Language Tag
I was tagged by @bulletproof-koreanΒ to answer these questions about languages. Thanks for the tag. ^^
1. what languages are you/have studied?
My native language is Filipino. I can speak English and Iβm currently learning Korean. Iβve studied Hokkien back in high school but that was years ago and I donβt remember anything at all now.
2. how long have you been studying?
Iβve known how to speak English before I entered kindergarten. Iβve only studied Hokkien for one year. Iβve been learning Korean on and off since after I graduated from college in 2011.Β
3. did you learn through class or self-study (or both)?
I donβt remember how I learned English. I just remember watching a lot of English cartoons. Also, English is like a second language here in the Philippines. We have English classes so it helped a lot in improving my skills. Iβm learning Korean through self-study because there are no Korean language classes here.
4. why did you decide to learn this language?
English is part of our curriculum so Iβve been taking English classes since kindergarten. Then I took a Hokkien class in high school out of curiosity plus I was so into F4 that time. I wanted to learn Mandarin but I wasnβt allowed to join the Mandarin class because their lessons were way too advanced and it was impossible to catch up because theyβve been learning it since kindergarten.Β
I like k-pop and Korean drama so much that I decided to learn Korean language. I didnβt really have any goals when I started learning Korean, I just thought it would be fun to be able to understand what they were saying. But I fell in love with the language and now I appreciate it and study it not only because of k-pop or k-drama but also because itβs kinda fascinating how it sounds more romantic or more meaningful in Korean than when itβs translated to English.Β
5. what was a major highlight/milestone in studying this language?
I donβt think I have a major highlight or milestone when it comes to English unless you count the times I won in spelling bees and story writing contests in school. Lol!
But for Korean, one of the major highlight was being able to work in a Korean military base camp in 2014. A group of Korean soldiers were deployed here to help with the rehabilitation. They were looking for interpreters and I was the only native in the city who knows Korean language.Β
There are other highlights/milestones like getting TOPIK Level 4 and winning a Korean speech contest. You can read more about itΒ here.
6. what was the hardest thing about studying this language?
It was difficult to construct sentences at first since the sentence order in Korean is different from English. Well, it wasnβt that big of a deal when Iβm just writing down sentences for my diary or replying to someone in chat since I can just erase and rephrase. But when I had my first conversation in Korean, it was a scary experience since I needed some time to organize my thoughts before I can come up with a response that makes sense.Β
7. what resources did you find most useful for studying this language?
I studied Korean using a lot of textbooks. Some grammar patterns were very similar to each other and yet one cannot be used in certain situations so I had to refer to a lot of different books to know more about the similarities and the differences between two very similar grammar patterns.Β
For reading, Iβm very fond of reading Korean webtoons. Thatβs where I learned phrases that Koreans usually use on a daily basis. Textbooks are good when youβre learning grammar but some sample sentences are too weird to be used in daily life so I suggest reading materials that natives read like webtoons.
For listening, Iβm focusing on improving this skill nowadays as it is one of my weakest. Iβve recently started watching Korean Youtube channels to train my ears to listen to how Koreans normally converse. I listen to male youtubers, female youtubers, youtubers who have a μ¬ν¬λ¦¬ accent to train my ears in listening to different kinds of voices and speaking styles. I understand well enough to know what theyβre talking about except for when they use slangs and words Iβve never encountered before. Β
8. any top tips for studying this language?
You have to constantly challenge yourself to study materials that are a little higher than your current level. Try to step out of your comfort zone every once in a while. But donβt be discouraged when you donβt understand everything.
When youβve reached the intermediate level, try to read or listen to stuff that natives read or listen to like webtoons and radio shows. When I took the TEFL course, I learned that people who are learning a language should listen to or read authentic materials meaning stuff that natives would normally listen to or read because this is where you will learn natural expressions or expressions used in daily life. Β
9. whats your next major language goal?
My goal for now is to improve my listening skills because the last time I took TOPIK, I had a hard time in the listening exam.Β
10. anything we can do in the tumblr community to get you there?
If you guys know any interesting Korean Youtube channel, please let me know.Β
I tag @nocturnalinseoul, @pihaenggi, @jiae-study, @sootudying, @studiousbees,Β @hangulstudy, @hangulheart, @ttmikstudy, @soheestudies, @mykoreanstudy, @jeongsnotes Only if you want to do it, and sorry if youβve already done this!
