Christy Buranaamorn
Dr. Grove
SDLC 105
April 1, 2014
SDLC Reflection Paper #2
As of April 1, 2014, it has been about 11 weeks since I started my project of learning Korean back in mid-January. I believe that my progress in learning the Korean language has evolved and developed a great deal. When I first began this journey with my peers and teachers, I was a blank slate completely. My previous background knowledge was solely comprised of the random Korean dramas I had seen and my newfound interest in Korean pop music. I had never tried to learn how to read or write in the Korean language. Therefore I knew right away that I desired a solid strategy or game plan on how to learn all of this in a consistent and efficient manner. This is where the Learning Plan really came into play. Creating a Learning Plan was a fantastic way for me to narrow down the topics and concepts that I wished to learn. As of February 5, 2014, I had learned the basics of being able to read the Korean alphabet (hangul), how to create small and basic words, and solidified my knowledge of common Korean phrases from dramas and TV shows. I created my list of goals and tasks which I have been trying to check off one-by-one. Of course, this is a lengthy process and I am not expecting to learn how to speak Korean like a native in a few months. But my thoughts truly feel more organized with this learning plan in mind.
In learning my target language, I naturally gravitated towards learning about cultural concepts in South Korea firstly. This relates to the importance of understanding Korean traditions, customs, and general way of life. It was also significant to learn about the norm in Korea in relation to the volume of speaking, tonation, pronunciation, and enunciation. Being able to recognize direct and indirect communication is key in order to understand what yes and what no means based on the cultural context. Also, the idea of personal space is another major cultural concept, which I wanted to delve into and learn more about. The last thing that I would want to do is unintentionally disrespect someone in Korea when this slip-up could have been prevented through careful research and simply practicing! After looking at these concepts, I wanted to focus more on the details and facts. I began to practice everyday conversations with my language partner Sun and my fellow Korean-learners. We have learned how to order food, how to say hello/goodbye, and how to count from one to ten, to name a few examples. We have also looked at how to create more complex words, phrases, and sentences.
I am a very interactive as well as visual learner. Therefore Sun was the perfect language partner. She would create practice sheets for class and have the students practice how to write and speak in Korean. She even gave us a challenge to translate specific Korean sentences into romanized Korean in order to see if we can read hangul. There was also a prize for whoever finished the challenge the quickest and had the most accurate responses. This was an educational as well as fun way to learn Korean. Practicing with my peers outside of class has also been very helpful. In regards to what has not worked, I find that my attempts to create order and discipline in my Korean language had failed immensely in the beginning. At first, I thought that I would spontaneously want to study and practice Korean at sporadic times during the day. Yet I have realized that I need to set aside a specific time to practice or else I will completely skip my learning time. This would only set me a step back on my journey to learn Korean. Studying can also involve watching YouTube videos or watching a Korean drama. I do not need to limit myself in the ways in which I can study. People learn languages in different ways and this course has helped me to see that I need interaction with others to learn as well as discipline in myself. For the future, I want to continue my learning plan and learn how to tell time and learn more numbers. After graduation, I want to try the 30-day challenge, as we spoke about in our last class, to see if I can stick to my goals and continue to learn more Korean. One does not necessarily need other people to learn something new; I want to progress even when this self-directed learning course will unfortunately end. This course has provided great tools for me to continue on my Korean learning journey.
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