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During week 3, I learned more vocabulary and idioms because I wanted to learn even more than before. I particularly liked the idiom “My liver is going to fall off” because I thought it was rather unique and comical. It meant that one is so startled and scared that it is as if one’s liver will fall off. ON the other hand, I had some struggle with “My liver is swollen” because I could not easily see why it had any relevance to someone boldly acting without care or thought. However, with Jimin’s help, I began to grasp the concept behind the idiom. We ended the session with more episodes of a Korean comedy show, along with commentary all throughout. I thought the diversity of the material was very helpful to my learning methods because it triggered my brain to learn in different ways, instead of merely through written textbook material.

During week 4, I learned about the geography of South Korea. I enjoyed this session in particular because I have traveled across South Korea with my family to many different places but have never really taken the time to process where the place is relative to all of the other provinces, nor what characteristics the place is known for. I thought that this session provided a good balance of vocabulary and culture, for the slideshow that Jimin used to teach had many pictures and main points about each province. The slides included the popular dishes of each province, the geographical characteristics such as forests and water, and also some history as well. I enjoyed this session because it incorporated many different aspects of language and cultural learning into one. It motivated me to learn more about any place or province that I visit in Korea.

During week 1, Jimin and I sat down to discuss my learning goals and how to achieve them this semester. I emphasized that I wanted to read and analyze news articles, build my vocabulary even further from last semester, and incorporate more diverse learning materials and methods. We planned out the first few weeks of the semester and decided to build upon that as we went along. I thought having a planning session was very useful because it allowed me to truly individualize my learning experience and cater it to my needs and desires. I became rather excited about how much I would progress throughout the semester in terms of my Korean language speaking, cultural learning, and writing.  

During week 2, Jimin and I took a different approach than normal. We decided for me to learn a chunk of a few different concepts during one tutoring session to provide a more diverse learning experience in which I would not be overwhelmed with just one topic. Therefore, we discussed Korean idioms, vocabulary, and casual conversation. Korean idioms are commonly used sayings that have a deeper meaning, and thus they allow people to amplify their point and draw others in. Some examples are “My tongue is heavy” or “I grind my teeth,” which mean that I can keep secrets well and that I am vengeful, respectively. These new idioms were rather useful for me to incorporate into my everyday speaking so that I would be able to express my thoughts and feelings more maturely. I recognized many of them because I had heard Korean adults speak them before but never really comprehended the intensity and depth of them. In addition, I learned more advanced vocabulary as I had wished for this semester. Although I may not use them in my everyday conversations, I thought they would be useful especially in writing essays or formal conversations. I plan on incorporating the vocabulary and idioms I learned during this session into my writing and conversations, especially with my Korean-speaking parents. We finished up the session by watching a Korean comedy show that featured many famous celebrities that I was familiar with and incorporated conversation and culture as we casually talked and commented while watching the show. I thought it was a very natural way of learning about Korean pop culture and food.

This week we learned the different variations of 가다(to go) and 오다(to come) based on the different positions of where you are and your relation to the person going and coming. Some examples are 나가요 which means someone is leaving your house,room, etc. whereas 나와요 is when someone is coming outside to meet you. 올라가요 is when someone is leaving up the stairs. 내려와요 is when someone is coming down the stairs towards you. We also learned the different ethnic restaurants such as 한식집(Korean restaurant), 일식집(Japanese restaurant), 양식집(Western food restaurant), and 중국집(Chinese restaurant). The next week we learned the sentence structure where we suggest something. You first have the verb and then the subsequent ending of -ㄹ/을까요? You could say 식당에 갈까요?(Shall we go to the dining hall?) If you are talking more informally with someone you can use the structure of the verb used and the ending of -ㅂ/읍시다. This asks the listener to perform some action together and is a stronger way of suggesting something. For example, 영화를 봅시다(Let’s watch a movie together).

This week we learned vocabulary relating to family(가족). We learned family members such as great uncle(큰 아빠), uncle(삼촌), and aunt(고모). You would use these same terms for the mother’s side of the family but would also insert 외 to indicate it is the mother’s side. Some family members that are called differently on the mother’s side is aunt(이모). We then learned the irregular forms of verbs when using honorific speech with elders. When talking with someone older than you, you would first add -께서 to their title and then add the irregular or regular form of the verb you are using. Some irregular verbs in the honorific speech are 주무시다 versus informal 자다(to sleep) or 드시다 versus informal 먹다(to eat). Other than a few of these formal forms of verbs, the rest are used in the standard structure of using the verb and adding -으시다/시다. The next week we learned descriptive words such as 더럽니다(to be dirty), 춥다(to be cold), and 복잡하다(to be busy). 시원하다(to be cool) can be used to describe a person as well. A person who is called 시원해요 is considered a relaxed or “cool” person. We then used these descriptive words with the ending particle -고 which means “and” and links two words together. For example, 우체국이 좁고 복잡합니다(The post office is small and busy).

We learned some of the basic verbs used in Korean- 자다(to sleep), 가다(to go), and 만나다(to meet)- and then learned the basic structure of a simple sentence in which we could use them. In a simple sentence you first have the subject with a 은/는 particle depending if the subject ends in a consonant or vowel. Next is the object with 을/를 and then the verb with 습니다/ㅂ니다. The endings with the verb are said to be more formal in use. A sample sentence would be 저는 친구를 만납십니다(I met my friend). You can also change a sentence into a question by adding the ending -습니까/ㅂ니까? 읽습니까?(Have you read this?). We then learned common things that we have such as school supplies and necessities- 열쇠(keys), 신분증(photo ID), and 공책(notebook). We learned other ending particles such as 이/가 which are attached to the subject depending if it ends in a consonant or vowel. These endings can be used with 이것(this), 그것(that), and 저것(that one over there). These words are used to describe objects or people based on position. 이것 would be used for something that is in front of you while 그것 would be used for something that you are talking about that is in front of someone else. 저것 would be used for something that is far away from the both of you. An example sentence would be 이것이 책입니다(This is a book). I then did an exercise of labeling all of the things in my room.

This week’s session we practiced speaking and our pronunciation with our greeting and introductions. We reviewed the two different korean number systems- counting numbers versus order numbers. We also reviewed the 한글(hangul) character layouts as well as double consonants. The next week we learned several place names such as bookstore(서점), clothing store(옷가게) and department store(백화점). We then learned how to say where we are going using the new places we learned combined with 으러/러 가요. For homework, we wrote out our daily routine in Korean.

For our first class meeting, we took a personality quiz and then discussed the Korean creature characters that we got that described our personalities. My character was a 몾찌떡 who was described as someone who likes to be in bed and read books. They also like to think a lot and are okay with being alone. They are a calm person or 차분한 사람. We then learned useful everyday vocabulary such as 오랜만(after a long time) or 같이(together). We then practiced using them in sentences for homework. The next class, we practiced our spelling by transcribing the shark song. We then learned specific descriptive verbs for different personalities and how to use them in describing people. Sharon는 활발해요(Sharon is extroverted).

We are currently working on action items and on building sentences including the action we are taking, for example to work or to study. This, in addition to the things we have learned before, allows us to have short conversations with each other. We have also learned a lot of new vocabulary, including verbs, nouns, and descriptive words. I am hoping to be more confident in building sentences utilizing these words and structures by the end of the semester. Now that we only have two weeks left, I am really trying to learn as many new words as possible, so I can continue studying them after this semester is over. I have not tried any new learning strategies recently, but I feel confident in my learning and my skills have improved a lot. I just want to get in as many reps with my language partner as possible before the semester ends.

For the ninth meeting, we went to Grand Mart to order our food using Korean and to eat Korean food. I shared a Jjajangmyu (black bean noodles) and yookgaejang (spicy beef soup) with a friend, and they all tasted delicious. When ordering, we spoke politely to the cashier, saying “짜장면 하나랑 육계장 하나 주세요.”, which meant one jjangmyun and one yookgaejang, please. For our tenth meeting, we had a very relaxed class of speaking only in Korean. We sat outside of the library due to the nice weather, and we talked about how our week was in Korean. During the conversation, I realized how much I mixed english into daily Korean conversations, and it was slightly difficult at times. But overall, I thought this was a good practice, especially for talking to my family in Korea.

For our seventh meeting, we worked on reading comprehension and solving problems that were related to the readings. We read about two different topics, which were the history of the founding of Yonsei University in South Korea, and ancient Korean art. We learned that the founder of Yonsei University, which is considered one of the most prestigious universities in South Korea, was founded by an American missionary named Horace Grant Underwood, and how he fell in love with South Korea and its people. He dedicated his life to building education and Christianity within South Korea, and even during his death, he wished to go back to Korea. Now, he is buried in South Korea, and his legacy lives on in Yonsei University. We also read about two ancient Korean artworks, specifically the “Folding Screen with lotus flowers and birds” and “Irworobongdo”. The folding screen was a very popular gift from the parents to their sons, because it had a meaning of happy marriage and living a humble life. “Irworobongdo” was a painting that was always placed behind the King of the Joseon dynasty of South Korea. The name literally means the sun, moon, and the five mountains in Korea. The meaning behind the painting is that the king works hard during the day and night, and work to protect the country and its people like the five mountains. The amazing part of this painting is that there is a space in the center of the painting, and it is there for the king to sit in front of the painting to complete the painting. I thought it was really cool that the people thought of using a person to complete the painting, and shows how creative people were even back in the days.

For our fifth meeting, we learned about 삼일절, which is the March 1st movement that took place in 1919. We got to learn that March 1st is the day of resistance of Japanese imperialism rule, and our country would not be what it is today if it weren’t for the Korean patriots that sacrificed their lives for the nation. One of the most important individuals was Kwan-Sun Yu, who was was a Seventeen-year old girl that lost her parents to the Japanese soldiers during the revolution. She planned and led the demonstration, which led to her arrest. The Japanese threatened and tortured her to give up the resistance, but she stubbornly refused to do so. She passed away in her cell on September 28th, 1920, which was a few days before her release. We remember her and other on March 1st, which is now a national holiday, to give our thanks. For our sixth meeting, we watched a movie called “Swing Kids”, which was about the Korean war, and focused on a North Korean soldier and an American soldier who became through tap-dancing. With a help of a few prisoners and a South-Korean woman, they put on a tap-dance team within the military secretly. Their goal is to impress the higher-ups of the American military so they would be released, and this movie showed the manipulative side of the American military, and how they took advantage of Koreans during the war. Overall, it was a very enjoyable movie.

For the third meeting, we learned a few more metaphors/idioms and vocabularies. For the vocabularies, however, we learned words that have two different meanings within them. For example, we learned the word 천지, which meant sky and ground. These words are all based on the Chinese characters and sounds, which I thought were interesting. Then we watched a Korean weather forecast, and stopped after each sentence to review the vocab we learned the week before and understand what the forecaster was saying about the weather in South Korea. For the fourth meeting, we learned the geography of South Korea. This lesson was very interesting, since we never learned the geography of Korea before, and I never realized that Korea had quite a few provinces. There are 9 provinces, and they are Gyeonggi-do, Chungcheongbuk-do, Gangwon-do, Chungcheongnam-do, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Jeollabuk-do, Gyeongsangnam-do, Jeollanam-do, and Jeju-do. I learned that I used to live in Gyeonggi-do, which is where Seoul is located in.  

For the first meeting of our Korean Lesson, we planned on what we were going to study this semester. We decided that for our second meeting, we would learn about metaphors/idioms along with new vocabularies, which were used daily in Korean conversations. The metaphors/idioms were phrases that aren’t taken literally to its written words. An example is 입이 무겁다, which means one’s mouth is heavy. But the implied meaning is that a person with a heavy mouth keeps secrets very well and won’t tell others. One of the new vocabulary words that we learned was 인도, which had three different meanings. The meanings could be either the country of India, sidewalk, or to lead, and one would decide which meaning it would be based on the context of the rest of the sentence. We also learned about a few weather-related words, such as 한파, which means extremely cold weather.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1l5KJiuJncmR8fJAC6caTwjL0S9HX-sz6tFo2vpg6bJM/edit?usp=sharing

I give a brief overview of the history of Korean rice cakes, or "tteok". References to Tteok began around 500 B.C. Tteok used to be mixed with herbs to convey a medicinal effect. Around 1200, rice culture cultivation began to grow exponentially. It started out as a luxury food for the elite, but as Buddhism began to grow during the Goryeo dynasty around 1200, the prevalence of tteok also grew and it became a staple amongst commoners. Popularity declined ever since Japan took control over Korea, but tteok maintained integrated into various celebrations and traditions. I review rice cakes associated with certain holidays such as Chuseok(추석), the Korean New Year, weddings and birthdays along with other common dishes that use rice cakes. I also go over some idioms that use rice cakes. 

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I read a few articles and videos about Jung Joon Young's spycam scandal and learned that spycam pornography is a major issue in South Korea. These articles made me think and research about South Korean public's perception and attitude towards women. Although South Korea has progressed significantly in terms of women's rights, it still has long ways to go to dismantle its patriarchal values. I also watched Youtube videos from "Asian Boss" about this issue and learned that most women experience difficulties living in Korean society.

About three weeks ago, I watched a movie called "Master". The movie contains elements from the mystery, thriller, and crime genres. It centers on a private investigator who tries to expose and arrest the executive members of the largest pyramid scheme in Korea. I liked this movie because the film was unpredictable with its plot twists, keeping me at the edge of my seat. Unlike "Mr. Sunshine", this film was easier to understand because it used more modern terminology.

I recently finished a Netflix original series called "Mr. Sunshine", which tells a fictional story that takes place in Joseon (Ancient Korea) during the Russo-Japanese War and Shinmiyangi, when the U.S. journeyed to Korea. This dialogue was initially difficult to understand because the characters mixed ancient terminology with modern ones, but I was able to understand after constant exposure the series. The story centers on a young boy who is born into slavery but escapes to the United States after a traumatic incident. He then returns to Joseon as a United States Marine Corps officer and falls in love with an aristocrat's daughter, whose parents were murdered by Japanese double agents that help Japan take over Korea. During his stay in Korea, the officer discovers a plot by foreign forces to colonize Korea. Although the characters and drama are fictional, I learned a lot about the tribulations that Korea overcame to become the nation that it is today.

I grew interested in the Miss Korea pageant since I haven't heard about it in since I was a child, so I researched some current winners. I found an article that highlighted the Miss Korea's 2018 winner Kim Soo Min at 22 years old. She is fluent in English and graduated from Dickinson College in Pennsylvania. However, her win as Miss Korea was controversial because some thought she was on the shorter and heavier side compared to past winners. She also had to delete her Instagram account because she received so many hate comments. I'm torn-- on one hand I'm glad that Korea is slowly being more progressive by having a winner with a healthier weight, but I'm also disappointed that she has gotten so much lash back for her title. Regardless, I'm glad for the little progress made, and it's been an interesting read and video interview. 

I saw a video of her interview in English and her response to the public:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygVxTTKWvdA

Here is the article where I got the news:

https://www.koreaboo.com/news/kim-soo-min-crowned-winner-miss-korea-2018/