Fionna Poon
SDLC 105
Reflection #2
Before my learning began, I was very excited to learn Korean as a way to further connect with my Korean friends. Hanging around them obviously made me interested in learning Korean. It also doesn't hurt to not feel left out when they speak Korean among themselves. And so that was my motivation to learn Korean. I learned Latin in college for my language requirement for 2 years. But since Latin is a "dead language", I wanted to learn a language that was more current and one that I could use after college. Hence I chose Korean. I saw SDLC 105 and 110 as my easy classes as well so it would be a good way to finish off my college career.
My experience with Korean wasn't completely new when I first started. I was familiar with the Korean alphabet and already knew a few words, but they were a smatter of random words. For example I knew hello, thank you, sorry, i'm sleepy, i'm hungry, and are you okay? Therefore by learning Korean, it would help me create sentences and phrases with these words as well as create a sort of meaning and structure to the words.
Now that I have gotten into the swing of self learning, I realize that learning by myself isn’t as easy as I had originally thought. It's definitely hard being a language learner when you have other important things to do as well. For example, learning a language at the same time as doing work for other classes. I kind of felt like I wasn't paying as much attention to learning Korean as much as I was trying to finish homework for other classes. The reasons were because of a lack of time in a day and my inability to finish work quickly. There were times when I would have to decide whether I should forego learning Korean or forego sleep. One of the difficulties that comes with learning any new language in my opinion is that the language isn't being taught like a regular class. This makes it difficult for people to keep up and there is no feeling of responsibility to keep up. For example in a class, teachers require homework to be passed in, tests and quizzes, and participation. On the other hand, a language partner won't hold you accountable for the work that you do, you don't need to pass anything in for a grade, and you don't need to take tests and quizzes. For myself, I didn't really consider my meetings with my language partner as a class that I was required to attend like a regular class does. Attendance wasn’t mandatory and so that made it difficult for me to find the motivation to go to class after or before a busy week. In my opinion, this was a prominent obstacle in my learning process.
A difficulty though that I experienced with my language partner is his lack of knowledge. As a non-Korean speaker, I had many questions since I wasn't familiar with the language. Most of my questions centered around grammar confusions and why certain words were written a certain way. For example, in Korean there are two ways to write the "ae" sound. Therefore, naturally I asked what the difference was between the two and in which situations would I use each one. While he did try his best to answer my questions, I could tell that he didn't know what the difference was between the 2 besides how they're written. When I asked him how I would know when to use which spelling of "ae" for each word, he didn't know either and told me to just memorize how they're written.
Grammar was an issue as well since my partner couldn't transfer the same information that his teachers taught him onto me. He couldn't provide me with more in-depth knowledge on Korean grammar. Therefore I was a bit confused about certain words, phrases, and grammar as well as why they are the way they are. Although, I am grateful that he did try his best to eliminate some of the confusion. Consequently, learning not in a classroom setting is really difficult when you can't rely on a teacher, who is very knowledgeable about the ins and outs of the Korean language, to explain certain things that are confusing. As a result, clarity is not completely present in my learning.
Creating a learning plan for the semester was definitely a first for me. I didn't really know what to say or write for it. I had trouble coming up with tasks that didn't overlap onto my goals. The learning plan definitely made me think of what I should focus on learning during the semester and tailor what I want to learn within 15 weeks of classes. I think it helped to provide guidance in my learning.
In regards to my learning, Korean in the beginning was not too hard since I was reviewing with my partner on what I know and don't know. But as the weeks progressed, it definitely got more challenging as I acquired more vocabulary and phrases. Overall though I think my learning of Korean is worth it
Comments
No, we have said up front that language partners are not teachers. They are not supposed to know how to explain grammar; they are to supply vocabulary and help you practice speaking and writing. We have reference materials that do explain grammar and other aspects of the language. You're supposed to use them during the days between practices with your language partner.