Reflection #2 – SDLAP 105

[Dominique Brown]

As of now in my Korean language learning journey, I am no longer taking the SDLAP 110 course. I have decided that the amount of coursework that the class required was a lot more than I had expected and that I probably would not have been able to expend as much energy into the class that was needed. As a result, my progress in learning the language afterwards has been limited to watching Korean TV shows, such as The Return of Superman, Korean dramas, such as Oh My Ghostess, and Korean music such as K-pop and ballads from dramas that I have finished watching. The Return of Superman is a reality show that focuses on the life of Korean celebrity fathers and the roles they play in their children’s lives. They are tasked on a regular basis to spend 48 hours with their child/children without their wives being around to help them. Since this is a television show that reflects the average life of Korean families, I am able to pick up on common words and phrases used in everyday speech. This is very helpful, especially in the process of learning when and how a particular word or phrase should be used. In addition to this, in the Korean drama Oh My Ghostess, these conversational expressions are further reinforced. However, the difference between the two is that in The Return of Superman, I am in a way learning the language the same way the children are learning, because there are daily instances where the parents are teaching their children new words or phrases, which in turn teaches me something new also. In the case of Korean music, I listen to it every day and each time I find myself picking up a new word every now and then, even if I have been listening to the song for weeks at a time. Through these different media platforms, I am not only learning the language over a period of time, but I am also learning a lot about the Korean culture and their cultural values. In k-dramas and television shows, for example, I am able to learn about the Korean hierarchal society based on age and experience through their use of either formal or informal speech. In addition to this, I am able to see how Koreans would act in everyday situations. I learn about various traditions that are done on special days, such as birthdays, where it is expected for people celebrating them to eat seaweed soup. Korean music, on the other hand, reveals just how conservative Korean society still is even when there are tons of k-pop stars showing lots of skin and dancing in provocative ways. Even though they outwardly appear this way, the lyrics to the songs they sing, for the most part are not explicitly stating that the topic is sex. If sex is the topic, it is often talked about and alluded to in very subtle ways. In order to improve my comprehension skills, I think that I should have a more orderly schedule set aside for just focusing on learning Korean and not trying to do it while multi-tasking with other subjects.