Monthly Language Learning Journal 1
This month’s language learning focused on developing professional Korean skills in preparation for using the language in an internship setting. Although we only had one meeting, the session was highly targeted and practical. Our main tasks included setting specific language goals related to workplace communication, identifying the type of internship environment I might be in (such as an office, lab, or marketing setting), and role-playing a professional self-introduction. We also worked on understanding the structure of a formal self-introduction and practicing an appropriate polite tone for workplace situations. For homework, I was assigned to write a short professional self-introduction in Korean.
My primary goal was to move beyond conversational Korean and begin developing language that sounds professional, respectful, and natural in a work environment. I hoped to gain more confidence in introducing myself formally, describing my role or background, and adjusting my tone depending on the level of formality required. Since internships often involve first impressions, I wanted to avoid sounding too casual or overly textbook-like. Currently, I do not have any work experience in Korea, so I have been worried about my ability to communicate professionally.
During the session, my community language partner and I worked collaboratively to shape these goals. We discussed what kinds of situations I might realistically face, such as introducing myself to a supervisor, greeting coworkers, or speaking in a team meeting. Jason gave cultural context in addition to language corrections, explaining how hierarchy and politeness levels influence word choice and sentence endings. Then, I shared details about my academic and professional interests, and he helped tailor vocabulary and expressions that would be relevant to my field. This made the practice feel authentic rather than generic. I personally have an interview coming up at a Korean firm, so we practiced interviewing in Korean as well.
To work on these tasks, I used several strategies and resources. First, I watched advicing video for incoming workers, which helped simulate real-life pressure and made me more aware of my actions. Second, I took notes on useful sentence patterns for formal self-introductions, such as how to state my name, major, role, and aspirations politely. Also, I reviewed honorific and formal verb endings after the session to reinforce what we covered.
Overall, these strategies were effective because they combined speaking, listening, and writing. Role-play improved my fluency and comfort level, while writing helped me focus on accuracy. However, I noticed that I still hesitate when trying to speak formally in real time. I understand the structures, but I need more repetition to make them feel automatic.
Moving forward, I plan to build on what I’ve learned about the language by expanding beyond self-introductions to other workplace functions, such as asking questions politely, participating in small talk with coworkers, and responding appropriately in meetings. I also want to learn more field-specific vocabulary related to my potential internship area.
This month’s language learning focused on developing professional Korean skills in preparation for using the language in an internship setting. Although we only had one meeting, the session was highly targeted and practical. Our main tasks included setting specific language goals related to workplace communication, identifying the type of internship environment I might be in (such as an office, lab, or marketing setting), and role-playing a professional self-introduction. We also worked on understanding the structure of a formal self-introduction and practicing an appropriate polite tone for workplace situations. For homework, I was assigned to write a short professional self-introduction in Korean.
My primary goal was to move beyond conversational Korean and begin developing language that sounds professional, respectful, and natural in a work environment. I hoped to gain more confidence in introducing myself formally, describing my role or background, and adjusting my tone depending on the level of formality required. Since internships often involve first impressions, I wanted to avoid sounding too casual or overly textbook-like. Currently, I do not have any work experience in Korea, so I have been worried about my ability to communicate professionally.
During the session, my community language partner and I worked collaboratively to shape these goals. We discussed what kinds of situations I might realistically face, such as introducing myself to a supervisor, greeting coworkers, or speaking in a team meeting. Jason gave cultural context in addition to language corrections, explaining how hierarchy and politeness levels influence word choice and sentence endings. Then, I shared details about my academic and professional interests, and he helped tailor vocabulary and expressions that would be relevant to my field. This made the practice feel authentic rather than generic. I personally have an interview coming up at a Korean firm, so we practiced interviewing in Korean as well.
To work on these tasks, I used several strategies and resources. First, I watched advicing video for incoming workers, which helped simulate real-life pressure and made me more aware of my actions. Second, I took notes on useful sentence patterns for formal self-introductions, such as how to state my name, major, role, and aspirations politely. Also, I reviewed honorific and formal verb endings after the session to reinforce what we covered.
Overall, these strategies were effective because they combined speaking, listening, and writing. Role-play improved my fluency and comfort level, while writing helped me focus on accuracy. However, I noticed that I still hesitate when trying to speak formally in real time. I understand the structures, but I need more repetition to make them feel automatic.
Moving forward, I plan to build on what I’ve learned about the language by expanding beyond self-introductions to other workplace functions, such as asking questions politely, participating in small talk with coworkers, and responding appropriately in meetings. I also want to learn more field-specific vocabulary related to my potential internship area.
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