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South Korea has a lot of very important cultural landmarks. The majority is located in the capital of the Republic of Korea, Seoul. All five Royal Palaces of Joseon are located in Seoul and hold high cultural significance and serve as popular tourist attractions. These palaces feature a throne hall, a royal council hall, sleeping quarters, the prince’s residence, and a garden. The construction features wood, a tilted roof, and pillars with colored paintings (“The 5 Palaces of Seoul.”, 2012).

The Gyeongbokgung Palace was built in 1395 as the main royal palace. It was burnt down during the Japanese invasion in 1592, but built back up in 1867, just to be destroyed again around 50 years later. It was renovated in the 1990s and now serves as the  National Palace Museum of Korea and the National Folk Museum. (“Historical Heritage of Seoul.”) The Changdeok Palace was built in 1405 and also burnt down during the Japanese invasion. However, it was restored in 1609 and became the new state palace. Its garden was named UNESCO World Heritage in 1997. The Changgyeong Palace was built in 1483. During the Japanese invasion a zoo, botanical garden, and museum were added, but these features were taken down after the restoration of the palace in 1984. The Gyeonghui Palace was built in 1623 as a royal villa, rather than an official government building. Lastly, the Deoksu Palace was originally called the Gyeongun Palace, but was renamed by the Emperor Gojong in 1907. This palace differs from the other palaces because it incorporates both traditional wooden Korean, as well as Western features (“The 5 Palaces of Seoul.”, 2012).

“Historical Heritage of Seoul.” Historical Heritage of Seoul : Korea.net : The Official Website of the Republic of Korea, www.korea.net/AboutKorea/Tourism/Historical-Heritage-Seoul.

“The 5 Palaces of Seoul.” The Chosun Ilbo (English Edition): Daily News from Korea, 24 Jan. 2012, english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2012/01/24/2012012400190.html.

One of my friends from Missouri State University, Minki Kang, was born in Korea and moved to the US with his family in high school. We always talked a lot about the cultural differences between the US and our home countries and it was very interesting to hear his stories and points of view. When I enrolled for this class, I told him immediately. He was very excited to hear that I am learning Korean and very eager to help. The other day we just chatted on snapchat when I suggested us talking in Korean instead. We had an easy conversation with a normal greeting and asking how the other one is and then we talked about our plans for after this semester. Even though I had to look up some words, the conversation went pretty smooth and he was impressed with how much I knew after just one semester. I was great to actually apply my learning outside of class and to learn new vocabulary through talking to him.

Although this semester did not turn out the way I expected it to be, I still learned a lot outside of language itself. I do plan to pursue learning Turkish in the future, as I am still a little disappointed in myself for stopping. However, I do have the resources on the Ning and did work with some of the resources that were advised to me. I can continue learning Turkish through the books that Merve suggested, online resources, and continuing my journey through possibly finding a language partner once I reach that step. My greatest challenge has definitely been trying to create these posts in reference to my target language, which I am not currently enrolled in. Also, I had a hard time in trying to make posts not circulated around language, but deviated towards the country/culture commonly associated with it. 

The Learning Styles survey we took in our first week of classes gave me greater insight on my learning style, which was something I would have never tried to make an effort to figure out. I can better establish goals in my future language learning settings and draw from my learning plan that I originally devised. I now have a better sense in how to gain greater knowledge in terms of language, with techniques that may be something I find more comfortable. However, I enjoyed the learning activities and our writing assignments as a means for us to reflect on our own languages. In looking up the history of Turkish and reading about Ottoman Turkish, I gained insight on the roots of the languages along with the influences throughout history on the language. Even looking up the language families of my target language gave me a better understanding of what I was to expect and what I was working with. I think people often do not think about the branches or families of languages that they are learning, even though it may benefit them in knowing. 

I particularly enjoyed our earlier readings in regards to Hofstede Dimensions of Culture, since interpretations of culture often plays a big part in language and understanding. By looking up Turkey, in reference to these dimensions of culture, I was able to draw many similarities and differences in our cultures. I did learn that I am awful at figuring out IPA phonetic spelling and that it is something I should never seriously pursue, but I did have fun trying to guess the spellings for certain words. I also enjoyed talking about dying languages and took this as an opportunity to read and explore the dying languages in the regions of the world I am interested in. Even though most of the people that do end up taking SDLC may not be learning a language that is going extinct, it is important for people to be aware of the factors that contributed to such a decline. Also, looking up the other languages that are often the second language of the country associated with your language will give you a greater insight on how these languages became more and more outdated. 

The teaching presentations was one of the highlights of the semester, even though I don't really know Turkish past the alphabet and twenty words. It gave me a better idea of how we process and present language, especially one that may be very unfamiliar to us. In figuring out how to properly present simple words, phrases, and ideas to people who may not otherwise have any exposure to the language. I do believe that you never really know something until you teach it, which may be easier if you have lower knowledge in the subject. Even though I was pulling out words and phrases that I completely was unfamiliar with, I had a good time in explaining the patterns and how to say certain words. 

I have studied Russian with people who were not aware of Russian-speaking countries besides Russia and Ukraine. Often, we learn a language without having much insight on the cultural roots besides the general stereotypes that are persistent in our language books. This class has overall served as a means of intercultural communication and cultural self-awareness that has definitely benefited many of us. I would have never learned so much about Turkish culture and the roots of the language itself. I do think it should be a greater requirement for people learning any language at all, to be given the task to do even simple background research on the history and cultural aspects of their target language. 

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Exchanging gifts holds a high significance in Korean culture. It is important for “Kibun” and shows respect. Guests are expected to bring a gift for the host, including the host’s pre-school children and elderly family members. In addition to this, business gifts are also an important gesture. They are usually given at the first meeting, with giving the person with the highest rank the most expensive gift. This is done to build a relationship, influence decision makers, and are reciprocal. Gifts are always given with both hands and are never opened in front of the giver. Brands are very important in gift giving and a gift from a luxury brand is seen as more important than the item itself. The wrapping of a gift is also a major aspect of gift giving. A common gift within families is money. Thank you notes are not sent in Korean culture.

https://www.korea4expats.com/article-gift-giving.html

Korean culture and language are very sensitive to respect and etiquette. Simply by addressing someone in the wrong way or by using a less formal word when speaking to them, it can hurt that person’s pride, or “Kibun”. Hangul has many different forms of many words, representing different levels of formalities. Directly saying no in Korea is also seen as very rude, therefore, telling so called “white lies” is better than rejecting someone outwardly. The professional title of a person should always be used unless told otherwise by that person. Greetings usually consist of bowing, which gives the other person some personal space and shows respect. Invitations to someone’s home are a great honor and certain rules should be followed. The guest should arrive on time, bring a gift, and take off his or her shoes upon entering the house. The host will seat and serve the guest, and an invitation for drinks should never be declined. Feet should also never touch any furniture because this is seen as rude and disrespectful (South Korea Guide).

“South Korea Guide .” Commisceo Global, www.commisceo-global.com/resources/country-guides/south-korea-guide.

This week we wrapped up the class and took the final. When I studied I was impressed by how much material we have covered. Thinking back to the beginning of the semester, I had never even tried to learn any Korean characters and I did not know that Hangul was pretty much structured like our alphabet. Even though I still have a lot to learn, I am proud of the progress I have made and the things I have learned. It did not feel like I learned all too much at first, but when I looked back at all the different topics we have covered and the things I am now able to read, write, say, and hear, I can tell how much I learned and how much material we have covered. Even though I wish I could continue taking the structured, small group sessions here, I am very determined to continue studying Korean and getting better at the language. I will try to do this with the help of an app, different textbooks, through my friend Minki, and hopefully through a class back in Germany.

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We started learning numbers and the different types of number system. And what they're used for. We also talked about why there are two different number, and their origins/cultural significance.

We went over the alphabets and had a quiz. And we went over vocabulary and phrases I learned in the fall. I learned new sentences/scenarios where I can use the vocabulary I already know. 

We went over the alphabets and had a quiz. And we went over vocabulary and phrases I learned in the fall. I learned new sentences/scenarios where I can use the vocabulary I already know. 

At the beginning of the semester, we planned out my learning goals for the semester. I focused more on vocabulary I can use in basic communication in Korean. We also planned on having more homework assignments and quizzes this semester to keep track of my progress. We also spent time going over things I learned last semester.

Recently, the new music video of Black Pink, Kill This Love, was banned by South Korean television network KBS, and the reason for the ban is a scene in which band member Rose drives a car without wearing a seatbelt. Since KBS has been known to be strict for the regulations and disqualification including traffic law violation. At the beginning, I thought it was a interesting news; however, since K-pop has such a huge influence in South Korea, especially for teenagers, so that the strictness of broadcast should be appreciated.

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My goals for these last two weeks were to continue dictation and proverb practice on top of preparing for the final exam. I deviated from these goals slightly. Moving on from using proverbs to do dictation, we decided to use famous 6,8 poems for dictation practice. 6,8 poems are poems with 6 words in the first line and 8 words in the second line. A lot of these poems have messages you would normally find in proverbs, but with more of a lyrical/rhythmical feel to it. This was really fun to do. I got to learn more about Vietnamese poetry and the vocabulary was really unique as well. For example, one of the vocabulary words was a stick used to measure how deep a river is. I think this word would have been hard to come across in any other context. Additionally, because we are doing poetry some of the words in the same line sound very close to each other, but are spelled differently. This challenged me to listen more carefully to the subtle differences in sound before spelling the word. With all the dictation practice I've been doing, I've definitely seen an obvious improvement in my writing skills.

For the exam, we agreed to use the last day of class for the final exam and the previous class to prepare for it. We went over some of the learnt material that I was confused about and continued with dictation. Like the midterm, all 4 skills were tested.

Other than that, we also wrapped up the semester by discussing my progress and how I plan to continue my Vietnamese learning.  I think this was an important conversation to have. It got me thinking about my goals in the beginning and how I can continue developing my skills despite not being in the program anymore. I realized that I would need to continue my own research for Vietnamese and find ways to keep practicing.

This year, my parents moved to Korea. To be more specific, the circled area, which is just outside of Seoul. It's amazing that I will be going back to Korea every summer and winter from now on. I will be able to explore Korea culture first handed now that I will be visiting more frequently. This is an amazing opportunity for me to learn Korean and Korean culture.

This is one of the famous painting in Korea known as the 연화도. The painting consists of lotus flowers and cranes which have very special meanings. This painting is usually given to a newly brought couple. In the painting, there are lotus flowers and cranes. The lotus flowers represent that the couple should live happily ever after. The cranes represent being clean and humble as well as have many children. The overall meaning of this painting is that you should live diligently and humbly, and have many children as a loving couple. This painting is usually given from the parents because that is the heart of the parents when you get married.