With what I learned last semester, I would say that my Korean level is about intermediate. Continuing on from last semester, my goals for the next few months is basically to continue what I learned last semester. Because Korean is my first language, I am somewhat able to understand basic conversations and read basic passages. What I do have problems with is speaking in general, writing, or reading in context that goes beyond what is discussed in daily life. This is something that I started to work on last semester. While I did improve, I feel that these are skills which needs more than 4 months. I am hoping that by working with my language partner this semester, my skills will continue to improve. As we started to last semester, we will continue to read more challenging articles and speak about topics which discuss more difficult topics.
Interpersonal communication remains one of my focus points for this class, as it was last semester, as it is still an area which needs more work. My reasoning for taking this class is to be more knowledgeable in my first language, and be able to use it comfortably. Therefore, interpersonal communication is obviously an area which needs focus. I can generally understand most of what someone is saying as long as the vocabulary remains somewhat basic. However, it still takes a little more time for me when I try to say the same things. I sometimes have problems with coming up with the vocabulary or saying my sentences in the correct grammatical structure. This becomes a much bigger area to work on when it comes to discussing things like current events. The main issue seems to be my lack of knowledge in higher-level vocabulary. By studying on my own as well as conversing weekly with my language partner, I feel that I will be able to continue to improve in these areas.
Listening: As it was last semester, this is probably the area I am most comfortable with. While the issue with my lack of knowledge in vocabulary sometimes causes issues while listening, I can generally use context clues to get the general idea of most conversations. However, this becomes more difficult when watching the news because they generally speak in monotone and use difficult vocabulary. Because of this, I have been watching news clips as a part of my learning plan since last semester. By doing this alone and with my language partner, I hope to continue in this area as well.
Writing: This is probably the most difficult area for me, as it requires me to come up with vocabulary on my own, as well as knowledge on spelling. For me, the most difficult part of Korean is spelling, as there are numerous ways to write something that sounds exactly the same. I think this just requires more hands-on practice, and thus is something I have been working on since SDLC 110. Last semester, my language partner had me write a paragraph on various topics and he would correct me on my mistakes. I feel that this helped me a lot as I was able to practice writing and get immediate response. Since this was very useful, I plan to do this during this semester as well.
Reading: Generally, I can read anything in Korean although I may stutter or read slowly compared to as I would in English. However, sometimes because I'm focusing on reading out loud and my pronunciation, it becomes more difficult for me to comprehend what I have just read. I think this also takes more practice and will improve over time. Therefore, I will continue to read out loud news articles in order to practice this skill.
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