When working out where to start with a language, or anything for the matter, it's always been hard for me to stay completely focused. Even if the topic is something I'm very interested in such as Korean. So there are are some things that I like to do that I think really help make what I learn in a single day, stick in my brain for as long as I need it to. So here is a list of those thing:
- Have a variety of resources
- I know that buying textbooks and reading material can be crazy hard to do when you don't have the extra cash to be spending. I'm exactly like that. But there are many resources that you can find easily online that are free and easy to navigate. Take a look at these resources I've gathered.
- Don't plan to study. Study NOW!
- There have been countless times where I have told myself I needed to study. And almost every time I told myself that I'll start tomorrow at such and such time, I repeat the same lie the next time when my scheduled time comes around and say I'll really start tomorrow. Do not go down that path! It's just procrastination and it's so unnecessary!
- Learn pronunciation and the writing system from day one
- Although I'm in no way an expert about learning any language, even my mother tongue, I think that without learning the correct ways to write and pronounce Korean characters, the learner would be unintentionally making things harder from themselves. You see, there are many books out there that have romanized versions of Korean words, but each book generally has a different way of romanization which makes it difficult for their to be consistency while learning. If you go ahead and learn how to write and read the Korean writing system, you'll be a step ahead. It'll be possible to read written Korean without any discrepancies whatsoever. You'll never have to get exactly how a word is said because the way Korean is written, there is normally only one way to say any given syllable. (There will be exceptions of course.)
- You can never have too many office supplies
- It's the truth. Notebooks, composition books, blank paper, sticky notes, highlighters, colorful pens and anything else you can use to help with your studies, you can never have too much. I may be a bit of a hoarder in my habit, but I often visit the office supply stores during big clearance or back to school sales. There's nothing like buying new tools to study with. It helps to keep you motivated and on top of that, having different colors of things helps to keep organized. I keep separate composition books that are all different colors for taking note of certain textbooks and it really helps. I use different color pens to write different subjects; vocabulary, notes, grammar, practice questions, I have a color for each one.
- Find a friend who speaks Korean
- We all know that practice makes perfect. That's why I think it's essential to find someone who is fluent in Korean to practice with. It would be ideal if they're also interested in the language you speak so that you can exchange with each other. I have many friendships that have started with people because of our dream to learn each others languages and I am so thankful for that. They have helped me immensely with my journey. I think it's especially important because where I live there aren't many people where I live who speak in Korean so it's very difficult to find chances to speak. My friends in Korea were really a huge part in my learning. If you're not sure where to find friends who speak Korean, check out my resources.
- Don't let mistakes stop you from moving forward
- I know that making mistakes is a hard thing. For me it has been and still will be hard for me because I've been conditioned to believe that making mistake is a bad thing. So there were many times where I didn't say what I wanted to because I was afraid to make any mistakes. That has probably put me back a year or so in learning. You cannot be afraid to make mistakes. It's all a part of the learning process and if you're not making any mistakes what so ever, you're using words, grammar, or speech that's too easy. Challenge yourself.
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