SDLC 110: Monthly Journal #2

[Justina Morris]

Currently, I am working on learning how to say what the weather is like and continuing to learn how to say the date and time for basic conversation (like being able to tell time, date, day of the week, and integrating that with how to tell what the weather is like in, using simple sentences). Next on my agenda is learning vocabulary for food items so if I am going out to eat at a Korean restaurant with my language partner, I will be able to order food and ask questions about items on the menu. I hope I will be able to accurately understand the format of how the sentences are formed and be able to purse that. Through learning Korean, I have been a little frustrated with memorizing the vocabulary and speaking it the proper way when pronouncing the words. I did find songs on Youtube for learning Korean have really helped me get a better grasp on memorizing which I will continue to use as it made me a more hopeful in my language journey. I think I should really use Korean music more often to learn vocabulary as it keeps me more engaged, and also, I can become more and more familiar with translating the words as I listen to the songs. And I also think that using Quizlet will be of great help to me as well which I will start doing now on forward, for vocabulary and phrases that I am still having difficulty with. A not-so-successful experience in my learning would be me not allotting enough time needed to Korean and having to spend more time on topics than initially planned for. Part of the reason for this was having to take some time off from class due to illness but also balancing work from other classes, but I will find a way to better manage time for homework. Something that I would like to do as a long-term goal is to focus more on understanding the basic format of Korean sentences for word order to preserve a sentence’s meaning and also learn conjunction words and use them properly in Korean so in the future, I will be able to make a sentence more complex and diverse. I think another goal I would like to accomplish is using what I’ve learned so far to have a short dialogue with my partner to see how far I am. I think in the beginning the strategies used were effective and they have helped me improve. But as I am learning more, I think by integrating quizlet, learning Korean songs, and managing my time better I will do even better.

[Parisa Mershon]

A short dialogue is a great idea! I know for my language learning, I try to alternate with more formal writing pieces with less formal (more conservational, rather) dialogues. I think trying to speak both sides of your target language is an important step in understanding when (and why) native speakers use more formal language. Dialogues can also be a much easier stepping stone into improvised/non-scripted conversational speech. Good luck!

[Yanran Li]

Hi Justina! Thank you for your post! I also learned words about the weather and how to express the weather this semester. And I found it really interesting when describing "There’s lighting" 번개 처. Because lighting doesn’t continuously appear in the sky, it shows up and disappears, so the verb “처” is used to give a sense of suddenly showing up.  

[Rachel Lim]

I think it is very interesting that you find songs on Youtube to help you learn your vocabulary in Korean. It is a very convenient and smart way to learn a language. I think your learning strategies are great! I think using Korean music to learn more vocabulary is a good plan. If you have a favorite song you listen to alot it is easier to listen to the korean words everyday and practice listening skills.