- Reflect on your experiences as a language learner. What did you enjoy? What did you dislike? Think about the FIRE model and the surveys you have just completed. What kind of learner are you? What kinds of language learning activities suit your learning style? How do you think you should expand your learning activities?
I have been studying different languages on and off for most of my life and one thing that I have come to realize is that I have always preferred learning the spoken aspects of a language over the written. I was typically better at speaking the language than writing it, but another aspect that has always troubled me is understanding native speakers. I really enjoyed coming up with sentences in my head and having internal conversations but when it came to talking I often felt like I couldn't keep up with native speakers. I'm sure with practice I'll be able to overcome these hurdles. In terms of learning a language I have found that I am more of an insightful learner and that I learn better through experience and practice than by reading a textbook. I feel like I learned more during the month I spent in ShangHai and the month I spent in Argentina than I had during the years I'd spent in classrooms. I am hoping that while learning Korean I can take advantage of numerous different interactive resources to study and that I will be able to get a lot of practice speaking to Minkyung, my girlfriend, and other Korean students and speakers. I have always wanted to incorporate other aspects of the culture of the language I am learning into my studies and I feel like going out to eat at Korean restaurants or watching Korean TV shows will prove to be very helpful and fun.
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