I didn't get to work a lot on my speaking skills this semester because I wasn't assigned a language partner. I think it would have been nice to have someone to practice with, especially a native, so I could apply my knowledge and what I have learned and maybe receive comments or recommendations on ways to improve. Absence of a language partner was difficult in the beginning of the semester when I couldn't ask for help when I had trouble understanding a certain grammar concept or when I still couldn't fully understand a word/phrase with the help of a dictionary. But I actually met an exchange student from Korea from Yonsei University and she helped me a lot with my speaking skills. She also taught me popular Korean slangs and expressions, and I think my speaking fluency improved a lot with her help. In return, I helped her with her English and also helped translate from English to Korean and Korean to English, which also helped me in the long run for I became more comfortable switching between languages.
My favorite part was watching and learning from everyone’s cultural presentations. I gained both language and cultural exposure from Greece, Korea, Pakistan, Turkey, and Israel. In addition to improving my communicative competence, I think understanding the culture is an essential part of speaking the language, and I believe that this course did a good job in making connections between the Korean language and the culture.
I also enjoyed finding online resources and watching YouTube videos and lectures for learning Korean. There were a lot more than I had expected, and although I found more for sources for beginner level Korean, there were quite a few resources that catered towards my interest and current level of learning. I personally liked watching YouTube videos to learn because it was more interactive, but audio textbooks were also helpful in developing my listening and speaking skills as well.
In the future, I would like to learn more about the history of languages and how the grammatical structure was established for various languages. When I took Chinese in middle school, I realized that the grammar was somewhat similar to Korean. I’ve heard similar things about Japanese grammar too. I think it would be interesting and fun to explore the history and the similarities and differences between the grammatical structure of different languages.This opportunity as an autonomous learner gave me the chance to improve and advance my knowledge and understanding of my first language, and it has been very fulfilling. Throughout the semester, I have definitely improved my reading skills through the use of an audio book.
I want to continue working on my Korean, and I plan to enroll in SDLC 111 next semester if my schedule allows. Even if I can’t take SDLC 111 next semester, I plan on improving my Korean with all the resources I have found online and with the skills I have learned as a self-directed learner in class.
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