105 Post Learning Journal # 10

[Carlos Diaz]

For my target language (Korean), I did not try to learn how to read or write because I wanted to focus on speech. However, in the process of learning how to speak Korean, my language partner would write down the words or phrases in the way one would pronounce it. This is different from the actual writing of Korean using Hangeul and Hanja, but helps in speech. In my opinion, speech has a more practical use for me because I am instantly able to communicate and express myself more directly in a social setting which would not be the case if all I knew was how to read or write. I feel like speaking Korean will facilitate an easier transition to learning reading and writing. Reading and writing may be the next steps in the process of learning Korean next year, beginning with the alphabet and children’s book. Interestingly, I learned more about the grammar and syntax formation of Korean. For instance, the noun, adjectives or object is presented first, and the verb is always at the end. In English, one would say “What is your name” but in Korean that is switched to “Name what is”. I assume that learning how to read and write would be a challenge to me based on the inversion and reverse function. Despite the challenges, I am interested in learning how to read and write in Korean. This can be something I can focus on in the future.