21 Questions - The Korean Learner Version
So apparently my brain has become completely addled after the ridiculousness that was trying to get a ticket for Infinite's concert yesterday. The whole site went down for an hour and I'd get through to get a seat only for the whole thing to crash all over again. Somehow I got one though!
And apparently I suddenly have an hour to 'waste' so I'm going to fill in a meme, because memes are fun and excellent procrastination devices.
1. Why Korean?
Because of the syllable '대' (dae). This was back before I realised that hangul was completely phonetic and therefore much, much easier to learn than Japanese or Chinese characters. I worked out that the 'dae' Daesung of Big Bang's name and Sonyeoshidae (Girls Generation) were basically the same and which syllables they were. I was interested in k-pop and I'd wanted to learn a few languages before so it was pretty much a 'why not?' Of course things have changed a lot since then and learning Korean is now much more beneficial to my current situation.
2 . Daum or Naver (dictionary I mean)?
Both. Sometimes one will give a better meaning than the other so I use both.
3. First website that you visit everyday?
Twitter as I check the application on my phone on my work.
4. Best thing that happened to you? (related to learning Korean)
Erm, mostly small things at the moment. Being able to make other people laugh because I've taken to referring to myself as a Busan seagull (which is a nickname for people from Busan) and just being able to understand more conversations.
5. Ever regretted learning Korean?
Only regretting that I didn't start studying harder, earlier! Maybe I will one day if I hear someone badmouthing foreigners in front of me because they think I can't understand, but I'm not at that level yet.
6. Most common feedback/question you get when you say you are learning Korean?
There are a few: 'why are you learning Korean?' comes from Koreans who are studying English and for some bizarre reason seem to think that Koreans are excellent at speaking English. I just try telling them to speak in English to the adjummas who work in the market and try to avoid speaking to those people again. I get the feeling they're the kind of people who'd get annoyed because they only want to use me for English practice and don't want me to study Korean lest I start speaking it to them. Thankfully a lot of people also seem really happy or glad that I'm trying. I pretty much get cooed over still for uttering baby-esque Korean words in some places, or people start giggling because they're trying to speak to me in English but I'm being stubborn and refuse to speak it back. Most foreigners will switch into English if spoken to that way.
7. First Korean food that comes to your mind?
잡채. It's not something I particularly enjoy, but my students seem to love it and get really excited whenever it's on the menu at lunchtime.
8. Most overrated Korean drama?
Haha, almost all of them? I really struggle to get into Korean dramas because they are so melodramatic or have really hammy acting. I have a few I enjoy, but they've usually had plots with a lot of cultural or historical references so the plotlines are more interesting. Well, as well as mostly decent actors as well.
9. Most underrated Korean drama?
Sunkyunkwan Scandal, School 2013 and Reply 1997 have all been really popular so, I haven't seen any particularly underrated ones.
10.Latest milestone in learning Korean?
Improving my listening skills a lot. My listening skills were really bad, but I've really been working on them recently.
11. Favorite Korean word / phrase?
At the moment it's 반짝반짝. It means sparkling/twinkling and it makes me think of a flashing light when I say it (banjakbanjak). I'm sure this will change though.
12. Name 3 people (fictional / real) who motivate / influence your Korean learning journey
Hyunwoo Sun from Talk to me in Korean. Aside from being an entrepreneur of sorts and basically filling in the market with a decent website that would help people to understand and learn Korean, (as well as creating Language Cast), he is proof that if you put the work in, it's entirely possible to learn a language to a good standard. He's now fluent or near-fluent in English and has gone on to study other languages: French, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese.
General bloggers and people who I see and hear are studying Korean and are at a higher level than me. They make me want to study harder. I recently watched a video by Alexander Arguelles, who is a polyglot and has studied language all of his life. He is really hardcore about his learning (he used to be able to study for 14-16 hours per day) but I've watched some of his lecture videos and they've provided me with some really useful pointers for self-studying.
I also have a third person, but I'm going to be irritating and not tell you who they are. Even though this person has given me the biggest push as of late into wanting to study Korean but I just feel better if I don't reveal who they are out loud or I'm worried I will lose my motivation from them. One or two people on my friends list (if anyone is indeed still reading this) might just be able to guess who it is.
13. Secret ambition / goal (relating to Korean)
Just to be able to speak and understand Korean to a really high level. It would be lovely to be able to understand things going on around me. And I'd love to learn more satoori (dialect). And for some reason I seem to like jokes in Korean, so it would be fun if I could make some up of my own.
14. I want to sound like _____ when I speak Korean
Myself. But obviously in Korean.
15. Best compliment received (for Korean)
Haha when my main co-teacher says 'who told you that?' when I say something that's surprised her and it's a sentence I made of my own construction.
16. When is the last time you sat down and studied Korean?
Today. I will be studying again in a minute.
17. Favourite textbook?
I don't really have one as I don't really like them. I do like using melon on my phone of the morning to listen to songs and read along to lyrics or using Korean variety shows as they usually stick the captions and what people are saying on screen so it makes it easier to understand what's being said.
18. Special people you met (online or otherwise) through Korean?
Not a lot of people yet. Though I like being able to have really basic conversations with the lady who works at the corner shop behind my apartment. She's really sweet and friendly and always used to change up my small coins for me when I first got to Korea.
19. How has learning Korean changed you / your life?
It just makes so many things easier. I hate having to ask people for help all the time because I can't understand things or not being able to understand all of the conversations around me.
20. Ever dreamt in Korean?
Yes. I've had two dreams in Korean. Well three technically but the first one was where Korean sounded like French because it was the only foreign language my brain knew enough of, so I guess that want doesn't count.
21. Single best thing about learning Korean?
Pretty much the same answer for 19. Especially when I listen to songs or watch dramas or got to concerts or go about day-to-day life and understand a sliver of what's being said. I feel really excited and want to know more.
And apparently I suddenly have an hour to 'waste' so I'm going to fill in a meme, because memes are fun and excellent procrastination devices.
1. Why Korean?
Because of the syllable '대' (dae). This was back before I realised that hangul was completely phonetic and therefore much, much easier to learn than Japanese or Chinese characters. I worked out that the 'dae' Daesung of Big Bang's name and Sonyeoshidae (Girls Generation) were basically the same and which syllables they were. I was interested in k-pop and I'd wanted to learn a few languages before so it was pretty much a 'why not?' Of course things have changed a lot since then and learning Korean is now much more beneficial to my current situation.
2 . Daum or Naver (dictionary I mean)?
Both. Sometimes one will give a better meaning than the other so I use both.
3. First website that you visit everyday?
Twitter as I check the application on my phone on my work.
4. Best thing that happened to you? (related to learning Korean)
Erm, mostly small things at the moment. Being able to make other people laugh because I've taken to referring to myself as a Busan seagull (which is a nickname for people from Busan) and just being able to understand more conversations.
5. Ever regretted learning Korean?
Only regretting that I didn't start studying harder, earlier! Maybe I will one day if I hear someone badmouthing foreigners in front of me because they think I can't understand, but I'm not at that level yet.
6. Most common feedback/question you get when you say you are learning Korean?
There are a few: 'why are you learning Korean?' comes from Koreans who are studying English and for some bizarre reason seem to think that Koreans are excellent at speaking English. I just try telling them to speak in English to the adjummas who work in the market and try to avoid speaking to those people again. I get the feeling they're the kind of people who'd get annoyed because they only want to use me for English practice and don't want me to study Korean lest I start speaking it to them. Thankfully a lot of people also seem really happy or glad that I'm trying. I pretty much get cooed over still for uttering baby-esque Korean words in some places, or people start giggling because they're trying to speak to me in English but I'm being stubborn and refuse to speak it back. Most foreigners will switch into English if spoken to that way.
7. First Korean food that comes to your mind?
잡채. It's not something I particularly enjoy, but my students seem to love it and get really excited whenever it's on the menu at lunchtime.
8. Most overrated Korean drama?
Haha, almost all of them? I really struggle to get into Korean dramas because they are so melodramatic or have really hammy acting. I have a few I enjoy, but they've usually had plots with a lot of cultural or historical references so the plotlines are more interesting. Well, as well as mostly decent actors as well.
9. Most underrated Korean drama?
Sunkyunkwan Scandal, School 2013 and Reply 1997 have all been really popular so, I haven't seen any particularly underrated ones.
10.Latest milestone in learning Korean?
Improving my listening skills a lot. My listening skills were really bad, but I've really been working on them recently.
11. Favorite Korean word / phrase?
At the moment it's 반짝반짝. It means sparkling/twinkling and it makes me think of a flashing light when I say it (banjakbanjak). I'm sure this will change though.
12. Name 3 people (fictional / real) who motivate / influence your Korean learning journey
Hyunwoo Sun from Talk to me in Korean. Aside from being an entrepreneur of sorts and basically filling in the market with a decent website that would help people to understand and learn Korean, (as well as creating Language Cast), he is proof that if you put the work in, it's entirely possible to learn a language to a good standard. He's now fluent or near-fluent in English and has gone on to study other languages: French, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese.
General bloggers and people who I see and hear are studying Korean and are at a higher level than me. They make me want to study harder. I recently watched a video by Alexander Arguelles, who is a polyglot and has studied language all of his life. He is really hardcore about his learning (he used to be able to study for 14-16 hours per day) but I've watched some of his lecture videos and they've provided me with some really useful pointers for self-studying.
I also have a third person, but I'm going to be irritating and not tell you who they are. Even though this person has given me the biggest push as of late into wanting to study Korean but I just feel better if I don't reveal who they are out loud or I'm worried I will lose my motivation from them. One or two people on my friends list (if anyone is indeed still reading this) might just be able to guess who it is.
13. Secret ambition / goal (relating to Korean)
Just to be able to speak and understand Korean to a really high level. It would be lovely to be able to understand things going on around me. And I'd love to learn more satoori (dialect). And for some reason I seem to like jokes in Korean, so it would be fun if I could make some up of my own.
14. I want to sound like _____ when I speak Korean
Myself. But obviously in Korean.
15. Best compliment received (for Korean)
Haha when my main co-teacher says 'who told you that?' when I say something that's surprised her and it's a sentence I made of my own construction.
16. When is the last time you sat down and studied Korean?
Today. I will be studying again in a minute.
17. Favourite textbook?
I don't really have one as I don't really like them. I do like using melon on my phone of the morning to listen to songs and read along to lyrics or using Korean variety shows as they usually stick the captions and what people are saying on screen so it makes it easier to understand what's being said.
18. Special people you met (online or otherwise) through Korean?
Not a lot of people yet. Though I like being able to have really basic conversations with the lady who works at the corner shop behind my apartment. She's really sweet and friendly and always used to change up my small coins for me when I first got to Korea.
19. How has learning Korean changed you / your life?
It just makes so many things easier. I hate having to ask people for help all the time because I can't understand things or not being able to understand all of the conversations around me.
20. Ever dreamt in Korean?
Yes. I've had two dreams in Korean. Well three technically but the first one was where Korean sounded like French because it was the only foreign language my brain knew enough of, so I guess that want doesn't count.
21. Single best thing about learning Korean?
Pretty much the same answer for 19. Especially when I listen to songs or watch dramas or got to concerts or go about day-to-day life and understand a sliver of what's being said. I feel really excited and want to know more.