In my Korean studies, I study phonetics (the study of human speech sounds), phonology (sound patterning), syntax (the arrangement and the form of words), and semantics (meaning). I started learning Korean with a textbook that outlines what the Korean letters are, how they sound, and some words that use that letter. First, I learn how to pronounce the sounds in Korean. Syntax is another lesson, which is how the characters are arranged to form letters, and how the letters are arranged to form words. Finally, semantics is putting all of the above together and actually learning what words mean. Pragmatics, how speakers use language in ways which cannot be predicted from linguistic knowledge alone, includes taking turns in conversation, text organization, and implicature. It is more advanced because it involves aspects of language that are easier to learn in a native setting than by oneself. As for the outer ring of the diagram, I do not study these structures in Korean. These perspectives are relevant for people who are proficient in the written and verbal forms of the language, and want to delve deeper into a particular field. As of now, I am not interested in studying these perspectives, as I wish to start with first learning the language.
Overall, my main focus is on the semantics of Korean. While phonetics, phonology, and syntax are important, it is impossible to have a conversation without meaning. Knowing what words mean in Korean will allow me to have simple conversations in Korean.
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