Besides my primary languages, the only language I formally learned was Latin, which I took for a few years in high school. It wasn’t too difficult, since English and Latin share many similarities. We would go over literature, vocabulary, work on worksheets, etc. which were all very helpful. There was nothing in particular that I disliked, but I did notice that some parts of the class seemed less effective. Watching videos and documentaries, for example, didn’t help much with the language. I was better able to understand the culture of the Ancient Roman Empire, which I understood was still important for the learning process, but in terms of language, it seemed a bit redundant. Because Latin is currently rarely spoken and rather used more for terminology, I found myself reading and writing quite a bit, but scarcely speaking it. Sometimes I would converse with the teacher, but it wasn’t quite helpful. If I had been able to converse, had continual practice, and was immersed in an environment where the language was prominent, that would have helped me in the most effective way. I noticed this with my Korean as well. My parents would only speak Korean in the house, forcing me to continuously practice conversation and vocabulary, which I believed helped me to get much better at speaking. Being raised in a Korean community meant the same thing - I was able to converse with other Koreans and immerse myself into the environment. I am still lacking in many aspects, but continuous usage of the language was definitely the most productive practice.
Going forward, I am hoping to apply this insight with improving my Korean. Of course, I understand the importance of reading and writing as well, but I hope that I will be able to converse with speakers who are more proficient in the language. I understand the Korean community at Richmond may be more limited to what I am used to, but I believe I can immerse myself into a Korean environment through other ways, whether it be reading articles daily or listening to podcasts. I think continuity is the most essential to my learning, even with other subjects. I hope that I will be able to expand my conversational skill through continuity, and that such improvement will guide my reading/writing skills. I plan to also take a step back every so often to really soak in what I have learned, to really connect the meaning with the word/phrase.
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