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For my learning plan in Portuguese I will be focusing on gaining a level of proficiency in speaking and listening, with the ultimate goal of reaching A2 by the end of the semester/summer. Since I am learning Portuguese from Spanish, it is these two parts of the language process which will be the hardest for me due to the differences in pronunciation. 

To accomplish this I will first focus on acquiring basic vocabulary by using various online resources, my Spanish-to-Portuguese textbook, and reading some elementary texts in Portuguese. This will give me the base to become more conversational without simply reverting to speaking in Spanish (which is a problem since probably 50%> of the words are essentially the exact same). 

Once I have accomplished this, hopefully around the beginning of March I will be able to hold basic conversations with language partners and begin focusing more on correctly pronouncing words and some other unique aspects of Portuguese. I will try to incorporate TV shows in Portuguese into my study, to keep myself in a Portuguese language environment and hear people speak the language, outside of my meetings with online language partners. I will also be working with fellow students taking Portuguese at Richmond and consult them on what resources they are using, so that I can update my learning plan as the process continues.

Main Objectives:

• To be proficient in Korean up to a level where I can have a basic conversation with a Korean speaker at a semi-fluent pace.

• To be able to understand Korean so I will not be completely lost at watching Korean media without any subtitles.

Topics of Korean Language:

• Vocabulary
  • Day-to-day
  • Sports
  • Business
  • "Slang"

• Grammar
  • Complex sentences ("but…", "however…", "nevertheless…")
  • Formal speech
  • Sentences with more than one verb ("I think eating here is a better option")

Resources to use

• Korean Sports Broadcasting (Preferably Live)
• Korean shows and movies
• Language exchange platforms
• Acquaintances that know Korean (1-on-1 conversations)

My goal is to develop my Korean skills as much as possible by the end of the course to become a tutor one day. I want to learn about difficulties in language learning to define in which way I should approach my learning this month. From next month, I want to learn the relationship between language and culture to better understand the deep meaning inside the phrases and words. I would like to finalize my learning by learning slang and idioms, which native people utilize in their daily lives. I organized this learning plan based on my experiences in learning different languages (Spanish and Japanese). So far, I have learned that depending on language, there are different difficulties I will face. I identified resources I can utilize to practice the language, such as Duolingo, but I have not found textbooks yet. My study will allow me to investigate my target language and culture more deeply as I will be learning step by step slowly. Other tutors promoted my interest like those upperclassmen tutoring other students in their languages. I did not receive any in-depth feedback from my classmates yet, but they said it matches my overall goal.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1lHAjLjX0HDQKP5yM7V5A9Rv0rra50Ib-Q0uY4GsBWI4/edit?usp=sharing

Above is my learning plan ^^^^ Click on the link or copy and paste the link into the search bar to view it. If anyone has a hard time viewing reach out to me or comment on this post. 

Provide brief commentary describing how you have organized your self-directed learning plan - I spoke with Isaac, who is my teacher for 110 and formed a rough guide of what we will be aiming to get done this semester. We focused on what my personal goals were as far as accomplishing tasks. 

What have you learned so far? - I have learned basic words, parts of the alphabet, and also how to pronounce those letters along with some grammar. 

Have you identified resources and textbooks to promote your task-based objectives? - We have looked at some podcasts and YouTube channels in order to enhance my learning. 

How will your studies allow you to investigate your target language and culture more deeply? - I will be engaging with cultural events; Isaac and I are planning trips to genuine cultural places in order to expand my knowledge. 

What first prompted your interest and motivated you to start learning? - As I have mentioned before, I am really involved with League of Legends; the professional scene is mostly dominated by Korean athletes and broadcasts, which prompted my interest, along with Isaac saying that it would be super fun because he has also taken the class!

What feedback have you received from your classmates? - Focusing on phones rather than phonemes, starting small and letting it compound, and not rushing through the process. 

Goals (cumulative):

1. Reestablish my understanding of the basics of the Korean alphabet, grammar, and syntax.

Topics:

• Vowels and consonants
• Grammar for words and sentences
• Syntax of sentences in speaking and writing

Materials:

• Poster of Korean alphabet
• Writing exercises and prompts
• Direct conversations with language partner

1. Be able to speak and write proficiently with smooth fluidity.

Topics:

• Knowing when to pause/break speech and writing
• Expanding vocabulary 
• Knowing when to use formal and informal speech/writing

Materials:

• Videos of interviews, podcasts, tv shows, etc.
• Direct conversations with language partner using different scenarios
• Writing exercises and prompts

1. Learn different Korean dialects.

Topics:

• Going over different dialects
• Learning phonetics, semantics, and words of different dialects
• Comparing and contrasting different dialects

Materials:

• Researching different dialects
• Videos of tv shows and specific podcast/radio stations that use different dialects
• Practice speaking and writing different dialects

1. Grow knowledge on current trends.

Topics:

• Slang
• News/topics
• Music
• Clothes
• Etc.

Materials

• Videos of music, interviews, tv shows, etc.
• News articles/channels
• Researching current trends
• Using common slang words and talking about trending topics with language partner in Korean

In my quest to unravel the intricacies of Korean culture, I've found myself drawn to a profound and ancient aspect of their heritage—Korean traditional medicine. This holistic approach to health, seamlessly blending natural remedies, acupuncture, and herbal treatments, embodies a rich tapestry of cultural values and centuries-old wisdom. In this cultural post, I'll share my reactions, impressions, and interpretive understandings of Korean medicine, exploring its role in the cultural and healthcare landscape.

My initial encounters with Korean traditional medicine sparked a sense of fascination and curiosity. The holistic philosophy, emphasizing the balance of energies within the body, resonated deeply. The incorporation of natural elements, such as herbs and acupuncture, reflected an intimate connection to the environment. The first glimpse into this world painted a picture of wellness not merely as the absence of illness but as a harmonious state of being.

Korean medicine, often referred to as "Hanbang," is rooted in the principles of Yin and Yang and the concept of Qi (energy flow). Herbal remedies, acupuncture, and cupping therapy are integral components. Herbal medicine, known as "Hanyak," involves the use of specific combinations of roots, leaves, and seeds to restore balance within the body.

At the core of Korean medicine is the belief that the body is a microcosm of the universe, interconnected and influenced by natural forces. The emphasis on preventive care and the understanding that physical ailments may have emotional or spiritual origins distinguish Korean medicine from Western approaches. It's a holistic system that seeks to address the root causes of illness rather than merely alleviating symptoms.

Exploring Korean traditional medicine instilled a sense of admiration for the respect it pays to the body's innate ability to heal. The emphasis on balance and the interconnectedness of physical and spiritual well-being align with my own beliefs about holistic health. It's more than a medical practice; it's a philosophy that resonates with the profound connection between nature and humanity.

On the flip side, there were instances where the complexity of medical terminology posed a challenge. Understanding the intricacies of herbal combinations and their therapeutic effects required additional research and clarification.

Korean traditional medicine serves as a cultural compass, guiding individuals on a journey towards holistic well-being. The profound connection between nature, body, and spirit embedded in this ancient practice has enriched my understanding of Korean culture. As I continue my language learning journey, the threads of Korean medicine weave into my linguistic repertoire, creating a tapestry that reflects the interconnectedness of language, culture, and the pursuit of wellness.

This week, my primary focus was on reviewing the Korean alphabet and reinforcing my grasp of consonants. Simultaneously, I continued my journey into mastering Korean grammar rules within sentences, specifically honing my skills in sentence structure and particle usage.

In reviewing the alphabet and consonants, I aimed to solidify my foundation, ensuring fluency in reading and recognizing characters. Regarding grammar, my goal was to enhance my proficiency in constructing grammatically correct sentences and incorporating particles effectively.

Engaging with language partners became an integral part of my review. Reciprocal goals included mutual support in reinforcing the alphabet's intricacies and collaborating on sentence construction exercises. These interactions provided a space for immediate feedback and cultural insights.

1. I revisited basic alphabet drills, focusing on correct pronunciation and character recognition. Flashcards and mnemonic devices were employed to reinforce memory.

2. Building on the alphabet review, I dedicated specific sessions to consonant pronunciation and variations. Tongue twisters and repetitive pronunciation exercises were key strategies.

3. For grammar mastery, I engaged in constructing sentences on various topics. This involved creating sentences based on given prompts and gradually progressing to more complex structures.

4. Utilizing language learning apps that incorporate interactive exercises helped reinforce the alphabet and provided immediate feedback on pronunciation and character recognition.

Building on my alphabet review, I plan to incorporate more diverse reading materials, such as short stories and articles, to expose myself to varied vocabulary and sentence structures. Regarding grammar, I aim to delve into more complex sentence patterns and explore the nuances of using particles in different contexts.

This week brought a sense of accomplishment as I revisited the alphabet and noted the progress made since my initial learning phase. Frustration surfaced briefly during challenging consonant drills, but the enthusiasm to conquer these linguistic hurdles prevailed.

In light of my experiences, I plan to integrate more reading exercises into my routine, with a focus on diverse materials. I also intend to participate in more language exchange sessions centered around complex sentence constructions.

Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been focusing on the following language goals:

- increase my speed of fingerspelling and comprehension of fast fingerspelling

- express more complex ideas by learning directional and spatial modifiers, as well as learning more complex syntax

- communicating with my language partner only using sign, and using fingerspelling to ask about words I don’t know 

- learn vocabulary about interests and personal attributes

- learn general patterns in ASL morphology

These goals have allowed me quite a bit of breadth in communication as a beginner. Fingerspelling especially gives me agency to learn vocabulary without switching into English or Spanish. Because there are so many patterns, there’s often opposite meanings that I am able to deduce through learning one sign. If I learn boyfriend, I already know girlfriend will be the same sign from the chin. If I know driving, I know how to sign backing up by adding a spatial modifier.

This intuitive quality has also helped with my comprehension of sign. My language partner saw my dog acting hyper in the background and signed YOUR DOG PLAY with an excited gesture. The way he signed PLAY was different than I had seen before, and it perfectly matched her energetic demeanor.

Outside of meetings with my language partner, I’ve been using SLAIT and Lingvano for vocabulary building. SLAIT uses AI to detect correct signage, which has been helpful feedback. Lingvano, I feel, does a great job at teaching nuance in sign, such as facial expressions and modifiers. I’ve also been making an effort to follow Deaf creators to both watch how they sign and hear more about their experiences 

This past month, I’ve been exploring Deaf experiences in the US, both in the context of individual lived experiences and Deaf culture as a whole. Genetically and linguistically, signed languages, including ASL, are a bit of an anomaly as deaf children are more than half of the time born into hearing families. This means that many deaf children are not learning sign as a first language, and are often asked to adapt to the hearing world while being distant from a sense of belonging in Deaf communities.

This theme is explored in Gallaudet University’s documentary, Through Deaf Eyes, as well as the book Deaf in America: Voices from a Culture by Carol Padden and Tom Humpries. In both the documentary and the book, we hear first hand accounts of Deaf adults coming into their Deaf culture with a particular emphasis on the complex relationships to residential schools of the Deaf. These schools have been funded in all 50 states and Canada and often prohibit sign in classrooms, teaching students speech and lip reading instead. In the documentary, we hear students discouraged and frustrated by their academic performance being equated to how well they could present as “hearing.”

It was in the dorms of these schools, however, where students stayed Monday through Friday, that many interviewed described having their first senses of belonging in a Deaf culture. It was here, from one another, that they learned to sign, gave each other sign names, and had the freedom of communication without barriers. Many described a conflicted feeling around returning home for the weekends, often to homes that were not willing to learn sign.

Padden and Humphries also go on to describe an irony around the familial aspect of deafness in that hearing CODAs (children of Deaf adults) often have a more immediate exposure to Deaf culture and learn sign as an L1, which is not the case for many Deaf children.

Moving forward in my cultural studies, I want to explore best practices in language acquisition and schooling for Deaf children, as well as learn more about other ways in which Deaf people come into community.

The part of the chapter "How the Brain Handles Language" by D. Crystal on Dominance was super interesting to me. In class we had mentioned how the learning types were pseudoscientific and that made me think about other ways that people describe themselves; whether it was personality tests like MBTI or how people described themselves as left-brained or right-brained. And it may be the case that one isn’t more dominant than the other but it is surprising to me that the science reflects the split of the right and left hemispheres as having different fields of use. Although the literature mentioned that this was different for left-handed individuals. It is also interesting that language is generally a left-brain dominant, but that this isn’t universal and there are individuals where language is a right-brain dominant activity. I am curious however if this left or right brain dominance changes how an individual learns or expresses language because the left hemisphere is more analytical and the right hemisphere is generally considered to be more pattern focused and creative. It would be interesting to see if left handed individuals who are right brain dominant for language if they acquire languages more often or they can acquire them more easily or whether they struggle more. 

For this month, I have been scheduling with Isaac and making plans on how to advance my Korean. Because my Korean is at an advanced level, it is becoming harder to grasp what areas I should focus on. The most helpful practices that helped me improve last semester were reading Korean articles and watching YouTube videos. I am planning on getting into Korean webtoons which is a quick but effective way to learn Korean on a daily basis. I have also started the show called Singles Inferno which is a couple matchmaking show streaming on Netflix. The main objective of watching this show is to compare the cultural differences from American dating shows like the Bachelors. Through the way the couples interact with each other, we are able to see what cultural awareness they have when interacting with one another. 

In terms of meeting with my partner Isaac, we have planned to meet once a week to go over some of the articles and have a discussion on the shows and videos I was assigned for the week. Additionally, we are planning on gathering with my partners to have Korean cooking sessions. The main source of instruction for cooking is the YouTube channel I mentioned in one of my cultural posts, Baek Jong Won’s YouTube. A dish that we made is “Bossam” (보쌈) which is boiled pork belly, served with rice and kimchi. 

Another important part of my Korean learning journey is teaching my partnered students Korean. For this semester my students are Amy and Chasey. With Chasey, we are starting with the foundations of Korean. Helping Chasey learn the basics of Korean allows me to pinpoint specific details about Korean. One concept we recently discussed was the pronunciation of “ㄹ”. It is a very difficult pronunciation for English speakers because it is a combination of the sounds “l” and “r”. For Amy, I am providing her with business related articles that would advance her professional skills. This is helping my own language skills as I read these articles before assigning her with the resources. 

I am excited to deepen my Korean language skills throughout this semester. I will be reading other posts for more inspiration on what I could possibly add to my Korean learning schedule. I would also like to find more resources that are used to teach Korean in Korean schools. The textbook that I am using, provided by Yonsei University, has been very helpful and will continue to be used this semester.

For the first meeting, I believe it went pretty well. Korean is a language I am not used to considering it uses characters instead of the typical alphabet that I am accustomed to. Which is why for the first meeting I wanted to learn the korean writing system called hangul. 

Gajin, who is my assigned language partner, explained to me what exactly hangul is. She explained how one of the Korean kings, King Sejong, had created this system of writing so that it was simple enough for everyone to learn. She stated how the system is based on the common sounds that these people would speak, which is why Korean is one of those languages where the words are written just like they are pronounced. Knowing this made me feel much better because as we learned in class, languages such as English are difficult to learn due to the numerous complicated sounds that make up a word where the letters do not match at all. 

During the lesson, Gajin also explained how there are 14 consonants and 10 vowels. She also explained that there is a certain when writing out words using the individual characters. If we are just using two characters, depending on what vowel is being used, the consonants would go on top while the vowel will be placed at the bottom or the consonant would be written first with the vowel right next to it. For example the word that Gajin had used for reference was for the first example was the word for please. As you can see the word is written as 주세요, with the vowels written below the consonants. As for the second example, Gajin used 이거, the word for here, and we can see how the two different characters are placed next to each other, with the consonants being at the front. 

To start learning how to memorize the characters, I tried to associate a sound or letter that sounded close enough to the pronunciation. For example, for me, the character ㄱ sounds like the letter G, therefore I made a little note stating that. It was the same for the rest of the characters. This part turned out to be pretty difficult. That is because there were certain characters I could not pronounce correctly. The two that were most difficult was ㅈ and ㅊ. These two characters sound pretty much the same to my ear while Gajin kept repeating that it was not true. Koreans grew up knowing the small differences between the characters while I need to learn to hear those differences. For example, Gajin would say some words so we can see if I am able to write them down and one of them was 주세요. Despite the fact that I had not learned more about the vowels as seen in the second character, I also wrote the first part wrong. To me, 주 had sounded like 추, so when Gajin told I was wrong I tried to hear the differences between the two but it was difficult. Therefore I know I would have to learn to become more attentive of the pronunciation and make sure to revise hangul.

Last week, I met up with my language partner, Hannah, and we discussed the goals I wanted to achieve this semester and the areas of Korean on which we want to focus on. We set up a rough schedule of the different topics we’re going to focus on. Since I grew up speaking Korean at home, I already have my foundations set. Given that this is my final semester before graduating, we decided to concentrate on improving my fluency in the professional and job-related aspects.

After graduation, I hope to work in the marketing and analytics industry, so Hannah will assign me business-related articles relevant to the industry to familiarize myself with the industry in Korea. Before our weekly meetings, I will read through the assigned articles, identifying and highlighting words that I am not familiar with. Then, we will delve into the articles, discussing its content to evaluate my comprehension and addressing any unfamiliar words and vocabulary.  I have never read or watched any business related news or articles in Korean, so this will definitely challenge me to move forward from the conversational Korean that I am used to. This will help me improve my reading and comprehension skills while also teaching me about the business world of Korea, allowing me to stay connected with what’s happening in the industries in Korea. 

Additionally, I will learn about the various positions within the business industry. Korea's hierarchical structure introduces numerous distinct words and positions in Korean that may differ from American companies. Learning about these different positions will help my understanding of Korean company work culture. Looking ahead, I do intend to work in a Korean company for a couple of years in the future, and these lessons will definitely help prepare me for navigating the cultural differences in the workplace.

In addition to delving into business articles, news, and vocabulary, I will explore the intricacies of Korean food and drinking culture, with a particular focus on the tradition of 회식, also known as company dinners. 회식s hold a crucial role in many company cultures in Korea, along with numerous social rules that employees should socially adhere to. Our lessons will consist of going through the various social rules, guiding me on the dos and don'ts when participating in these significant company dinners.

Beyond focusing solely on business etiquette, Hannah suggested that I watch "영국남자" to gain further insights into Korean food culture. "영국남자," also known as Korean Englishman, are YouTubers who produce content in both Korean and English, centering around Korean culture and food. To actually experience some of the food culture in real life, Hannah and I will also learn how to cook some Korean dishes from Paik Jong Won, who is one of the most famous chefs in South Korea. 

Finally, I still want to improve my writing and grammar skills, so I will also use 서강한국어 쓰기 1, which is a Sogang Korean Writing Book from Yonsei University’s Beginning Writing Class. The book has numerous college-related sections designed to teach Korean vocabulary related to university life, classes, majors, schools, small talk, and more. These sections will help me learn how to talk about my college life when I go visit my family again this summer in Korea. Last time I visited,I struggled to talk about my college life with them as I did not learn the proper terms. If time allows, we will also explore the entertainment industry of Korea and learn about how the entertainment industry has shifted from TV to youtube video contents, shorts, and reels.

Thus far, Jason and I have met twice for roughly two hours each, and these meetings have been more than helpful. We try to establish a Korean-only environment to help with my immersion, and this environment is pivotal in terms of  “switching a gear” of sorts in terms of what language I am speaking. We typically reserve English for words/phrases that I do not know or cannot circumlocute, and from there, I start a running list of these words; in special circumstances, I learn the Hanja for these words––or the ancient Mandarin form––and employing Hanja gives me a chance to apply these root words to other compound words resulting in realizing valuable connections in the language. I try to memorize the novel words/phrases prior to our next class meeting, creating example sentences for Jason to review and give feedback due to nuances that require elucidation. A metric to asses this goal is the ratio between my English to Korean use during conversation. I hope to eventually have a 100% Korean session by the end of the semester, so I’ve also tried to listen to more Korean throughout the day in order to immerse myself even further, and I’ve done this by watching Talk To Me In Korean podcasts between native speakers having conversations entirely in Korean on various topics.  This goal is paired with my main goal of learning some of the more advanced Korean grammar rules that can be quite challenging to learn, and it’s been terrific to have Jason explain them to me, and if unable to precisely describe them, we address the issue by doubling down on example sentences to give me a sense of use cases. 

This has been the most challenging aspect thus far, as, most of my Korean background stems from speaking with family at home, where colloquial speech naturally dominates, and since I am interested in growing my proficiency at a more advanced level, I cannot simply rely on some sort of intuitive understanding. Though I can intuit some of it, I actually am intentionally trying to avoid doing so in order to have a robust understanding of Korean grammar, and perhaps this can encapsulate a statement of what I hoped to accomplish for this past week: understand Korean grammar rules (and new vocabulary, in general) vis-à-vis thorough explanation and using it meaningfully in conversation with Jason. 

Some strategies that we have used are finding blogs and other online resources for Korean learners who are actually learning English, rather than the other way around. This is due to not only the plethora of Korean-speaking English learners resulting in much information but also the explanations seeing it from the “other side” per se gives me ways to connect, since, the best way to learn something is to teach something, and reading through these blogs of Korean’s learning English gives me a chance to ‘teach’ this new information. Jason is able to find these resources as he was once a Korean learning English, so locating helpful information hasn’t been difficult yet. We will continue to build on these strategies, and I think continuing to immerse myself completely will be the most efficacious in terms of reaching my goals.

For this month, me and my language partner decided that we would watch some popular Korean movies together. Because my skills in Korean are sufficiently fluent, we watched movies that would be somewhat difficult for a beginner to watch without subtitles. The movies we watched were 외계+인 1부 (Alienoid 2022) and the much more popular 기생충 (Parasite 2019). Watching movies to learn Korean not only made learning entertaining, but it also exposed me to some of the culture, history, and atmosphere in South Korea.

For starters, Alienoid had a fairly confusing plot that required me to pay attention very closely. The movie took place over 2 different time periods: The 고려시대 (Goryeo Dynasty, 1380 AD) and “modern” Korea (2012 AD). At first, the movie revolves around two aliens from a far away planet that capture “demonic” aliens from there that possess human bodies. As they complete a mission in the Goryeo Dynasty, they capture one but the host gives them her infant girl, asking them to take care of her. Reluctantly, they take her in back to the modern world and raise her with the given name 이안 (Yi-an). However, soon things go south as the 2 aliens learn about the Controller (the top-dog demon alien) and his plans to take over the Earth so that his race of aliens can live there. While fighting the Controller, they go back in time where the rest of the movie takes place. Explaining the rest of the plot would take a while so if you want to know I would recommend watching it :) . 

On the complete opposite spectrum is the movie Parasite. This movie revolves around the Kim family, who, through deception, infiltrate the wealthy Park family's household, each securing a job there. The narrative takes unexpected twists as class tensions, social commentary, and dark humor unfold, ultimately leading to a dramatic and impactful conclusion. Once again, if you want to know the plot I HIGHLY recommend watching this one in particular. This movie received widespread acclaim, winning several awards, including the Palme d'Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival and Best Picture at the 92nd Academy Awards.

Alienoid provided a strong look into life during the Goryeo dynasty. The movie had a lot of fantasy elements, mainly magic, which of course is fake. But it provided an overview of the things the people during the Goryeo dynasty believed in. The supernatural, objects of magical powers, spirits, etc. It also showed how society was structured; for example a key part for some of the movie revolved around a 사또 (magistrate) who was sort of like a sheriff/mayor of a small area of the kingdom. Conversely, Parasite was a satirical portrayal of the social class disparities in Korean society. The film explores the extreme contrast between the wealthy and the poor, illustrating the challenges and complexities of social mobility. Both films provide a good insight to how Korean society flowed and continue to flow and the differences and evolution between the two.

              This semester my main goal is to be able to hold a 5-10 minute basic, everyday conversation in Korean with minimal hesitation and reduced reliance on English. I know that my understanding of spoken Korean is more than enough to achieve this, however my speaking fluency is what needs to be brough up to speed. I feel optimistic about this semester after all the trial and error and learning experiences of last semester, that I will apply to make my learning more efficient this time around. Last semester I had many different learning goals that included everyday culture, Korean history, writing, reading, and speaking. This semester I will focus most of my efforts on speaking and everyday conversation, while also exploring Korean history for my monthly cultural posts.

              I recently met with my language partner and planned our learning strategies for this semester. We agreed to speak in as much Korean as possible. My partner will ease into speaking to me exclusively in Korean. I agreed to interrupt if I ever do not understand anything. Our lessons will be a combination of small, everyday banter. During our first lesson I also tried implementing everyday Korean filler words and slang that my partner said are important for having a more natural conversation. This was encouraging because one thing that I am tying to avoid is to speak in awkward, ‘school textbook’ style Korean.

              My partner and I also agreed that it was important for my to build my vocabulary, my understanding of Korean sentence formulation, and to work on these independently throughout the week. During our lessons we make a list of words I should know. I then make some sentences using those words. At the end of our lesson the plan is to have a sheet of vocabulary terms and sentences. Before my next meeting, I then must memorize these words and understand and be able to comfortably repeat our sentence examples.

              I think that this is a good starting point for my semester. I am curious to see how my learning plan will evolve in the coming weeks and months.

            Korea has a long history of excellence in pottery and ceramics, dating back to the Neolithic period. Korean pottery had many different styles that often reflected the culture and beliefs of the different dynasties. It is also important to note during the Japanese invasions of Korea at the end of the 16^th century, many prominent Korean potters were captured and brought back to Japan. The Japanese porcelain styles of Arita Ware and Satsuma Ware were founded by Korean potters.

The earlies known pieces of Korean pottery date back to 8000 BCE during the Neolithic Period. These earlier pieces were simpler and more basic in design compared to what was to come. Pottery at this time was usually in the form of brown bowls decorated with zigzag or comb like incisions. There is a strong link at this time between Chinese and Korean pottery.

The Goryeo ware period (10^th to 14^th century) marked a highpoint in Korean pottery, specifically for its Celadon pieces. Celadon, also known as green ware, is a type of pottery found in East Asia characterized by its light green hue and lightly cracked glaze. Celadon pottery was highly valued, and as such has been found in many royal tombs. Celadon production emerged in the 10^th century and ceased in the 13^th century following the Mongol invasions and the detruction of pottery workshops. Celadon wares could be of many different shapes and sizes. Vases, jugs, and bowls were the most popular. The most common was the maebyong, a tall vase with a narrow base and bulbous neck. Celadon wares were also incense burner, tea pots, and pitchers.

The intricacy and complexity of the Goryeo Celadon Wares was in complete contrast to the white porcelain of the later Joseon period (14^th to 20^th century).  Joseon white porcelain is also know as Joseon Baekja. These minimalist wares represented Korean Confucian ethics of frugality and pragmatism, which was followed by the Joseon elite. White porcelain was often decorated with blue or brown patterns of nature such as flowers, plants, or animals.

Korean Pottery - World History Encyclopedia

Korean pottery and porcelain - Wikipedia

Celadon - Wikipedia

Korean pottery and porcelain - Wikipedia

This week marked the beginning of my language-learning Journey with my instructor Isaac. We began going over very simple topics, which started with reviewing my understanding of the alphabet. Before starting the course, Isaac instructed me to learn Hangul, which is essentially the Korean alphabet. We then moved on and worked on the double consonants; in the beginning, this was hard for me to understand how you had to emphasize and change the pronunciation of the letter, but Isaac was very good at breaking it down and helping me through it. I felt very proud and almost prideful when I was able to conquer the tasks from the beginning of class that I had such a hard time pronouncing. We then moved to basic words; Isaac pulled up a YouTube channel that he uses with his students to explain the basics of pronunciation, we dove in and learned words like “bread” “hello” and “teacher”. Surprisingly I was able to get the pronunciation pretty quickly; Isaac told me I was doing what some people take weeks to understand in one session, which I was very happy about. In this session we hope to accomplish a basic understanding of the alphabet, which we were able to do and also work towards some basic conversational words. One of my goals was to be able to watch Korean Esports and have a basic understanding of the commentary presented. That being said after we reviewed the alphabet, Isaac pulled up a short commentary about 5 minutes of the most popular game played in Korea, League of Legends. We were able to turn on captions and bit by bit we went through the video, dissecting each of the words and their meaning. This was honestly so fun for me because I enjoy watching these videos but I don't understand what they are saying because they are obviously commentating in Korean. By watching these videos and reciting back what they were saying I was able to work on my pronunciation along with understanding intricate letter positioning within Hangul. We plan on referring back to these commentaries frequently because as discussed at the beginning of the session, Isaac wants to gear this toward my learning goals and what I deem interesting while keeping the class professional and rigorous. After watching this 5-minute clip, we then moved to reviewing some specific words. We went over words like breakfast, lunch, and dinner and also how to ask if someone had eaten. This first lesson was a bit daunting because it was a whole lot of Korean thrown at me at once, but the key about this technique is the immersion aspect. Isaac wants me to be immersed in the language, the more I am exposed to it the more my brain will pick up on these words and begin to hear the differences between them. I would say overall our first session was a huge success; we laid the grounding for a great semester and what we will be working towards, And I am more than excited to continue next week. Isaac also instructed me to practice the new words that I learned in the meantime, while talking to him and while talking to my other Korean-speaking friends to reinforce these specific words.

Webtoons (웹툰, wɛbtˈuːn) are a form of graphics novels, akin to comics and mangas, but specified to Korea. Whilst the popularity of Webtoons have expanded overseas in the past years, another form of webtoons are emerging - Instatoons (인스타툰, ɪnstætˈuːn). A majority of these webtoons are uploaded on a handful of accredited platforms - e.g. Naver, Kakako, but of course, these are monitored for licensing and monetization. This makes sense, but sometimes the consumer wants easy-to-access material coupled with good user interface and less commitment. On the flipside, authors may want to release their work with less liability, not having to worry about publishers or platform logistics. The solution for both sides are the mentioned Instatoons, where some authors have begun releasing short webtoons on Instagram. The barrier for reading such toons is low; users can alternate from their daily Instagram actions to reading webtoons. As these are often short (Instagram only offers 10 slides), these webtoons are short-term/story content, which parallels with the small dopamine hits reels apps give nowadays. According to the article I read on Instatoons, the social interface of Instagram also helps with the popularity of Instatoons: sharability, comments, clear connections between authors.

I've linked the article on this phenomena - interesting read. An example of an account that does Instatoon is @tyeodya.