Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jiberish]

So I need to study more Korean. The resources although not great are there. But every time I start to look at them my mind wanders in 1 minute. It is just really not interesting at all. But I need to bloody learn!!!!
I moved here with the misses and well being able to speak the native language is pretty important.

Anyone got some motivational tips, strategies for keeping on task while learning a language?

I only know about 300 words at the moment. But I really want to get to basic conversation level.

[HalfJapanese]

Well, it's important to find something interesting that motivates you to learn Korean. For example, Korean literature, movies, film, comics, etc, theme as a medium to improve your Korean. Or you can use that as a counter balance to study the uninteresting parts of learning a foreign language.

For, me I'm more motivated to learn through listening (mp3 player) and watching, so I found some music/videos both for learning and entertainment.

Currently I'm watching the Let's Speak Korean series (10 minutes an episode), Seasons 1 & 2. You can watch these on youtube or get them through a torrent (It easier to have the actual file b/c you can better skip/go back into the video using hot-keys). You can catch the current season of this show on the Arirang Channel.

There is also this book called "Basic Korean - Grammar and workbook" which simplifies the grammar points of the language. This isn't like some book that has worksheets/fillers/etc, it just teaches a grammar point in each chapter followed by a short exercise. (The .pdf version is readily available) There is also a sequel to this book, that teaches more grammar points.

I like this book b/c it's an easy read and you don't have to know any type of grammar jargon.

To type in Korean I used this site: http://jr.naver.com/typing/ which uses simple games to help one learn the layout of the keyboard. Easy and fun.

Keeping things fun and interesting is key to learning a language.

Hope this helps.

[Missihippi]

take a class?

It's hard to get motivated for the language that they only use in this country. Even more so, because you can get around in English here. Oh well, take a class and it will force you to sit there and learn.. although studying on your own definitely helps make it faster.

[lost at sea]

I am in the same boat, and as my name says we're both lost at sea.

I moved here for my fiancee and I meet her family often and I need to learn to speak for her and them as well.

On the upside I learned 300 vocabulary words in 2 weeks. Not a bad run if I say so myself.

I basically found a system that works for me:

1) Get a book that works for you (I dislike the Integrated Korean series, and I like the Ganada series).

2) Scan the chapter you are on and write a list of all of the vocabulary words, expressions and grammar structures.

3) Make flash cards by hand or make them using a website (like www.smart.fm) I use smart.fm, and I have made them for Ganada.

4) Review the vocabulary a lot and grind it in your head.

5) Read the actual textbook lesson that you are on and learn the grammar and expressions, sentences etc.

6) Review it all again (including previous chapters).

7) Move on to the next chapter and start back at Step 2.

The reason this works for me is because it feels like work and I enjoy work. I get work done because I know I have a process and a step by step approach makes me feel like I am making progress. Does that many any sense? It sure beats randomly studying or reading a book.

Using this method I covered 5 chapters in the Ganada book. I did it in 2 weeks, which covered about 300 vocabulary words (some I added to the lessons). I have been successful with it. I still feel like I get in a little slump, but it's much easier to pull myself out of a slump because I know I can hop right back in by reviewing all of my vocabulary and grammar and jumping right back in line and continuing.

Anyone else have any insight? I am always looking for ways to improve my studying.

EDIT:

Smart.fm also has writing practice as part of the flash card system which has helped my Korean typing a lot.

[psycholomo]

What has worked for me is finding a movie I enjoy alot in korean with korean subtitles. I will watch the movie a few times and then translate alot of the text that catches my attention and then use flash cards.

I have a really hard time with grammar books as well as I find grammar to be almost pointless in the beginning phases except to learn specific things that catch my attention. Unfortunately Korean is very grammar intensive compared to romantic languages, but that is something you are just going to have to bite the bullet to work with.

[Fox]

What worked best for me is writing short stories. This allowed me to use the grammar and vocabulary I was learning in a creative pursuit, which added some interest to it. In the course of writing even a simple story, you will quite often need new vocabulary or grammar, which forces you to learn it. Then, getting it corrected by a Korean can add more learning to the process. Over time your writing will naturally improve, which will improve your grasp of the language in general.

I also use the Integrated Korean series of books, which I find to be quite pleasant for learning the grammar; concise yet articulate for the most part, this line of books is far better at explaining Korean grammar than actual Koreans are more often than not.

[tokkibunni8]

Korean friends work for me. Not a penny wasted on books or classes. Korean friends really do work and serves as great motivation too

[nosmallplans]

I can't believe no one else has posted this:

Girls.

[Olivencia]

nosmallplans...i was intnent on posting that

yes..listen people....

Every bit of the language you learn makes it that much better when dealing with the chicks here and that entails hooking up, friends etc ..It's definitely worth it.

[morrisonhotel]

Get a tutor who is tough, fair and knows how to teach. My tutor will kick my backside if I don't study. It's really helpful to motivate you. The tutoring is inspiring me to take weekend classes starting fairly soon.

When I'm on my own in my apartment, I just put the television, radio or some of those pronunciation clips that you get on CD on. I almost never understand it, but it's helped my pronunciation no end (and really you don't have to do much). I'll grant that it can be quite frustrating and boring studying on your own.

[fustiancorduroy]

....

[lost at sea]

I do agree that you need motivation but I don't really get it when people say watch a movie, listen to music or read a book (story). Given the best of those is probably reading a book. I do think all of them have benefits during the learning process but all 3 are not very productive for learning.

You could sit down for an hour and 30 minutes and watch a movie. Or, you could sit down for an hour and 30 minutes and memorize an entire lesson of vocabulary and grammar structures. At the end the hour and a half of intensive memorization from a textbook will win. I don't really care if you have a photographic memory with amazing recall skills-- the hour and a half movie isn't going to give you nearly as much as an hour and a half of intensive study.

The issue here is ambition and incentive to maintain the hour and a half of textbook study. As the person above said the topic creator could follow some of this advice like finding a girlfriend, but then he would probably lose his marriage and his incentive to learn Korean along with it.

When I read the first post in the thread I assumed he wanted tips on how to study and not why. Clearly he has his own reasons already.

I would toss out the movies, music and reading methods of study. I do think they have their own uses when put to use properly. When I watch movies or listen to Korean music I try to pick out the Korean words I know along with identifying known grammatical structures. It helps improve my listening skills.

Reading is a bit more useful, but if you lack a basic vocabulary and grammatical base you will not take nearly as much from reading as you would hope. I think reading children's books is a great way but only after you get a hold of the basics and have a foundation of vocabulary and grammar structures. I did buy 2 or 3 children's books I will read after I obtain a stronger base.

My first goal is to obtain a base of 2,000 to 2,500 Korean words. These words will be the most common Korean words in usage (there are many lists of these words available out there). The statistic is somewhere around 85 to 95 percent of daily conversation uses these common 2,000-2,500 words. A steady learning pace for vocabulary would be 8 words a day which is theoretically the best pace for learning vocabulary but I am stubborn and decided to learn roughly 150 words a week if I can keep it up. So far, so good I am on week 3, and 4 here I come~

After I obtain the basic 2,000-2,500 vocabulary words I plan to listen, watch and read my butt off while keeping up with a slower pace of vocabulary learning (8 a day) and a more intensive grammar study. I think this stage is when the watching and reading will be most useful. This is kind of when you either use it or lose it.

At least that's my plan and theory. Any ideas?

[saram_]

[lost at sea]

[themagicbean]

Korean friends are really the best. If you just try to be nice you'll find people who speak little to no English but want to see your Korean improve and will hang out with you. It will try your patience but after a year here the simple conversations I can have with friends that I could barely talk to when I came keeps me motivated to keep upping the level of our communication.

Find some good books:
Teach Yourself Korean seems schizophrenic at first but is fairly broad and focuses on conversation, useful Korean, and has enough idioms and a bit of slang (or bent grammar near the end) to improve your idea of what matters/doesn't in a sentence.

The Yonsei Korean books are stodgy and slow but will give you a tremendous amount of vocabulary.

SNU (I think) has a Korean Through English series that looks quite good.

Focus on LISTENING, it's one of the hardest skills to develop. Listen to the dialogues until they're practically memorized, that way you learn to hear words in context (and you learn the individual vocab, too).

When you're tired of that, watch TV (Englsh) with subtitles (Korean) to practice reading or recognizing words. Then switch the languages--Korean with English subtitles, see if you can hear words you know when you know what they're supposed to say.

Learn some songs. But drill, drill, drill. The work has to be the reward, find what makes you tick and desire to do it in Korean. Personally I like translating songs so I do that (inefficient but fun so I keep doing it). I know some posters here would learn grammar only if in pick-up lines, nothing wrong with that if it teaches you Korean.

Above all, don't make exuses. Set reasonable goals (1hr/day or 1chapter/week or xwords/week) and meet them consistently. Then you'll feel successful which will motivate you to study more.