My language partner and I have been diving into the differences between spoken and written Korean. Just like English, most people don't speak in the format of written Korean, as written language tends to be extensive, formal, and awkward. However, in Korean the form of the words alter slightly depending on it being spoken or written, so I need to put more attention into the details when writing a phrase/word that I'm accustomed to speaking one way. I've noticed the difference a lot more when reading news article and such, as they are far more formal than the average piece of writing. After reading an article, I talk to my partner about it, summarizing the article, but also in the process of doing so I'm able to hear myself and my partner, discerning the differences between spoken and written Korean. Other times, I do the reverse - talk and record a few sentences/paragraphs to my partner, then try to write it down in its more formal counterpart.
Overall, I think this practice has helped me improve my writing more than I initially thought it would, which is great. I'm going to continue this with my partner and keep my eyes open for new practices.
Comments
I think what you did this month is one of my biggest difficulties in learning and teaching Korean. Sometimes I get confused the reason why it is different from the speaking and written format of Korean. I think it is also good to go over the different ways of writing such as casual or formal.
It's nice to see that you're not only focusing on the spoken aspect of Korean, especially since writing in Korean is (in my opinion) one of the hardest to learn. And I get what you mean when you mention that the written language tends to be more awkward, since many of the grammatical structures do not have a set rule that can be seen immediately. This is perhaps something I could also do in the future if my Korean becomes good enough, thank you for the idea!
Your meticulous approach to discerning the nuances between spoken and written Korean is commendable. It's fascinating how your engagement with news articles, coupled with discussions and reciprocal practices with your language partner, has significantly enhanced your writing skills. Your commitment to continuous improvement is evident and inspiring. Keep up the excellent work!