Throughout this semester as a language learner and cultural explorer, I had a lot of fun yet encountered difficulties throughout the learning journey. The greatest difficulty that I experienced was how I had to find a way to improve my Korean when I was already somewhat proficient with the language. I was a little lost at the beginning of my learning journey, trying to really get a hold of what it should look like. My learning partner, Vivian, really helped me a lot in finding great sources so that I could improve in every area that I intended to focus on. The areas included reading, writing, listening, speaking, and learning new cultural factors of Korea. Other helpful sources were the SDLC 105 course and sources I received while I was studying abroad at Yonsei University. The Self-Directed Language Learning course really expanded my view of learning a language. There are so many more components to learning a language that do not always have to be the literary part of the language. It led me to branch off into the cultural elements that relate to and build the language. Also, the sources from Yonsei University were more literary, with rules of sentence structure and ways of interpreting Korean writing.
These sources were based on my self-interest which was entertaining yet included a lot of new aspects that expanded my vocabulary inventory, cultural knowledge, and linguistics. The three main sources that I used were YouTube, Netflix, and Naver. Since my goal was to become more native in every aspect, these sources helped with my fluency. Some specific channels and shows that I would recommend others watch include The Korean Englishman, Infinite Challenge, and The Glory. These contents are full of Korean culture that is not really spoken about and provide realistic experiences.
The website platform, Naver is a great tool for learning more formal and business related Korean skills. It provides short and entertaining yet heavy topics through its news articles and news videos.
These platforms were perfect as they suit the more media oriented culture that Korea’s development and innovations provide.
Vivian, my language partner, was super helpful in reviewing my writing and speaking skills on the topics we have covered. She also provided new perspectives on certain Korean cultures. I feel more comfortable holding conversations that are more casual, including slang terms or abbreviations that are trending in Korea.
I think this semester I had a good balance between studying the literary and cultural aspects of learning about Korea and Hangul. I started applying more Korean perspectives in my daily life, such as how I would translate certain phrases in Korean or how I, as a Korean, would view a certain topic.
During the summer, I am planning to continue my individual studies and also prepare for the next semester. I am hoping to have a more planned schedule by splitting the areas I need improvement in instead of aiming for them all at once. I am grateful to be in this class and to really embrace my Korean identity and learn more about where I come from.
Comments
I totally relate to feeling a little lost in all of the different approaches you can take to this class! I'm glad that you were able to find authentic sources that helped.