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Discussion Post #4

David Kim

30262888

david.kim123@richmond.edu

When I prepare a presentation in English, there is one thing I have to check before the date. It is checking the sound. Particular words have a distinctive sound even though they share the same alphabet or alphabetic order. However, I do not need to check any sounds if the presentation is in Korean. Hangul, the Korean alphabet, has fixed sounds for each character. The sound and the spelling are always together in Korean. I strongly believe that Korean is one of the easiest languages to read and speak (not considering listening, writing, and knowing the meaning). Sound is more based on speech, but spelling is more based on texts. Sound or spelling is difficult to be defined in English even if you know the other one. My target language, which is Korean, has an advantage over English in sound and spelling since they have a more direct relationship as written above. Korean has sounds that are difficult to express in American English, which is produced by the character ㅡ (EU). I remember the legendary soccer player from Korea, Cha Bum-Gun, who used his nickname Chaboom because people could not pronounce the Gun (Geun) sound. I think Korean is entertaining to learn because there are different sounds. There are soft sounds(ㄴ, N)(ㄹ, L), plosive sounds (ㅌ, T)(ㅍ, P), and characters that already sound like a word (ㅟ, WE). I will apply my learning of the relationship between sound and spelling to improve my ability in Korean.

Language learning is a process of mastering a tool that I can use in everyday life. I have learnt a lot of skill by my own such as Photoshop, Premium Pro. These tools all require tremendous time input and logical study plans. To begin with, in language, one have to appreciate sound, grammar, and meaning in order for proper usage. Likewise, Premium Pro requires users to import video, soundtrack, and editing logic in orde to make a understandable video. By acknowledging all these basis for leanring, one can build their own knowledge by acquiring understanding of each pillar. One thing I realize through studying is the importance of logic, and in this case, structure. Being similar to constructing a building, as long as you are following the right structure, the building can be accepted. 

The diagram reminds me the importance of incorportaing culture elements into my learning plan. In the Sociology portion, it adresses the existence and importance of social context in daily languages. The syntax, on the other hand, serve as a tool for better comprehension of social behaviors. By transcirbing social norms into languages people can undertand, linguistics also addresses the necessity of learning the culture behind the language. I am planning to visit Korea for perceiving the culture there. By travelling, I can undertand syntax better and acknowledge why people use the language certain way may be different from my own culture. 

One type of video content that I recently got into is called mukbang videos. Mukbang is a show that YouTubers or streamers broadcast themselves eating, sometimes with the autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR). Mukbang takes a huge role in Korean culture. Mukbang content started in Korea as it is an abbreviation of  “mukneun bangsong” which means ‘eating broadcast’. It was created to provide satisfaction for viewers through the variety of food and the way they eat. Additionally, ASMR of the entertainers chewing, mixing the food, or cooking serves as an enjoyable sensation, fulfilling the hearing senses. Foreign YouTubers, content creators, and streamers started catching up to the mukbang trends, creating equivalent videos of them eating. I believe that mukbang allowed the expansion and recognition of Korean foods and Korea in general. The most popular mukbang channels tend to have content creators to have crunchy foods, unusual, unique foods, mass amounts of food, and videos with English subtitles. Mukbang is now a worldwide phenomenon that can easily be found on any media platform. Some popular entertainment platforms that mukbang broadcasters use are YouTube, TikTok, AfreecaTV (a Korean live-streaming platform), and Twitch.

I personally started watching Korean mukbang videos whenever I started craving authentic Korean foods that I enjoyed while I was studying abroad in Korea. Some of my favorite videos include foods such as tteokbokki, convenience store foods, and home-cooked meals. I also like to watch videos of YouTubers who are able to eat massive amounts along with eating multiple varieties of foods. Through the mukbang videos, I also come across a lot of the trends that are happening in Korea. Some examples include the spicy noodle challenge and the usage of rice papers. I also caught onto the trends of typical combinations of foods from specific brands. One of my favorite combinations includes a dish called ‘tteokbokki’ (spicy rice cake) from a brand called ‘Yeop Tteok’ and ‘honey combo’ (a type of sweet fried chicken) from ‘Gyochon’. Just by watching the mukbang videos, I was able to learn and connect with Korean culture. 

Two of my go-to mukbang content creators on YouTube are “heebab” and “Samdaejang.” I like the YouTuber heebab because she is known for eating a crazy amount of food. She has become well known as she makes collaborations with famous entertainers in Korea. Her videos are also very helpful in learning Korean because she provides English subtitles in all of her videos. She travels to different places in Korea that I have never been to try popular restaurants. She also includes clips of herself communicating with the servers and her personal manager. Finally, I like the channel Samdaejang because they are a group of YouTubers who come up with interesting mukbang contents such as 의리 먹방 (euryi mukbang) and 도전 먹방 (dojeun mukbang) which are challenging mukbangs. Although they do not have the option for English subtitles, it is still useful as they are a group of friends. I am able to learn the casual conversations they hold while they are eating. They also make puns that allow me to know the different meanings of certain words. 

Mukbang #1

Mukbang #2

After reading How to Investigate Language Structure, I have noticed the different levels of language, including the physical forms and the abstract meaning forms. Under that, there are subcategories of language including phonetics, phonology, grammar, and semantics. I feel like whenever I learned a language, it always just focused on the grammar aspects when creating phrases and sentences. But the reading gives a good direction and order when learning a language. While studying the grammatical pattern, it is also important to highlight the semantic and phonological factors as they can change the meaning of the language. 

While viewing the diagram from Aitchison’s Linguistics, I am interested to approach sociolinguistics and anthropological linguistics. Knowing the sociolinguistics of Korea will really shape and form the way they view certain social factors. Knowing the way they view society will affect the language and the way people interact. I would work on improving the semantics and phonology aspects of the language. Leaning toward anthropological linguistics will allow me to branch out into knowing the cultural practices and societal structures that affect language. 

Although I have not learned a lot of Korean yet I can assume the importance of the sociology and anthropology of the Korean language. For example, the benefit of studying the sociology side of Korean is understanding certain phrases, words, tones, and pronunciations that Korean people use in order to properly communicate with each other. There may be certain phrases that are specific to the Korean language that can’t be easily translated into English because the semantics of that certain phrase has more meaning to Koreans than to Americans/ other English speakers. The benefit of approaching Korean in the subject of anthropology is understanding how and why the language came to what it is today. In the old times, I know Koreans used to speak in a different way similar to how when we think of American English during the revolutionary times it sounds and looks a lot different than modern English used in America.  Understanding how Korean got to its modern-day form may allow me to better understand the importance of words and phrases than weren’t used in the past and why they are used now.

Discussion Post #3

David Kim

30262888

david.kim123@richmond.edu

After I read “How to investigate language structure,” I got to view languages from a more complex perspective. I learned that there are three main levels of language structure. Semantics is the area of how meaning is expressed and understood within a language. The meaning of individual words, idioms, and larger stretches of discourse is important in semantics. Grammar is the area of how sentences are structured to possess a meaningful expression. Syntax, the way sentences are constructed, and morphology, the way words are constructed are important in grammar. Medium of linguistic transmission is the way meaningful sentences can be conveyed between the participants in an act of communication. I also learned that the four-level models of language are phonetics, phonology, grammar, and semantics.

English and Korean have been natural subjects for me because the circumstances that surrounded me taught me those languages. In that way, I have no memory or experience of learning grammar for both languages. Challenging vocabulary has been the main study for me. I think that is why I keep struggling with detail sentence structures. This new knowledge of language structures and linguistic perspectives will help me to approach my target language at different levels and aims.

While looking at the diagram from Aitchinson, I recalled the many discussions I had in my sociology and anthropology classes. Viewing linguistics through an anthropological perspective lends itself to my enjoyment of the history of languages, so applying linguistics to a broader context, in my opinion, is very useful. Philology as a whole can be used as a vessel to transport one to another culture, so seeing the historical shapers of language offers a nuanced understanding of the modern use of words. Sociology, on the other hand, seems to be readily applicable in terms of the contemporary understanding of a language. Rhetoric in modern spheres is polarizing in how people view it, but regardless of how one views it, exploring the institutions, governments, and people who shape our understanding of language is vital. However, applied linguistics will be chiefly concerned with for this class. Computational linguistics, in addition, is also a source of deep fascination, but I’ll explore this in my own time. Returning to applied linguistics, however, I hope to be able to converse with people in a manner that is fluid, and conducive to a better mutual understanding with one another. Being more extroverted and curious about others, language presents the unique opportunity to widen the gamut of those I can learn about, and applied linguistics looks to use language for the betterment of others. All in all, I hope to use an anthropological investigation to equip me with cultural and historical knowledge, sociolinguistics to understand how it is used, and applied linguistics to offer solutions through language. 

Within this past month, I have planned my learning schedule, started my learning journey, and connected with my learning partner. In building my learning plan, I tried to focus more heavily on my current level and struggles in Korean and what resources will not only improve but arouse my interest in learning. The resources I am currently using are YouTube videos (news and shows), films (mostly Netflix), Naver (new articles), and connecting with my partner, Vivian. 

I have started a Netflix show called “The Glory” which is about a young woman who is seeking revenge after getting bullied in high school. Although I just started, it seemed like bullying happens quite often in high schools in Korea. Currently, I am starting off with English captions to get used to the flow of the drama. Another activity that I did alone was reading a news article on Naver every day. 

During the first meeting with my language partner, we talked about the semester overview and which areas I needed improvement on. We planned our meetings according to the four sections, cultural, reading, writing, and speaking aspects. We have decided to meet every Monday to go over my weekly writings, watch or read the news, and have casual conversations. More specifically, my language partner will help me improve my fluency, grammar, and pronunciation. 

Once we were settled with my learning objectives and my learning schedule, we started our learning journey.

During our meetings, we practiced having casual conversations talking about how my week was, and reading news articles. An example of a casual conversation we had was about how my birthday celebration went. I described what I did during the celebration such as eating out, drinking in America for the first time, and hanging out with my friends. 

Some terms I learned that are commonly used for birthdays are 생파 and 생축 which are shortened words for the phrases, “birthday party” and “happy birthday.” Vivian and I also talked about the legal age differences in America and Korea. We felt like Korea had more trust in college students with legal activities than in America. 

Another activity that we focused on was reading the news coverage together to review the terms, pronunciation, and flow. We read a piece of news on one of our favorite actor, Song Jun Ki, and his new partner and their pregnancy. The vocabulary terms that we went over were 신뢰 (trust), 직종(occupation), 열정(passion), and 덧붙였다(add on). The first three words were definitely more advanced than the words that I would normally use. For example, the word 믿음 is a way I would normally define as “trust.” The last word, 덧붙였다, was a spelling I would have gotten wrong. When we pronunciation it, I would have used the character “ㅊ” instead of “ㅇ” and my partner taught me that “였다" would be the typical ending for formal writing. 

I was quite surprised that I was able to understand most of the news, except for the few terms I was unfamiliar with. However, I noticed that I found the pronunciation of complex words difficult. Next time I will focus on repeating the phrases and paragraphs to allow my mouth to accustom to the cutting syllables.

The Figuring Foreigners Out reading was an interesting look at placing cultures on a sort of spectrum with two extremes on either end. There was Individualist vs. collectivist, the different levels of nonverbal communication, Monochronic vs. polychronic, Internal vs. external, Indirect/high context vs. Direct/low context, and each of these analyzed the ways in which a culture may be able to be categorized. I personally thought it was really interesting to think about the monochronic vs. polychronic divide in cultures and how societies value and orient their time. I think that it is very difficult to think of some of these attributes as cultural tropes that sort of create these stereotypes. So many of these categories involve incredible levels of generalization. I think that that can be very dangerous and misleading when trying to understand a culture and the different identities that exist within those cultures. For example, with America I think that it would be very difficult to make an accurate generalization for many of these categories. That being said, one cultural category I think that has some validity is monochronic and polychronic, mostly because I have personal experience that I can refer to. I definitely see how Italian culture was far more polychronic, living in Italy, you can see how the systems are built with different values. Time is far less of a currency and the culture is not built on efficiency, but rather on quality of time. Alternatively, categorizing a culture as Internal v. External seems far too much of a generalization for me. Although I completely see the validity of core values of a culture influencing people’s personalities, I think that this is far more of a personal life outlook and that there would be too much differentiation to categorize a whole culture as one or another. The maps on the Hofstede Dimensions of Culture surprised me, and the data that was collected was at times difficult to read. I was surprised at some of the European country's data points, and similarly the data from African countries went against all that I had previously learned about those cultures. 

I think that with French culture there are a lot of generalizations, trope making, and stereotyping. There is a connotation of sexuality, of rudeness, of the diet especially that paint the French as very specific and nationalistic. I think that this can especially be a deterrent for learning the language. I have heard multiple different implications that French people will not respond to you if your French is not good enough, and that they don’t like foreigners. Leaning into this stigmatized behavior makes the idea of learning French a bit intimidating, but I know that hearing one thing about a culture and letting that control your thoughts and fears is not  productive. Food is a big cultural factor in French culture and the sentiment that dining should take time and that there should be no rush. I think that this one thing that kind of drew me to wanting to learn more about French people. 

Food is a huge part of Korean culture and any culture in general, but I think Korea has one of the most diverse and interesting foods in the world. There is so much to Korea’s food culture that makes it so interesting. For example, Koreans film themselves eating Korean food and this is not only big in Korea but became very popular in America. These videos are called 먹방 (Mukbang). In a mukbang there is a wide variety of food and the video consists of usually just one person eating all the food. There is usually no commentary just a video of someone eating food. I don’t find these videos interesting but millions of people all over the world love watching mukbang. Nevertheless, I thought it was very cool because people were recognizing and enjoying a part of Korea’s culture which makes me happy. After all, my food is known to other people in other cultures in the world. Another branch of food culture in Korea is Korea’s food delivery system. In Korea, it is very common to have food delivered to your house/apartment instead of cooking at home. Families will often have food delivered instead of cooking a meal at home. Even though in America delivery services such as GrubHub and uber eats deliver food from all restaurants, food delivery is offered by almost every. A third major part of Korea’s food culture is 김치 (Kimchi). Kimchi is a staple of all Korean food. It is a side dish that is eaten with almost every meal and is often eaten on its own. Kimchi is simply spicy fermented cabbage. Kimchi was created roughly 4,000 years ago. It was made so that the people could have something to eat during the harsh winter. An interesting fact about Kimchi is that it did not always have its famous spicy flavor. It was made without chili flakes and only changed during the 19th century. Thank God because the spice makes it taste way better. As I mentioned earlier, Kimchi is often eaten by itself. In America the classic school lunch is a sandwich; however, in Korea, the classic lunch is Kimchi and rice (and other foods but kimchi and rice are always the main foods). My dad told me that when he was in school his go-to meal was Kimchi and rice every single day. I asked him if he ever got sick of it and he said no, but to be fair I ate a sandwich almost every day from kindergarten to my senior year of high school. I even see him eat Kimchi and rice to this day. This shows how prominent and loved Kimchi is in Korean culture. The final food culture I want to discuss is Korea’s street food. When I went to visit Korea in middle school my dad made sure that I had the full Korean food experience. Thus, he took me to a random street where there was a street full of food vendors. Similar to New York, there are street food carts all over the place, but they don’t usually sell meals only quick bites. The main foods that are served are called 떡볶이(Tteokbokki, spicy rice cake), 순대(sundae, blood sausage), 김밥 (gimbap, seaweed rice roll ),만두 (mandu, dumplings), 오뎅 (Fish cake), and many other delicious foods. I would love to describe each and every food, but I will only pick one to describe. 떡볶이 romanized as tteokbokki is a dish that primarily consists of spicy rice cakes. Rice cake is most popular for its chewiness. It is a one-of-a-kind food that I can’t compare with other food. Tteokbokki include fish cakes, egg, and sometimes ramen noodles with it. Its taste differs from person to person. Some people will make it spicy beyond anyone’s spice tolerance and others will lean more toward the sweeter side. This dish is a nice snack to have after school or late at night. 

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20201217-how-kimchi-rekindled-a-decades-long-feud#:~:text=%22Kimchi%20is%20a%20traditional%20Korean,many%20Koreans%20died%20of%20starvation.

https://www.qustodio.com/en/blog/what-is-mukbang/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQfWxm9oQpk&ab_channel=JanandAnn

Figuring Foreigners Out suggests that individualism and collectivism exist in different cultures. These two elements can also be manifested in persoanl identities. To be specific, individualism is prominant throughout countries using English and other European languages. In addition, it also talks about the existence of nonverbal behaviors such as body languages and facial expressions in many regions. 

Geert Hofstede's Analysis provides several dimensions in cultures. These dimensions are used to describe and compare cultural differences between societies. The most interesting one is masculinity vs. femininty. I notice that masculinity is dominated all over the world. 

I agree with most of the arguments according to my own understanding and cogent analysis in the articles. However, oversimplication of complex cultural differences that reduce cultures into sets of dimensions is problemtic. Cultures are so complex that thye need to be fully comprehended in many different ways instead of simple models. 

I realize that it is important to understand the cultural values and beliefs that shape our interactions with people from other cultures. This helps to avoid misunderstandings and to promote effective communication. Understanding the cultural differences between one's own culture and the target culture can also provide insights into the motivations and behaviors of people from that culture, leading to more effective and meaningful interactions.

The task I worked on this week was memorizing basic vocab words. I started off with groups of words. The groups of words I memorized were food, weather, colors, numbers, activities/ hobbies, and family. What I hoped to accomplish was to memorize the vocab words not only from Korean to English but also from English to Korean, and my language partner would then quiz me at the end of the week to see if I was able to memorize the vocab words from Korean to English and English to Korean. I created flashcards on quizlet. Quizlet reads the word to me in Korean which I think will help me with my auditory skills. I didn’t sit down for an hour and memorize the words. On my walks to class, and dining halls, to meet friends I would work on my flash cards. Also, I would try to point them out in the physical world to help me create a real-life connection. After I memorized from Korean to English I would memorize it from English to Korean. After I would memorize the word both ways I would continue to review and then try to use the words in my normal day-to-day speaking. I think my learning strategies were very effective. Spitting up my study session into multiple short sessions a day helped me retain the information much better, rather than sitting down for an hour each day and running through each vocab word. Also, memorizing the vocab words both ways allowed the Korean words to flow through my brain much more fluidly. If I only memorized them from Korean to English then I would only be developing my Korean brain and not my bilingual brain. Each week I will continue to memorize more vocab words until I reach the point where I have enough vocab memorized that I can move on to the next step which is writing sentences. I will use the words I have memorized and write sentences describing an event that happened in my day. What I liked the most about how I learned the vocab words was a number of things. The main learning strategy I liked was the small consistent efforts I made throughout the day. Having many short study sessions spread throughout my day allowed me to be more concentrated on what I was doing and not lose focus and retain the information better. I was constantly reminding myself what the vocab words were so that by the end of the day I would not forget. Rather, if I just sat down for an hour and studied the words I would have most likely forgotten them within a few hours. Also, I like how the words were applicable to my daily life so I could use the words immediately after memorizing them. Therefore, when I move on I will pick activities and resources that interest me personally. Another strategy I like is how I would randomly think about the vocab word in my brain and then if I couldn't remember it then I immediately searched it up and repeated it to myself. For example, I was walking to the dining hall and was looking at the sky and saw some clouds. I remembered that I had to memorize the vocab word for cloud but I couldn’t remember what the word was in Korean, so I searched it up and then repeated the word in Korean out loud to myself until I felt confident it stuck in my brain. Another example of this strategy was when I dedicated a day to learning colors so as I was memorizing the flashcards I would also look for the color somewhere in the real world and then say the color out loud so that I could build a visual/ physical connection between the Korean word for that certain color and the actual color. Another learning strategy I used was learning one group of vocab words at a time. I would dedicate one or two days to learning only one group of vocab words at a time. I did this so that I could focus on one set of vocab words at a time instead of flooding my brain with all of them at the same time. This allowed me to learn all the words much more effectively.

Through the reading, Figuring Foreigners Out, it was very interesting to see how culture can be sectioned into categories and how every culture can lean toward certain notions. The reading sections into five, including individualist/collectivist, nonverbal communication, monochronic/polychronic, internal/external, and direct and indirect communication. Although I believe that it is hard to put culture into categories as presented, it is reasonable that culture can tilt more heavily to one of the dimensions. 

While reading this, I was trying to think of which notion Korea factors more heavily under. For example, for nonverbal communication, I was thinking of how Koreans tend to be very expressionate through nonverbal behaviors such as bowing to elders to show respect. Another interesting idea that I read on the side note is how Koreans prefer to maintain a peaceful atmosphere, indicating that Korean culture tends to factor more under indirect context communication. I realized that the way the language is expressed can be very different because of these dimensions. 

Using Hofstede Insights, South Korea values the most of power distance, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance, and long-term orientation. These show the cultural mindset that Koreans hold, such as linking to the past, wanting to be the best, and expecting equality of power. 

Figuring Foreigners Out splits cultural values into five categories. The first one is about being either alone or belonging to a group of people. If you are alone then you must take care of yourself by yourself. However, if you are in a group then you rely on others to take care of some of your needs. The second one was about communication verbally or non-verbally. In a culture how do people primarily communicate with each other? Do they say everything verbally or rely on physical cues or both? The third is about how cultures view time. Is time limited or is time unlimited? Do you have to make use of every second of the day or believe that you have tomorrow to finish a task? The fourth area that is talked about is internal vs external. Are the results in your life directly correlated with your actions or do some things happen to you randomly without reason? And the fifth and final subject that is talked about is how well people communicate with each other. How well can people in the same culture understand each other indirectly? Hofstede also puts cultural values into five categories one of the categories Hofstede mentions is masculinity. How strongly does a culture put emphasis on masculinity? I personally like Hofstede's cultural values more than Figuring Foreigners Out. Hofsteded examples such as masculinity are much more prevalent in cultures I have seen. In Korean culture, men are required by law to join the military but women are not. However, in American culture men and women are treated the same. I feel like the categories in Figuring Foreigners Out can be seen in all cultures at all sorts of ranges. For example, the value of indirect and direct communication. In America and Korea not all of the population is on the same level of understanding. The people in each country are on a wide range of direct and indirect communication. One culture doesn't act all the same.

I organize my autonomous learning plan by setting specific, measurable and achievable goals for each language learning goal. I have found resources that meet my goals, such as textbooks, language learning applications and online language courses. I also set aside time to learn and practice language every week. So far, I have learned the basics of grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation. I am also working on improving my listening and speaking skills by practicing with native speakers. My studies will allow me to investigate the target language and culture more deeply by providing opportunities to engage with the language in real-life situations, such as watching TV shows, listening to music, and speaking with native speakers.

I was first prompted to start learning this language due to my wish for visiting the country. I have always been fascinated by the way language shapes our perceptions and understanding of the world.

I have received positive feedback from my classmates regarding my progress and dedication to language learning.

At home, I speak “Chinglish”, which is the combination of Chinese and English, specifically Cantonese. Cantonese is a dialect spoken in the Southern parts of China such as Guangdong Province and Hong Kong. This language has nine tones compared to Mandarin, which has four tones. Through this class, I took my first formal Cantonese class through iTalki, and it was eye opening. Many native speakers who learned how to speak their mother tongue at home through conversation don’t realize how much detail and grammar rules are involved in their specific language. I told Stephy, my iTalki tutor, that I would like to focus more on medical terminology。 I expected that we would dive deep into terms used in the medical field, but I actually had to start learning the basics.

In Mandarin, we used the pinyin system to get each character’s romanization. In Cantonese, there is a system called jyutping, and that includes the tones, which is a total of nine. Stephy showed me what the tones sound like on a musical note scale, but I couldn’t differentiate sounds right next to each other on the musical note. I could easily differentiate the tones that were further apart. Nevertheless, I never thought about the tones for speaking Cantonese because I hear the sounds and I mimic them. This is the reason, I think, it is much more difficult to learn Cantonese than Mandarin because of the nine tones. During our sessions for this month, I learned how to say body parts, abnormalities in day-to-day conversation and what is professionally appropriate. The other aspect I want to improve on is recognizing traditional characters. Places that speak Cantonese like Hong Kong use the traditional character system rather than the simplified version. Traditional characters are more complex with more strokes. While some characters are more obvious than others , it takes more practice to recognize the ones that are not that similar. 

I enjoyed meeting with Leyao for my language partner meetings. It was interesting to hear how she speaks Cantonese because I only speak Cantonese with my immediate family. There is not a large population in Richmond that speaks Cantonese as compared to Manhattan, New York. Therefore, speaking to someone for the first time in Cantonese in Richmond was a new experience for me. It also made me realize that my vocabulary is limited, and I don’t speak as fluently and eloquently as compared to English. Because I want to focus more on medical terminology, Leyao and I watched a Hong Kong TV Drama called “Kids’ Lives Matter”. This way I can expose myself to more medical terminology and take a glimpse of the medical system in other countries. We also discuss these differences between Hong Kong and USA medical systems. 

For the month of February, I hope to learn more medical terminology involving specific diseases such as diabetes and recognize more traditional characters. My plan is to take my previous Chinese textbook from other courses and read the traditional character version of the text. I would also like to start learning how to write Chinese characters as I do not know how to write in Chinese. For this goal, I have the character workbook, so I will use that to practice at least three times a week. 

It was the first Korean class this semester. I carried on with my studies of Korean with Vivian. At the beginning of the first lesson, we spoke about the strategy that we are going to use to learn Korean this semester. Both of us had the idea that the primary focus of this semester would be on honing my conversational abilities in Korean rather than on learning the grammatical rules that are specific to Korean. Without a doubt, we will keep referring back to the Topik 1 vocabulary list in order to expand our vocabularies. Every time we get together for class, we will continue to deepen our dialogues further. The greatest option would be to have the class entirely in Korean, much like the other language programs offered at the University of Rochester. Because I did German in my freshman year, and because I was able to adjust to that method of class very well, I am extremely eager to attempt that mode. Therefore, I believe that having the entire class in Korean will significantly boost our effectiveness. The vocabulary words and grammatical rules that we acquired in each lesson are going to be put to use in conversation, and they will also be written down for future reference. 

The Topik 1 vocabulary list is not going to be the only resource that we use.  In order to enhance my reading abilities in Korean, I plan to read Korean newspapers and online news sources. Not only can I enhance my reading abilities by reading the articles that Korean people often read, but I can also gain insight into what is trending in South Korea and how the Korean written language is evolving over time. In the beginning, Vivian and I decided that K-pop and entertainment would be a good article topic for this semester. We think that a person's interests are the single most important factor in their level of motivation to learn. Another objective that we spoke about was getting rid of the need for subtitles when watching Korean dramas and television shows. In order to accomplish this objective, the task that we are going to carry out is going to involve selecting a few reality shows and learning the lines that are included in the various listening practice issues. 

Vivian and I had intended to study and accomplish all of the aforementioned things by the end of this semester. It is my hope that the majority of our gatherings will be held in Korean. I feel that if I accomplish this, I will be able to make significant headway in my study of the Korean language. Along with going over our objectives and preparations for the next semester, Vivian and I also had a great time learning about the new year in Korean culture. Because the beginning of the Chinese new year occurred during the past weekend, I thought it would be a good idea to study the beginning of the Korean new year. Learning about the cuisine that people in Korea consume and the traditions that they observe throughout their new year was a very interesting experience. The enormous amount of food that Korean people had to prepare for their new year, either to celebrate with their families and friends or for the sake of worship and to get blessings, left an impression on me. Additionally, there were a number of parallels between the practices that are observed throughout the New Year in China and Korea. As a result, I had no trouble comprehending the rationale behind the reasons why Koreans partake in particular kinds of activities or prepare particular kinds of cuisine during their new year. My first piece devoted to culture will include a more in-depth discussion of the new year celebrations in Korea. 

Language Learning Journal #1

David Kim

30262888

david.kim123@richmond.edu

In the beginning, I planned out my learning plan within the course SDLC 105. Since I am confident in basic listening, speaking, reading, and speaking, I wanted to study advanced modern Korean literature, especially poems. So I selected two poems each for three topics and decided to write my own poems too. However, after meeting my language partners, I acknowledged that I have set my plan in a narrow-minded and limited way.

On January 28, Somyung took me and Rachel outside of the campus to refresh our minds and talk about our goals and activities that we want to accomplish throughout the semester. As I talked about my passion for modern Korean poetry, Somyung positively approved my plan and goals. She said I am almost the first person to study poetry. However, she advised that repeated topics and studies could result in mastering a particular area, but might cause negative effects. I could get bored as the semester goes on. In addition, I would only learn in a narrow and limited way. To prevent all of these outcomes, she recommended more learning and activities from other areas. That way, I could experience other aspects of Korean culture, not only surface academics.

The first way of studying Korean and experiencing the culture that Somyung recommended was through Korean music songs. Somyung and I are both participating in the Worship team at Richmond Central Presbyterian Church. I play the piano and she plays the bass for worship. There are other people who play instruments or sing in SDLC 110. Somyung bring up the idea of performing Korean songs altogether in a band form. Even though I listen, play, and make music a lot, I did not have the idea of learning the culture through their music. As a musician myself, I am looking forward to starting and working on this project type of learning.

The second way of studying Korean and experiencing the culture that Somyung recommended was through Bible in Korean. Even though I am a pastor kid, I am not used to reading Bible on my own. Like the first way, the Korean Bible was a way of learning that I never thought of. Since I interact with many people who go to Church, I think this way will help me to have better communication with them.

The last piece of advice that my language partners told me is that interacting with other learners and mentors was the most effective way of getting better at language and learning culture. If possible, we are planning to have a big meeting with all who are studying Korean. By communicating with new people in Korean, I will improve my communication skills and abilities.

\Before I met my language partners, I was not sure about my plan and which way of approaching the Korean language and culture. After I talked with Somyug and Rachel, I am getting excited to experience Korean culture more deeply with great people. I already feel more comfortable and prepared. I can not wait to study and learn the language and culture.

Discussion Post #2

David Kim

30262888

david.kim123@richmond.edu

In Figuring Foreigners Out, it talks about how individualism and collectivism are possessed throughout the culture and personal identity. It also states that nonverbal behaviors, such as body language and facial expressions, are significant in high-context cultures. The three categories that sort nonverbal behaviors in cross-cultural context was the most interesting part of the reading. I totally agree and support the details of these categories because some nonverbal behaviors can bring worse situations with confusion instead of help. One thing that I learned is the fact that no culture only uses either the direct or indirect approach, but tends to be more one way than the other.

Through the Collectivism - Individualism World map, I could see that individualism is dominated in countries that mainly use English and Europe languages. Also, masculinity was dominated almost all over the world in the Femininity - Masculinity World map. Dimension maps: Long-term Orientation and Dimension maps: Indulgence represents the unity in continents, but differences all around the earth. As a person who has experienced different countries, I already knew that there were big differences between cultures but realized this again.

These resources motivated me to not only study the surface part of languages but also their inherent characteristics. Now I can think about similarities and differences between each language, country, and continent from a wider perspective.

I have still not found a learning partner; so my priority right now is to look for an Afaan Oromo language partner. The pursuit does seem promising because we discovered a platform called ‘Teacher On’ where I am able to see possible Afaan Oromo teachers available in Ethiopia. However, until I begin my communications with a native speaker on a regular basis I am interacting with the language through various medians independently. To expand my word bank, something I believe to be immensely important when learning a new language, I am studying a very useful Afaan Oromo book. This resource provides a structured approach to learning and helps me to track my progress. Additionally, I really like this book because rather than just singular words it also includes common phrases that are used in my target language. Because these phrases are relevant to everyday conversations I am also able to use them through speaking rather than just ‘studying’ in my conversations with my father or cousins in Ethiopia. In parallel, a strategy that was helpful was using flashcards to memorize vocabulary. I created my own flashcards with words and phrases that I wanted to learn and used them to practice memorization and recall. Until I find a language partner I hope to interact with the language in one way or another every day; listening to music and trying to find vocab in the lyrics that I know, reading basic things, speaking using what little I know, identifying things in my life using Oromo vocabulary, etc. This is been quite effective so far and has resulted in me finding a level of comfort in interacting with the language that I did not have before, interestingly despite evidently interacting with it before. Interestingly one of the resources that I have been using to more effectively listen to the language being used rather than just the language taking a back seat is Orthodox gospel songs in the Oromo language. Orthodox gospel songs are slower, the lyrics are more enunciated and repetitive, and because there obviously isn't a music video the videos on Youtube are displays of the lyrics, thereby allowing me to listen more intentionally, read the lyrics and see how words are pronounced and what words are being said, etc. This is all far more difficult to do when just listening to normal music in the language, especially the task of hearing distinct words because, without knowledge of the language, so many of the words seem jumbled together.