I'm getting really frustrated with how little I've progressed with Korean. I might have said this earlier, but in my Korean class, we burn through chapters in something like 2 days, which means grammar points have just been flung at me, and while that in and of itself isn't difficult during class, it's a completely different thing once I'm in a situation where I need to use it.
Because being able to use particles correctly when they are in a worksheet in front of you is not the same as being able to use them correctly when talking to someone.
We move from grammar point to grammar point so quickly and without having enough practical use to feel neither comfortable nor competent. When I'm actually talking to someone I can't make heads or tail of anything and so my korean fails me.
I realized yesterday that I haven't actually put together Korean sentences. This is not okay.
I'm hesitant to sign up for the next class. It's a difficult situation because I like the class--the people are great--and the teacher is wonderful, but its the structure of the class that I'm frustrated with. Grammar is important, of course it is, but I need to be able to speak. I need conversation practice. I need to be able to use what I've supposedly learned.
Incidently, the things that have really stuck with me thus far and the things I've learned from taxi drivers or out of necessity. Taxi drivers are great--sometimes--for teaching you odd words that have oddly enough become very handy. Likewise, when I wasn't feeling well and had to stumble into a pharmacy, I learned how to say what hurts.
Maybe it's because the korean we're learning in class is, like most studied languages, not the way in which you speak. Maybe the class isn't for me. Maybe I need to try a new method. Maybe I need to step up my studying game.
Which is another point of concern. Maybe I'm still burnt out over all that schooling that I've done, but I don't understand how lazy I've become in terms of studying Korean. Sure, I mean when I was a student the only thing I was really responsible for was studying, and thus made it a point to study, but I don't see why that has changed now that I have this 8-5 job. This bothers me, because I don't like feeling like a slacker.
I'm not sure what I'm going to do, but I need to make up my mind soon.
Also, I'm supposed to meet my Korean language exchange partner tomorrow. I'm already dreading it.
Watch a lot of news and Korean dramas. That's how I learned Korean. No lie.
ReplyDeletePlus, make sure you don't speak any English with your language partner. And if it's a dude, that's he's not trying to meet chicks. =)
ahhhh, but you know your exchange partner is going to be your best tool :)
ReplyDeletejane, I was suuuper nervous because yes, he IS a guy and I had heard that it was a good excuse for foreigners and koreans to start dating haha. But I killed that first meeting, awkwardly^^.
ReplyDeleteand as it turns out, he's really good. I will write more about this now!
How much conversational practice do you get in and out of class? Korean seems very heavy in grammar so that is an important aspect of learning but you also need lots of practice to retain and apply what you've learnt. Building up your vocabulary everyday is also very important because even if you don't construct the sentence perfectly, im sure whoever you're speaking to will understand the gist of it and with practice you'll become even better. I've found that a lot of self learning is required in order to become fluent in a language, because as you've said, what you study in class isn't always the way you speak in everyday life. Anyway, good luck, I'm sure with practice and perseverance you'll get there!!
ReplyDeleteI will talk more about this in my next, actual post. coming soon!
ReplyDelete