Language Studies

           I started out the month going easy on myself because I honestly had no motivation to study much but as the month moved on I realized that if I left myself like this I would forget all the stuff that I learned and then I would have to start from the beginning again. So this week I bit the bullet and texted my teacher to let him know that I was ready to go back to taking weekly classes. I also decided to take Korean classes on italki and found a teacher through a series of trial lessons. She wasn't my first choice but my first choice doesn't have the time slots that I need and so I took my second choice. I've scheduled a series of five lessons and I will reassess after that. My Chinese lessons are still on going. 

          I also am focusing on one book at a time where it comes to Chinese and Korean and when that book is done I will move on to the next one. Doing two or more books at the same time was too much load work and made me confused at times. Focusing on one thing and later after it is done reinforcing it with the next thing is much better.

       So now for Korean I am working through Practical Korean after finishing Korean Grammar For Speakers and for Chinese I am working through Developmental Chinese with my Chinese teacher. Quality not quantity is what I am currently going for.

        Basically, when things aren't working change up your routine, don't stop and hope you retain when you have been doing while you get back your rhythm. At least not where language is concerned.

          As you can see from my tracker, there are days when only half a box is filled and that is okay. Half filled means I didn’t do all the tasks in this category but it can also mean I did half of them. I chose to see that I did half of them.

     

          

Language Study Strategies - Summaries

           One of the things that help me retain the lessons that I take with my teachers is to summarize the lesson after it ends. Basically, I summarize the grammar points that we talked about and if there are any new words that I learned in that lesson, I define it. I find that it helps cement an idea or grammar point and helps me find points that I may be shakey on so that I can ask my teacher for clarification or research it on my own. 

          One of the things that help me do that is to have a template for lesson summaries that I can always use. This means that my notes are always neat and I can keep them in one place which helps me find them later. I started out with a predesigned template from www.etsy.com but then found that they just didn't give me enough room to do what I need so I came up with my own version. 

          My template is quite simple. I have a page with the title "new words" where I add the new words that came up in the lesson and after defining them I write my own sentences using these words. This helps me see how that word is used and also helps me memorize it.  I can add as many pages after that as I need. The next page is "summary of grammar points" and this is where I summarize the grammar points for that lesson and write sentences that show how these grammar points are used. Again I can add as much pages as I need to complete my task. The final page is a "questions" page. This is where I add questions that I need to ask my teacher and then record the answers they give. I also add any corrections to my own sentences that they provide. 

          This template also works with self study books and Udemy classes. If you don't have a teacher to ask then you can go onto applications like HelloTalk and iTalki and ask people on there to look at your sentences or ask any questions you may have. I sometimes use these applications anyway because I'll get answers from native speakers and look for the natural organic way of saying something. I hope this helps you with your studies, and if you do use this strategy please let me know about the results.

Intermediate Language Studies - My Current Struggles

          Today I want to talk about something that I am currently struggling with where my Korean studies are concerned. I am not exactly a beginner but I'm not intermediate either...at least not exactly. I have enough grammar to be at level 3 in Talk To Me in Korean. I can make long sentences on my own if I think about them beforehand but I can't do it on the spot, although sometimes if it is everyday vocabulary I can. I can watch Superman Returns (a Korean reality show where celebrity men look after their babies) and understand everything because the dads are talking to their children so their vocabulary is geared towards their age. I have tried to watch Korean dramas and tried to understand what is going on before putting on the subtitles but I ended up understanding like 20 to 30 percent of what they are saying. So I was thinking about how to improve my vocabulary skills, my listening skills, and my on the spot answering skills.

This is what I am going to do based on my research and asking my Korean teacher. 

1. What dramas with Korean subtitles before watching it with English subtitles and see how much I can pick up with reading and listening.

2. Listen to Korean only podcasts and Youtube channels even if I don't understand anything at first to get more used to hearing the language and discerning words.

3. Read Korean books. I bought a bunch of beginner and intermediate reading books which I am going to start reading. 

4. Besides Kpop also listen to Ballads as they tend to be slower and use more common words than Kpop.

Hopefully, these things will help me advance a little more in my studies.

Inspire Me Korea - K-Fashion Box

          This box has a story. It was supposed to arrive last month but it never did. I contacted the curators of the box and they investigated then sent me a replacement and this is what I love about Inspire Me Korea. They are sweet, very helpful and always answer questions promptly. Their customer service is top notch. Now on to the content of the box. 

          I was very surprised when I opened the box and there was no mask sheet but then I looked closely and found out why. There was four small tubes of toothepaste instead. The toothepaste is by a Korean brand called First Salt. The toothepaste is called Grey Salt. It is supposed to be very good for your teethe and gums. I’m really looking forward to trying them out. They were one of the things I looked forward too in the box. 

          Next thing to come out of the box was the glasses. I think they look really cute and I’m kind of wondering if I should give them away to a young cousin or add prescription lenses to them and keep them as a spare for myself. I need to have a think 😬 

          The choker necklace with the silver triangle is an accessory that I probably can’t wear because it is a little too small for me so I’m going to give it away to one of the younger cousins whom I know loves this sort of thing. He’ll be very excited to get it I’m sure.

          I REALLY love the hair clips. They are exactly the type that I like to wear and they are sturdy enough to stay put in my hair. I’ve already worn them a couple of times and they look really cute. 

          Next up is the snacks. I got two this time. One is something I’ve eaten previously by Lotte and the other is something new. I’m going to try them out soon (if I haven’t already by the time I publish this blog). 

          Finally, the two things that I would totally miss if they were ever missing from the box. I’m pretty much flexible on anything but these two items. The first is the Magazine which always has amazing information on the culture of Korea and what is going on in each month and the second is the language card which I always learn from and apply to my studies. 

          As usual, when it comes to Inspire Me Korea I am never disappointed by their offerings and their customer service.