Asian Language Journeys

• 直系 「ちょっけい」 - direct descent, direct line

• 水系 「すいけい」 - water system, river system, drainage system

• 生態系 「せいたいけい」 - ecosystem

• 系列 「けいれつ」 - 1. series, sequence, system, succession 2. keiretsu (group), conglomeration of businesses linked by cross-shareholdings 3. affiliated, subsidiary

• 体系 「たいけい」 - system, organization, organisation, architecture

• 系統 「けいとう」 - 1. system 2. lineage, ancestry, family line 3. group (e.g. of colors) (colours), family (e.g. of languages), party, school (of thought) 4. close (evolutionary) relationship 5. a population sharing a common ancestor (in genetics), strain (e.g. bacterial)

Pulling off all-nighters or cramming is no stranger to us. However, these study styles aren’t actually efficient in eating those chunks of information we need to pass our tests.

1. Distributed practice. Or basically have planned study sessions in chunks. Studies show that you best encode information in repeated short training sessions. This is because repeated short training sessions, spaced in time, engage multiple sets of synapses. It’s as if your brain is working at full power. So yes, if you want to become a successful student then you need to learn to be consistent in your studies and to have regular, yet shorter, study periods.

2. Use flashcards. Flashcards engage in “active recall”. In other words, you are attempting to remember the concept from scratch rather than simply staring at the passage in your textbook or recognizing it on a multiple choice quiz.

3. Sleep. While drinking and eating is an indispensable requisite, sleeping is just as important. Even a brief nap may boost learning, memory, and creative problem solving. Though napping isn’t a shortcut to success, it can help improve your memory and solve problems. Sleeping well at night, and long enough, is associated with good health.

4. Teach what you’ve learned. When you teach what you’ve learned, your brain organizes the information and lets you recall the materials you’ve read. If you can’t find someone to teach, then imagine yourself teaching someone. You can even use a stuffed toy if you have no one to teach.

5. Practice testing. Practice testing helps you prepare yourself from questions that may or may not appear on the test. Furthermore, it helps you remember the materials you’ve read while practicing.

1. Organization and discipline are two totally different things. Being organized, in whatever aspect of your life, takes discipline and drive. Organization is a daily routine, and developing the discipline to keep yourself in that routine and thrive in it will carry you well in the coming year. Get a journal/notebook/calendar. Decorate it as you wish or not at all–it IS for you after all, so do what you think works best. Set a reminder in your phone or something within view that reminds you to check your planner if need be, and set aside 5+ minutes to do so. This will help you get in the swing of things :)

2. Eat as healthy as you possibly can, but let’s be real, chocolate, candy, chips, etc. gets the best of ANYONE. I say this because I feel it’s best to stress, especially in the coming year, that we’re not perfect. Feed your brain fruit, healthy grains, vegetables, calcium and iron-rich foods, etc., but it’s more than okay to go for that chocolate bar every now and then.

3. Sleep. Netflix will save where you last left off on Stranger Things. Hulu will remember where you were at on your movie. Sleep will not. You will NEVER be able to make up for lost sleep, no matter how hard you try. So set yourself a set bedtime that will get you the best amount of sleep that you’ll need to function optimally the next day. Shoot for 7+ hours. Your body needs rest. Put the laptop and phone away, meditate, count sheep, or whatever it is that will help you sleep…and do so. I can’t stress how much sleep affects mental and physical health, and overall function. Don’t take it for granted.

4. There’s a difference between challenging yourself and overwhelming yourself. I am throwing this phrase at you guys in the form of glitter and positive energy as we speak. This is SOOOOOO!!!! IMPORTANT!!!! Challenging yourself is great, but it has its limits. If you want to take an AP class, by all means do so. If you’re planning on taking 4 at one time, check yourself and ask yourself, “Combined with my other commitments, will this overwhelm me?” It’s a simple question, but it’s a very important one. In college, keep in mind the classes you need to take and how many credit hours you think you can feasibly take on. Your mental health is so important, please don’t wear your pretty selves down ✨🌸

5. Give yourself something to look forward to everyday. It can be big, or small. But I’ve found that finding something to look forward to the next day, whether it’d be cracking open a new book, watching a new video your favorite youtuber put out, making a nice breakfast, etc. can really go a long way. We all need a little motivation to get through the day. It’s in the little things, trust me.

6. Find a hobby. Hobbies are so important. They’re great coping mechanisms and ease the stress of work, school, etc. Take some time to find what you’re interested in and start small. Try scrapbooking, or maybe join a fun club on campus. If you’re into cooking, look up some recipes you wouldn’t normally try and try it! Get funky! Take a dance class or go to they gym. Find what suits you. It will help you in the long run.

7. Love yourself. This is easier said and done, obviously, but promoting a positive mental image of yourself is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Cut yourself some slack. It sounds so cheesy, but go look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself one thing you love about yourself. Do it every morning. Or, write it down in a journal or something. Say it to yourself on the bus. Hang with people that make you feel good about yourself and add value to your life. Do things that make you happy. Listen to new music, reward yourself with a new outfit. You guys are all gorgeous ass human beings and I want nothing but the greatest of self-love for you guys ❤️❤️

8. ...and love others, too. Remember your family, and your friends. They can be your greatest support system. Spend as much time with them as possible. Check in with your friends, hang out with them, be there for them. Be attentive at the dinner table with your family, engage in discussion. Take time to check in on your siblings. If you find yourself liking someone and it turns into a budding relationship, assess if the person will add to your happiness and that it is healthy. Also determine if you’ll be able to provide the time, energy, and care that goes into a relationship among the other commitments in your life. If check, check, and check, by all means go ahead. Have a blast 😎😇

There is a new Korean learning tool launched by Naver & Yonsei University.

Everyday a short dialogue is posted and you can test how well you understood/remembered the dialogue with three different types of quizzes.

I recently saw a post (sorry I don’t have your @) about what a good idea it is to keep a diary in your target language. It will help you realize what words you don’t know, you need, and want to learn! Plus it’s great practice!

So I thought I’d drop some ideas/prompts for you to try once a day, or at your own pace.

Keys

Underline words you use often, so you can later look up synonyms!

Write words you aren’t sure you’re using correctly in a different color.

Put a * next to words you’re having trouble memorizing, and put definitions of that word at the bottom of the page. 

Prompts

Introduce yourself!

Introduce your family. 

How many siblings do you have?

What are they like? (Try to use at least three adjectives!)

What do you like to do?

What are your favorite foods?

When you go to a restaurant, what do you like to order?

What year are you in school?

What subjects did you take in school?

What is your favorite season?

Why is it your favorite?

What don’t you like? 

Say something about one of your friends!  (Try to use at least three adjectives!) 

Name a memory with your friend.

What’s your favorite color/animal?

Introduce your pets!

What are they like?

Name a memory with your family!

What is your favorite thing to wear?

What is your favorite type of weather?

What is your favorite holiday?

What do you look like? 

Where do you work?

What do you do there?

What did you have for dinner last night? Who was there?

What is your favorite book/show/movie?

What’s it about?

Recite a poem or quote in your target language! 

What is your house like? (Ex: My house is small. / I have a brown couch.)

How are you feeling?

What was the last thing you read/watched?

 How was it?

What was the last thing you read/watched in your target language?

Do you have any hobbies?  (Ex: sports, knitting)

Who did you last see?

What did you guys do?

Where is the last place you went?

How was your day?

Who is your favorite celebrity? 

Describe something you saw today. 

What did you do yesterday/last week?

What do you hope to do in the future? (Ex: “There’s a concert next week..”)  

This is maybe the most frustrating aspect of studying kanji. You start learning 山 as やま. Cool, one kanji memorized. Wait… it can also be read as さん.

Wait. All your other kanji have 2 or 4 extra readings too! Some are on'yomi. Some are kun'yomi.

Why does this have to be so complicated?!

It may seem confusing at first, but if you learn the difference between on'yomi/kun'yomi readings, where they came from, and how they work, we promise it will make learning kanji a lot easier.

Motivation is one of the biggest issues for students and it is always great to find a few things that can keep you feeling inspired. Here are my top ten ideas:

start small - set yourself a challenge to work for five to ten minutes. Yes, just five minutes can be enough to get started! If you can get through that five minutes, you will start breaking down that feeling of disinterest and begin to get more into working. A fantastic application that will keep you from using your phone and on a time limit of between 10 minutes and two hours is Forest! However, here are some free alternatives.

plan tomorrow today - I find planning my day - or at least writing down a couple of tasks - before bed is extremely beneficial. In the morning I wake up with intent and get see my main priorities. They don’t have to full-fledged plans or written nicely in my planner but even just small reminders on a post-it note are enough for me to feel more organised.

give yourself a bit of structure - as mentioned, having a plan is a great way to start the day. You might use a planner, a bullet journal or a free printable from me to organise! Set yourself up with 3 key things to finish or do during the day. Give yourself a goal and a reward upon completion. Put time limits on tasks and use a schedule to stay on track.

utilise a studygram/studyblr - basically, the communities on Tumblr and Instagram act as amazing accountability partners! I am constantly motivated by my blog and being able to share my day to day life on Instagram or Snapchat. I definitely have become incredibly motivated and disciplined because of these two communities. If you’re thinking about starting a studyblr, read this. If you’re thinking about starting a studygram, read this. If you already have either, here is how you can use it to further motivate yourself!

set up an inspiring workplace - dedicating a space to work, and only work, is a great way to build a mindset of motivation which kicks in when you sit down. This Pinterest board has loads of inspiration for setups and organisation! You can also add a cute plant, a bright study lamp and some motivational printables for added encouragement!

externalise your short and long-term goals - by making a verbal or written commitment to your goals, you are much more likely to take steps to follow them through. You might want to have a really productive week catching up on all your work, improve your GPA or pass your semester with flying colours. At the start of each week think of the ways you can put your goals into actions. Then at the end of the week reflect on how you did. Track your progress and keep up your motivation by seeing things get a step closer each time!

listen to some music - putting on my favourite songs always put me in a better mindset and feeling more positive. Before a study session or during a break, I will sometimes put on a few songs I’m loving and take a moment to refocus.

don’t force it - if you’re feeling unmotivated to study, try doing something else for a short amount of time. Avoid things that could distract you like browsing Facebook or Instagram. Instead, try tidying your bedroom, organising your upcoming week, read a chapter of a book, or get a drink of water. Alternatively, make an action plan for what you need to do with your next few tasks. That way you’re still making progress with your work but aren’t sitting feeling too unmotivated to actually study.

find some inspiration - there is no shortage of amazing people with incredible stories of success! Podcasts such as The Daily Boost, The Tony Robbins Podcast and The School of Greatness are great examples. Ted Talks are often incredibly insightful and motivating! Search for quotes or stories from your favourite people!

change your mindset - one of the biggest challenges in motivation is adjusting your own perspective. For instance, instead of thinking “I am terrible at this” think “How can I learn this differently to really understand?”. “I made a mistake” think “What can I take away from making this mistake?”. “It isn’t perfect” think “These perfectionist tendencies are only making this more difficult, I can be content with my work”. Having a more positive outcome to each situation should help boost your confidence and motivation!

I hope these few tips are useful and help improve your motivation! If it helps, I would love to hear about it :-)

I see a lot of posts asking for pdfs or links to certain language books. Here’s how to find those resources on your own!

Worldcat

Worldcat will find the clolsest library with the resource you are looking for

After you select the resource, enter your zip code

Look into doing an interlibrary loan for the text, especially if it’s between universities

Take a day trip to check out the text

Or, if you aren’t part of a a multi-branch/state library card system, photocopy/take photos of what you need and save them to Google Drive

Databases

Check your school, library, or university databases

Sometimes libraries have subscriptions to Rosetta Stone, Mango Languages or other language resources (especially for ESL or Spanish)

Google Smarter

When googling, utilize Google search-specific tricks to get better results

Use “quotation marks” around titles to get that EXACT text

End your search with PDF or EPUB or DOC so you get actual texts

Check what the link actually downloads as. if it ends in .exe, it is a virus. if it is not the format it’s supposed to be, don’t mess with that

Keywords 

You might be able to find your text in someone else’s resources

Try googling for (your language) + Masterpost, Syllabus, Study Guide, Exam, Review, Homework, Packet, University, or Ebook. These terms are academic and can pull up more trustworthy sites

Go deep in the results! Not kidding, I find good language stuff on page like 6 or 7 of the results

Preview/Images

When you google for your resource, don’t stick just to websites

Check out images and Google Books for previews. It might not get you ALL the pages, but it can be helpful for grammar explanations or vocab lists

Alternatives

Buy the book used

Buy it during a sale. Subscribe to the publishing company to get notices (I follow Tuttle and they email when their Korean stuff goes on sale)

Look for giveaways 

Check thrift stores and garage sales (I’ve found foreign language kids books at garage sales and find study books at HPB all the time)

Buy a copy with your friends so you can split the cost (if you buy an ebook, you might be able to use a lend-it feature or family-share feature)