Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, I was unable to meet with my language partner. In addition, I travelled during spring break, which further prevented me from continuing my Korean studies. However, I was able to get in contact with my language partner and review the lesson plans that she personally outlined for me in the beginning of the semester through Kakaotalk, a messenger application that is popular among Koreans. This review eliminated some of the uncertainties that I was experiencing in regards for the continuation of the self-directed language program and helped me to reevaluate my learning goals.
My language partner and I decided that it would be best for her to continue her original teaching style. I agreed with this method because it would reduce the amount of variability in my learning experience and would save time by reducing the time of experimenting with learning styles. In the past, my language partner would give me two to three news articles and video links for me to translate, understand, and discuss. This has been the most effective way of learning for me because I get to simultaneously read, write, listen, and speak Korean. In other words, I am currently at an advanced level where I can multi-task with numerous language material. The only topic that we did not discuss was the date, time, and method of recording the podcast at the end of the year. There is still much time left in the semester, so we decided to review that topic later.
For the past couple of days, I was able to see the results of changing my default language to Korean on my computer. My mother encountered an issue with her computer and needed my help in resetting the default settings. The task was challenging at first because I had not practiced using Korean on my computer during Spring Break. With enough time, however, I was able to translate most of the settings in my head and reset the computer for her. I was very proud upon completion of this task because I never actually demonstrated this ability to anyone other than myself. While the task itself didn’t add much pressure, considering that I was helping my mother, I was still nervous because I was not sure if I could reset the device on my own. This experience validated my Korean skills and my ability to use my Korean in uncertain and new scenarios.
Since the last two weeks were technically considered Spring Break periods, I relaxed and watched several Korean dramas in one sitting. People who know me and have read my bi-weekly journals in the past know that I love learning Korean while engaging in an activity that I enjoy. The dramas that I watched were Itaewon Class and the second season of Kingdom. These two dramas take place in two different time periods. The former takes place in our current time while the latter takes place in a more ancient setting. While watching the dramas, I learned words like 박새로이, 순두부, “왜!”, and much more.
Comments
Great post Jae Wan! I've heard of Kakaotalk and know that it is very popular among Koreans. I wonder why it is the go to messenger applications for Koreans. Are there certain features that are more appealing for Koreans? I also think changing your default language on your computer is a really interesting way to practice. Since we're on our computers a lot these days, it must be really helpful to have constant exposure to the language.