll keep recording myself and possibly even try short video clips to practice both listening and speaking. Overall, this semester showed me that fluency isn’t just about memorizing vocabulary—it’s about consistent practice, reflection, and pushing through discomfort in real time conversations.
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