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My goals and tasks for weeks 4 and 5 are as follows:

• Learn the Korean alphabet, Hangul, and be able to read all the characters

• Introduce myself (name, age, where I am from, where I go to school, what I am studying)

• Introduce my family and friends

• Learn how to write Hangul

• Learn how to order food at a restaurant

• To do my first artifact video

Although at first it may seem difficult to try and do all of these, I think that I’ll be able to and I can ask my language partner many questions that I may not understand or have concern about.

I will use my language partner as a resource, my Korean book, Korean from Zero!, practicing my handwriting and my speaking. I will evaluate my success by introducing myself in Korean to my Korean friends and see if they can understand what I said. I will evaluate my success of reading by looking at simple Korean words and reading them to test myself as to whether or not I have actually remembered how to read the characters.

For the structure of the language, I need to know that there is a formal and informal way of speaking in Korean. In addition, I need to know the proper pronunciation of words because some of them sound quite similar, but there may be a harsher sound to the way that they’re pronounced. Korean is a general-to-specific” or “big-to-small” language, so they say they talk about the bigger units of things before discussing the smaller unit. Also, that the structure of the grammar is different from the structure of grammar in English. I will acquire the knowledge that I need by consulting my book, Korean from Zero!, asking my Korean friends about proper pronunciation of words, and using a reference grammar book for Korean in order to make sure that my sentence structures are correct when speaking and writing. I think that a reference grammar can be useful because it can help with proper structure of languages and the arrangement of verbs, nouns, adjectives, etc. This will definitely come in handy when learning a new language different from English, such as Korean.

Becky Chen

Tentative Plan for Korean Language Learning*

Based on the “Can-Do” statements, I’m currently incompetent in Korean. I may be able to recognize phrases here and there by ear, but I still consider myself a complete novice. And so here’s my plan of action to become competent in Korean: 1) to master Hangul so that I'll be able to sound out unfamiliar characters and 2) to develop good vocabulary and grammar so that I may eventually engage in a minimum of 5-minutes conversation in Korean with a native speaker. I think I’ll start with these humble goals for now and gradually build on them through the course of the semester. My goal is to reach at least novice mid or high status, particularly in the interpersonal communication and interpretive listening aspects, by the end of this semester. 

By the end of the semester, I want to be able to (in Korean)…

• Write short, correct sentences using vocabulary/grammar that I’ve learned 
• Speak with good pronunciation/grammar/vocabulary
• Build a good, practical vocabulary including common terms used in everyday life
• Understand at least 70% of everyday conversations
• Introduce myself thoroughly
• Hold a minimum of 5-minutes conversation with a native speaker
• Master Hangul

*Note: Preliminary schedule subject to change.                                                                                                        

Activities: read a chapter of Billy Go’s book Korean Made Simple (KMS)/listen to KMS audio/watch Billy Go videos, watch YouTube videos on Korean culture and language (i.e. EatYourKimchi, BillyGo, etc.), do BYKI lists, talk to Korean friends in Korean, order food at Korean restaurant in Korean, make Korean vlogs on various topics (e.g. shopping at Korean supermarket, morning routine, eating at a restaurant, etc.) biweekly, read Korean comics/literature/newspaper, photojournal in Korean

For MS Word version: Chen,Becky_LearningPlan.docx

• The goal for weeks 4 and 5 is to understand and know more about Korean culture and prepare for the five minutes culture presentation. Be more familiar with formal/informal greetings, farewells and introductions. Watching teaching videos to know more conversational sentences or dialogues. 
• Resources I will use are links people shared in Diigo and some links of teaching videos from Youtube and other online resources. Watching videos, reading interesting paper, taking notes definitely will be useful and helpful for beginners like me to start a new language. Activity such as presentation helps to build cultural knowledge. Other activities such as group discussion and group work after class with classmates (practice speaking Korean and practice simple conversation).
• After these two weeks, I should be able to do simple greetings and introductions. Fluency is the key evaluative point for speaking. 

   There are top 4 basic Korean sentence structures to memorize. I did some research from online resources and summarize them in four ways. Although learning a new language is complicated somehow, these four structures can be used for daily conversation or specific description. The reference grammar can be very useful for beginners since it gives readers a reference tool for looking up details of the language. Sometimes the reference also contain explanation plus one or two examples of every point mentioned. 

   The top 4 Korean sentence structures can be described as following: 

1. S+N. Subject + Noun

           Sometimes in Korean, there is an ending -ida- which is translated as verb "to be". For example, if we want to say "I am a student", it will be "Naneun haksaeng-ida-." So this "to be" can be seen as an affirmative copula that links the subject of sentence to a noun or adjective. 

        2. S+V. Subject + Verb

        3. S+A. Subject + Adjective

            For example, if the sentence is "He is very stupid." In Korean, we can say it 그는 정말 멍청해. 그는 means he, 정말means very, 멍청해 means stupid.  Also notice, Korean sentences must end with a verb (verb copula) or adjective. 

         4. S+O+V. Subject + Object + Verb 

             No.4 is different from English language system. In English, people use subject+verb+object. But in Korean, we need to end sentences with a verb or verb copula.  I water drink, I food eat, I Korean learn, etc. For example I drink water, in Korean, it should be 나는 물을 마신다. 나는 means I, 물을 means water and 마신다 means drink. 

     There are other structures as well. This/That sentence structure in Korean is very similar to the system in English. Korean uses "this" to indicate something that is within touching distance, so 이 means this in Korean. There are two words to say that, 그 and 저. We can use 그 for something from a previous sentence or from previous context regardless if you could see it or not. And we use 저 for something that we can see but it is too far away so we can't touch. 

     Here are some examples: 

     이 사람 = This person

     저 남자 = That man

     이 탁자 = This table

SDLAP_learningplan213.docx

Yi%20Shen_SDLAP_learningplan213.docx

Formality and informality in the Greek language is not as complicated as other languages. This is because in most cases if one wishes to be formal in a conversation he or she simply addresses the other person as if they were multiple people. This is especially the case when addressing elders. So if I'm saying a formal instead of an informal hello "Γεια σου" becomes "Γεια σας." In this case the "σας" is  used to address a single person although normally it would indicate that you are speaking to multiple people. In Greek formal language depends heavily on context.

Another important concept when talking about formality in Greek is surnames. This is especially important when speaking formally about someone in third person. So if you are referring to a Greek politician in a conversation or a paper then you must add "κύριος" prior to the name, which means mister. Surnames are very important in Greek and a sign of respect and acknowledgement.

My current level in Greek in reading and speaking is at an Advanced High Level according to the NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements, while my writing is at an Advanced Low Level. From this assessment of my Greek language level I have decided to set my goal to be to reach Superior level in reading, speaking, and Advanced Mid level in writing. I hope to reach this goal by the end of the semester through several activities which I outline in detail in my learning plan. If I'm able to reach my goal I'll be able to immerse myself easily in Greek culture while I'm studying abroad and possibly find employment in Greece.

Korean Learning Goals:

I want to be able to read a menu and decide what to order and know how much it costs

I want to be able to introduce myself 

1. My name
2. Where I am from, Where I was born
3. How old I am
4. Where I go to school and what I study

I want to be able to ask what the date and time is or respond to someone asking me that

I want to be able to ask for directions and give directions, get airplane/train/ bus tickets/ call for a taxi

I want to be able to navigate through a hospital or clinic

1. Describe pain
2. Know basic body parts
3. Types of different health care professionals

*Culture: I would like to know more about the Korean health care system 

I want to be able to go shopping 

1. Ask how much something is
2. Where can I find (stationary, women’s clothes)
3. Identify pieces of clothing
4. Describe merchandise (it’s cute, it’s ugly, it’s pretty)

How: Mango chapters, Korean from zero workbook.

Last week, I started learning how to say greetings as well as general phrases for introducing yourself such as I am American, I don't speak Korean well. I have only been learning how to say these in the formal way. While in general, it seems I just have to cut off the imnida or yeyo part and add eo at the end of sentences. But I think I will have to work on this through my grammar workbook that I have for Korean. One thing I noticed while forming the formal sentences is that to say I'm not British I have to say yonggooksaramee aniyeyo. Then to say I am not a doctor you say Choneuneuisagaaniyeyo. For the most part I could understand how the sentences come together, but the tricky part is knowing the "ee" and the "ga" that accompanies certain phrases and when to use them or not to use them. I also think of this having a language partner as well as using my grammar workbook for practice and explanations will help a lot. Mango, while it teaches you how to construct things, it does not seem to cover the minute details in grammar. 

From what I have been seeing so far, there is definitely a formal and informal way of saying things in Korean. Within the formal way, there are different ways to say a sentence. For example, to say my name is Ann I can say Choneunmigooksaramimnida or Choneunmigooksaramyeyo. For now, I am not so sure about the difference between the 2, like if one is more formal than the other, but I from what I have been searching it seems both are just fine to use. To switch to informal, it seems that the imnida or yeyo part are cut off in general. From what I have seen in Korean dramas, formal greetings are usually accompanied by bowing. Most books and online resources seem to teach the formal ways over informal. Although the formal way of saying things would be useful for when I am out, I am a bit more interested in learning how to say things informally to have a conversation with friends. 

In Korean culture there is a concept called Aegyo. It refers to certain way of behaving. For girls, it entails displaying affection through a cute/baby voice, making cute facial expressions and gestures. For men they behave in a protective manner towards the girls. I notice it most in girls. When I meet girls that act this way, I always felt like I was more masculine than they are and in some instances I just felt like they were too cute it was uncomfortable. But I think aegyo represents the Korean culture’s gender norms. Girls are supposed to be feminine, which means being kind, soft. For men, they are supposed to be in the dominant role, be the protector of the household and the family. I do think aegyo is a bit exaggerated in dramas. But in general from looking at advertisements to cosmetics and fashion, I think in general Korean girls can be seen as more girly and cute than American girls.

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These were very interesting reads. Understanding how we, as human beings, work when we are internalizing language, could really help the process of learning the language itself. If you think of the brain as a muscle and language as a workout, understanding how the brain works can really improve the workout ( learning the language). Also learning about how we mean and how we analyze meaning help us really get behind ourselves and allow us to see language in a different perspective, improving our learning process.

This week's goal was to memorize the alphabet and have a few daily phrases under my belt. I also wanted to tackle single digit numbers. I did this mostly through youtube. I could have used byki, mango and other resources but youtube was the easiest available resource for me to just get into. I watched a video on urdu alphabet lesson and a video on most used phrases in urdu. I tried my best to imitate the accent they were using in saying the alphabets and phrases but it was very hard. Also, urdu's alphabets are just really hard to write in the first place because of the curvy lines and overall unfamiliarity. I think I will need more practice before I can confidently say that I accomplished the goal of learning the alphabets and the daily phrases.

Based on my observations of Korean interactions on-screen, I’ve definitely been getting the impression that Koreans value respect. They express this through formal speech, as I mentioned in one of my culture posts, as well as body language. For instance, it is the norm to bow to someone you meet for the first time and to someone who has a high status in Korea. And, as you would expect, the degree at which you tilt your waist forward (the deepness of the bow) increases as the status of the person increases, and sometimes for the higher authorities you would hold your hands together while bowing. Among familiar friends and relatives, bows are more like casual tilts of the head. 

Bowing is one of the more noticeable and common demonstrations of respect, but there are certainly other more subtle actions for showing respect. For example, when giving or taking from someone, one generally uses both hands to receive the object or, if it’s particularly small, the right hand with your right forearm supported by the left hand. Touching in general is disrespectful and can potentially be considered as a personal violation if the someone you’re touching is not a close friend or relative. Eye contact is usually avoided between juniors and seniors in the business world, because it can be interpreted as a challenge to the other person. Also, when beckoning someone, you would extend your arm with the palm facing down and move your fingers in a cute scratching motion. These are just a few ways Koreans show respect for each other, and I’ve noticed all of these things whenever I watched Korean TV shows. But, I didn’t realize that something like eye contact and touching were potential relationship destroyers. Should I go to Korea one day, I’ll definitely be cautious of these norms.

     There weren't any resources in the open shelves of the global studio that I thought would help me with learning Urdu. I can see urdu alphabet flash cards or a game involving urdu alphabet being really beneficial tools for anyone trying to learn urdu. Urdu has alphabets that are unlike any other I've seen; it is very different from English and very hard to keep track of. If there were games or flash cards involving the alphabets , it would be really helpful.

     BYKI is a really interesting tool in my opinion. I haven't logged whole lot of time on it yet but I  can see it really helping with my pronunciation when I want to say simple things. There aren't many tools out there that you can count on to get the pronunciation right but BYKI does exactly that. I book marked a couple of videos from youtube that I found to be very informative. One was a series of lessons on Urdu; it starts with the very basics: alphabet. The other video I tagged was a video of most used phrases in Urdu and how to say them correctly. At the stage I am in, I found the information in these videos very useful.

     I am a downright beginner when it comes to Urdu. I've begun to really try to memorize the alphabets but it's been really hard. They just look so different from any languages I've tried learning before. I've also been looking at a few very basic everyday phrases that I can memorize and be ready to use.

There is a distinct distinction between formality and informality in Urdu. There are words that are befitting a formal situation and there are separate words that have the same meaning but are more suitable for informal situations. I found an example from an article I came across:  "there are two words meaning ‘water,’ پانی pānī and آب āb.  Words of older Hindustani or Sanskrit origin such as pānī are used coloquially, whereas words of Persian or Arabic origin such asāb are used in formal situations.”

My experience of learning Hebrew will be different from the "normal" acquisition of a language. While it is most likely necessary to have some understanding of the grammatical structure of a given language in order to to read and write, I will not be learning how to read or write. My goal is to develop a better grasp of the conversational realm. One might say it is necessary, too, to understand the structure of a language when you lean to converse, but my way of learning precludes this. I learn best when I listen to a phrase and apply that phrase to some context of which I can associate. These complex grammatical structures confuse me -- almost like too much stimuli at once, and therefore I cannot grasp the larger concept. It is easier for me to acquire a language by looking at it from a macro level first, and then delve into the micro level, not vice versa. So, to proceed I will watch videos with dialogue so I can pick up both the context and the language. In sum, I would prefer to learn a language the "organic" way rather than adhering to convoluted rules that dictate a given language's structure.