For now, I have learned the basic syllables, and I am working on the memorization of them since they are the key for reading Korean. Also, I have learned several daily expressions such as “what’s your name”. I remember the music video showed in class: the repetition of one phrase helps me master it quickly. At this point, I have not felt the impact of Korean culture on my language learning process because I am still at the beginning level.
However, I believe the culture will play a major role in my future Korean study since the language is the vehicle for the culture. In my Korean study, I experience the relationship between the language and the culture in two particular respects. At first, Korea values collectivism. In the past, Korea was invaded by several countries; therefore, Koreans deeply understand the power of unity. In traditional Korean houses, rooms are separated by wall dividers instead of actual walls because Koreans believe that the house is shared by the whole family. Also, all the people in the country speak Korean. Although there are dialects, they are so similar that people can easily understand each other. As a result, this advocacy of collectivism has influenced the language. Koreans tend to say “our” and “us” even what they are trying to say is only about the individual. For instance, they would say “our mother” and “our family” instead of “my mother” and “my family. The group is superior to the individual. Moreover, the use of honorifics also reflects the relationship between understanding Korean and the Korean culture. Besides collectivism, Koreans value Confucianism, which emphasizes seniority rules and filial piety. Hence, when Koreans meet each other at the first time, they might ask some private questions such as age and job. It seems to be a rude action; in fact, it turns out to be the opposite. Koreans hope to decide from this information whether they need to use honorifics.
In order to improve my communicative competence, I need to delve into the culture. I figure out two ways to accomplish this goal: through Korean drama and social network services. Although I am currently learning alphabets, it is not too early for me to watch Korean dramas. In my opinion, the point of watching Korean drama is not to understand what the characters are saying but to feel the tone of native speakers. From my English learning experiences, I realized that many Chinese do not sound native while speaking English even they are fluent and can talk without accent. Because tone is also a part of language, I believe listening to native speakers will enhance my understanding of Korean in my future study. Secondly, social network is also a great tool to effectively learn Korean. As network and information sharing rapidly develop, people enjoy discussing popular topics online. In the discussion, the language is evolving. For instance, people might start using the opposite meaning of a word for irony. At the same time, new words that cannot be found in dictionary might be created from popular topics.
In conclusion, understanding the culture is essential for learning a language; therefore, delving into the culture and history is equally important as memorizing vocabularies and grammars. Accomplishing this process through entertainments can be more effective and efficient.
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