This past month, my language partner and I continued to delve into business articles, focused on writing and grammar, and learned about the culture of Korean company dinners.
I read an article about value invest marketing (가치 투자 마케팅) and its relevance in contemporary marketing strategies. I knew what 투자 (invest) meant in Korean before hand, but it was my first time hearing 가치 투자 마케팅. I learned about how it is commonly used in business context to discuss investment decisions that prioritize long-term value in terms of marketing. Another word that I thought was relevant that I learned was 조각 투자 which means fractional investment of an asset rather than purchasing it outright. Encountering these advanced business terms in the text provided me with valuable exposure to specialized vocabulary used in Korean business contexts, helping me expand my language skills and understanding of business-related topics.
We also did one week of focusing on writing and grammar skills using the Yonsei University’s Korean writing textbook. I had to do a writing sample after “interviewing” my language partner about her experience studying abroad. I asked her questions about why she decided to study abroad in Korea, how her experience was there, what it was like to listen to lectures in Korean, and etc. Afterwards, my language partner corrected my grammar and I created a before and after table of the things that I got wrong in terms of grammar, vocabulary, expressions, and others. My most common mistake was using gerunds, so I had to adjust phrases like 준비하는 (preparing) into 준비하기 위한 (for preparing) indicating the purpose of the action. I also had to refine a lot of sentence structure for better cohesion because my writing style would be more speaking tone than the proper writing tone. For example, I would say 아까 전에 말했지만 (as I mentioned earlier) but the proper way to write it would be 위에서 언급했듯이 (as mentioned above), which is more of a formal and proper way. I also had to adjust comparative expressions by adding “not very many” insead of using “none” and using 비하면 to mean “compared to” instead of “than.” This helped me realize which aspects I had the most difficulty with in terms of writing and it taught me a lot about which areas I should focus on and how to improve them in my writing samples.
On top of learning about the business world in Korea, we also added a new focus of the tradition of 회식. 회식 is known as company dinners (typically held at korean bbq restaurants), which is an integral part of Korean working culture as it serves as a platform for team bonding, networking, and informal communication. There are many social rules that employees should socially follow and my language partner taught me the do’s and don’ts along with common phrases and words that are used in these settings. One of the key social rules of 회식 is the emphasis on group harmony and hierarchy, with junior staff members expected to defer to their seniors and demonstrate respect. Like I learned last month with regards to hierarchy positions, it’s important that those who are in the lower ranking such as 사원 (staff, clerk, member, analyst) or 주임 (associates) receive drinks from their higher-ups as refusing a drink could be considered impolite. Next month, my language partner and I will continue reading business related articles about marketing or analytics, learn about the changing entertainment industry in Korea, and do more grammar practices using the Yonsei textbook.
Comments
It's incredibly impressive to see the depth and breadth of topics you've been exploring with your language partner over the past month. Your focus on business articles, grammar, and cultural insights truly reflects a well-rounded approach to language learning. I'm confident that your continued efforts will lead to even greater proficiency and fluency in the language. Keep up the fantastic work!