Learning Korean (???)
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I watched a TED-ed video about “The benefits of a bilingual brain” not too long ago. The clip talked about how you can easily learn a foreign language. The speaker mentioned tips on how to get yourself engaged in learning it. It made me think about my own journey in trying to learn another language.
My mother tongue is Filipino/Tagalog and we speak local at home. I started working on my English language skills when I was a teenager. I can write in English and express myself well thru writing but I am not a very good English speaker. I dread speaking English in front a crowd. I just don’t know how to say it right. I fear judgement and criticism on how I speak a foreign language. I keep telling myself that is not enough for me that I go to school, listen to lectures in English, and write everything in English if I don’t have a good English comprehension. I could listen to an English lecture all day and if I don’t like to learn, end of the day I won’t remember anything. So I decided to set a goal, I want to be fluent in English first before any other language. I worked for Business process outsourcing companies (English call centers) for over ten years just so my brain would be engineered to comprehend the English language.
At this point, I’m able to attain the level of fluency for the English language that I am satisfied with. People would probably say it would be easier to learn Spanish next because we were a former Spanish colony and that majority of the words we use in the Filipino language, was in fact, Spanish. But I want to challenge myself and try to learn a language that doesn’t use common alphabet.
I chose the Korean language. You might ask “why do I want to learn how to speak Korean?” Well, the main reason is I really want to be a Polyglot since I was a kid. Some people might see it as an impossible dream, but it is an attainable dream for me. I am familiar with Hangeul already so I thought it would better and easier to start where I left of.
I went to South Korea in 2012 and though I travelled alone and got lost a lot, I still enjoyed it and hoped to come back. So for this dreamer inside me, keep telling myself that once I get the chance to come back to South Korea, I would love to be able to converse in Korean with those ???? and ??? in restaurants and other places. I want to be able to watch Korean dramas and not need subtitles to understand the words they are saying. I want to be able write a poems or a short stories in Korean. Also, a cousin of mine, whom I grew up with had live there since 2007 and she showed me around. She introduced me to the culture, the food and the language. She gave me that jumpstart in learning Korean. I was jealous on how good she speak the language and I would really love to be as fluent as her. She gave me a small handbook when I went to Korea and it started there. She has 3 kids now. I would really love to be able to have conversations with these kids when I visit them.
But just like any other language a person is trying to learn, it wasn’t easy learning a new one when you are not fully committed to it. I decided to give it more time this year. I started looking for ways to learn better. I was looking for the best websites to learn the Korean language for free and I came across an article that list “49 Free Language Learning Websites That Are Almost Too Good to be True”. I screen the list and tried to visiting 1st five on the list. Third one is a link for another website called “ openculture.com”. From here, there is a list of languages from all continents, including ancient Greek and Arabic. Each language has links for different websites depending on what language skill or preference you might have.
The first url under the Korean language says “Massive Open Online Course (MOOC)” – under the description it says “ From Yonsei University, this is an elementary-level Korean language course, consisting of 5 lessons with 4 units and covers 4 skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking.
When you click the url, you’ll be routed to “ coursera.org” landing page for the “First Step Korean” Offered By “ YONSEI UNIVERSITY’. This prestigious University was founded in 1885 and it is the oldest private university in Korea. The famed director of the Korean blockbuster film “Parasite” – Director Bong Joon-ho graduated from Yonsei University. With the caliber of this University, you can tell this online class will not disappoint as long as you stay committed to it.
Did I say this Korean language course is “ F R E E “
Yes, it is F R E E. But you can still get a certificate at a minimal amount if in any case you need one. I prefer not to get the certificate just yet and try to learn as much as I can for the time being.
The instructor for “First Step Korean” lecture is Professor Seung Hae Kang. You’ll see her a lot on the lecture videos. The videos are very easy to comprehend. No jargons. I definitely would recommend that you get a dedicated notebook for this course just so it’s easier to review at your convenient time.
The whole lecture is divided into 5 parts:
? Week 1 Korean alphabet and pronunciation
? Week 2 Greetings and introduction
? Week 3 Family
? Week 4 Time and date
? Week 5 Daily life
On every lecture videos, there are quizzes to test your knowledge and the scores are documented. If in any case, you fail, there’s an option to try again. You get 3 attempts every 8 hours. On each lecture videos, Professor Kang explains what the syllable should sound like and how it should be written (proper strokes). These videos would just not educate you on how to write and read in Korean but you will also get brief Korean history lectures. You can click on “save note” on parts of the clip that you want to bookmark. You’ll find all of those bookmarks under “Notes” on the First Step Korean course landing page.
And then when you get to the “Korean Characters Practice Program” lecture (Week 1), you’ll be able to practice pronouncing Korean syllables better because it has interactive chart (https://mooc.yonsei.ac.kr/ksh/) that is fun to do and listen to. You can go back repeatedly on each syllable if you want to listen to it again. Save the link so you can review it later or share it among your friends.
You will also see your grades or your report card to every quizzes you take. There are also FORUMS, where you can discuss anything about the said online course. You can ask questions and meet other people who are trying to learn the Korean language. Here, you can meet and greet and share your experiences with other people.
“First Step Korean” by Yonsei University is an elementary-level language course. If you are someone who is interested in learning the Korean language, this online course is the best for you. They don’t just teach you how to say a word, they also explain the logic behind it and how you should properly say it.
So just an update, I’m not yet at that point where I am fluent with the Korean language. I’m still working on it and I still have a lot to learn. I can read Hangeul syllables and letters. I can sing along with my favorite Korean songs while reading lyrics in Hangul. I know more Korean words now than before. But I am still working on my sentence construction and working on improving my Korean vocabulary. I am enjoying it and I believed that as long as I enjoy learning, and I am following through on what I needed to learn, I know would be able to reach that goal of fluency I am satisfied with. I believe I can, and I will do my best. One advice from the TEDed clip that is glued to my mind, is that if we think that the path we are following is not working then we should create a system that works for us. I did finish this course and I can say that I know more now and I can probably carry out basic conversations, though, I still have to enriched my vocabulary. I’ve gone a long way but longer way to go. Most important thing is we don’t give up learning.
Learning the Korean language could be very confusing if it’s your first time learning the language. But just like any other language you are not native to, learning another language will always be a challenge. Regardless of what language it is, whether books consider it as the hardest to learn or the easiest, it would still be up to the learner to learn as much as he or she wants to. You could be studying in Spain learning Spanish literature but if you’re heart is not into it, you would not learn that much. I doubt you’ll learn how to speak in Spanish. You could be studying law, if you’re heart is not into it, I doubt you’ll graduate. The heart and the mind needs to be there. Learning another language would also make you more compassionate about other people who is struggling to speak your native tongue. You would realize learning another language is not a very easy thing to do and those who is trying to learn, should all be commended. They should not be judged for their accent or how a word is spoken.
If you are someone who is willing to learn, and has the will to learn another language and you really want to learn Korean, then this online course is the best for you. It is never too late to learn anything as long as you push your way to it. Just know that there will always be a way. If you meet a dead-end, so what? tear that wall down. Slowly but surely you’ll get to the other end and sooner or later, with your eyes on the prize, you’ll be tapping on that goal you’ve been trying to reach.
Being able to speak a foreign language will definitely open more opportunities for one individual. It will open a whole new chapter in your life and will open your eyes to dreams you never thought was possible.
You can do it too! As of this writing, I am taking “Learn to Speak Korean 1” still offered by Yonsei University. I hope one day to be able to reach that level of fluency I am satisfied with just like how I am with the English language. This is just the start of something new, I have more to go. We can do this!
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