When I first decided that I wanted to learn Korean, I wanted to focus on learning basic conversational phrases. My emphasis was also on verbal communication. After 3 months of studying Korean (under several different teachers), I have discovered that my focus has changed. The majority of my time and effort has gone into learning the Korean alphabet. This is very important because it is the foundation for all written Korean. Furthermore, it will help me achieve my future language goals easier. Additionally, I have been learning the technical foundations of the Korean language, rather than just memorizing vocabulary. This also makes sense to me, because it will allow me to really understand the language so that I can use it however I need to. I do not want to be in a position in which I know a lot of vocabulary words and phrases, but do not know how to adapt them to use in different situations. Overall, my process of learning a new language can be illustrated with an exponential graph. The beginning (which is where I am now) is slow and steady, with not much quick progress. However, I am laying the foundation for me to hopefully advance faster.
As I finish this semester with my current language partners, I hope to continue to learn how the Korean language is structured and how it functions. I think it is better to learn grammar with a knowledgeable teacher who can explain it to me. I think that grammar is the most difficult aspect of learning any new language. I actually prefer studying vocabulary because it is easier for me to memorize words than understand new concepts. I can study vocabulary on my own anytime, but I cannot understand new grammatical concepts on my own. For this reason, I will learn the more difficult concepts from my language partners and focus on expanding my vocabulary after the semester ends.
Over Thanksgiving break, I have been enjoying speaking Korean with my family members. My grandmother is pleased that I am learning Korean and is eager to help me in my studies. She is helpful in correcting my pronunciation and teaching me more simple phrases. She is also great to practice with because she is incredibly patient and enthusiastic.
I am really trying to speak Korean whenever I can, because only practice will help me improve in my speaking and listening skills. Jenna told me that students in Korea are very good at reading and writing in English, but they are not as good at speaking and listening. This is because they have to study English in school, but they do not get much practice verbally using the language. I hope to be able to speak and listen in Korean in particular because I predict that I will be speaking and listening in Korean more often than I will be reading and writing. However, I am realizing more and more that the different skills are intertwined, especially with a language that has an alphabet that is new to me.
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