This week I had my first meetings with my Korean language partner, Jannette! We started off assessing my background in Korean -- which was none, complete beginner here! So then we discussed my previous language learning experiences and what I felt worked well and what I would like to work on this semester, which we also touched on in class this week. This week was very helpful as I learned new strategies to approach language learning that I had never considered before but would be super helpful, such as listening to the language through music or YouTube videos so I can be able to slow down and learn how words are pronounced. I also enjoyed learning about the different programs and resources that the Global Studio provides to help us improve our language skills, such as EdPuzzle, SCOLA interactive video lessons and other online programs targeted towards learning Korean, so I definitely plan on utilizing these in my learning with my language partner. As I’m continuing to work on my language plan, I shared with Jannette how my primary goal is to be able to have casual conversations in Korean so I can be more involved with my group of friends on campus who have a Korean background. Since I spend most of my time with them, I really would like to more fully understand their culture without them always having to explain things to me. In the next coming weeks, I hope to learn the basics such as the alphabet and key phrases used in conversation. I was so interested in class when we watched the TEDTalk about the key to learning multiple languages, and I never considered how there are words in our native language that give us access to thousands of words in different languages and language families. I always heard of cognates when learning Spanish, but never considered that they could apply to other languages, so as I start out learning Korean I also plan to incorporate learning collocations and trying to identify the most common words used in conversations in English so that I can learn to say them in Korean.
I also had a group meeting with Jannette and Eden, so that was very exciting and I feel like that will benefit me to be able to speak with other students who are also learning Korean. Hopefully that will take away some of my anxieties and need for perfectionism in pronouncing words correctly. We also discussed some of the activities we will incorporate to learn more about Korean culture, such as watching and listening to Korean dramas and videos about the history of Korea, as well as learning about Korean cultural artifacts and even possibly learning to cook traditional Korean dishes! I think this is a really great aspect of SDLC compared to my prior language learning experiences since we mainly were “taught” the culture through textbooks rather than trying activities to immerse ourselves in the cultural norms and practices of the target language. Overall, in terms of progress in learning actual Korean language, I learned to say hello in casual conversation and learned about how you add an ending when talking to someone older and respected. I honestly felt weird trying to mimic the sounds Jannette was making to teach me how to pronounce hello; it reminded me of comments in class feeling like an American trying to speak Korean. I finally started to understand what Dr. Marsh-Soloway meant when he told me I would have to make sounds that I’m not used to making in English! This week made me realize how much I’m going to have to practice by actually speaking to really learn the language, which was what the TEDTalk also touched on. However, I feel like my excitement with the things I’ve been learning in class have helped ease my nerves about learning Korean -- I feel up to the challenge and am looking forward to finalizing my goals for this semester!
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