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Language helps you understand culture — what’s not to love? I’m fully fluent in English and French, but the linguaphile in me always seeks to learn other languages. I think being multilingual comes with several benefits. For one, it’s a valuable skill when applying for jobs. If you’re learning a new language — and want to reach a stage where you can converse comfortably — here’s what I found helpful from my progression with Korean language:
Maximize exposure
I didn’t set out to learn Korean. I watched the trailer of a Korean drama once and I was hooked. I remember being so fascinated by the story and cinematography that I watched the show on that day itself. Since then, I’ve added countless K-dramas to my repertoire. At some point, I realized I could understand a good part of what was being said without subtitles — constant exposure does work wonders!
Assimilate information naturally by having it as part of your daily activities. Toddlers seamlessly pick up their parents’ habits in this way. I even try to think in Korean and use it with friends and family. Doing so keeps the language fresh in my mind, an alternative for those that can’t regularly chat with native speakers. Treat the mind like a muscle that needs frequent exercise.
Combine it with something you love
As you can tell, I love TV series and their worldbuilding. But if they’re not for you and you love sports, watch foreign sports competitions. If you’re a foodie, try cooking reality shows. If you love video games, watch streams of international gamers. Many countries are still in lockdown mode — my solution: travel-themed (and Covid-proof!) shows.
Find your own innovative ways to incorporate the language you're learning into something you already love. If you’re here for some good shows to evoke your interest in Korean (and also because I’ll recommend to anyone who’ll listen!), start with these K-dramas: Itaewon Class, While You Were Sleeping, Sky Castle, Stranger, Mr. Queen or the variety show Sixth Sense. In the words of Academy Award-winning director Bong Joon-Ho, don’t let the “1-inch-tall barrier of subtitles” deter you from watching!
Find your preferred learning style
There are different ways to learn and grasp ideas. For instance, you may find that you retain mathematical theories more easily when presented in a certain way. But, when learning languages, a completely alternate approach may work better for you. So it's important to identify what your language-learning aptitude is like and the study technique that goes in hand with it.
You’ve probably landed upon some language-learning apps before and they may have been your preferred self-help. I have to admit though, I don’t use them since they aren’t interactive enough for me. Media entertainment is my go-to since I learn faster with audio visual aids. To me, it's all about hearing the language and seeing its nuances when acted out. That said, I still recommend browsing the internet to look for websites that will help you master the writing aspect of language.
Awaken your inner history buff
Due to the variety in TV genres, I learn a lot — from a country’s rich history, customs, dialects to its current trends and lifestyles. Why is that important? When learning a new language, I aspire to reach close to the level of native speakers, may it be their colloquial expressions or nuances in pronunciation. To do that, you need to be curious!
I often come across info on-screen that piques my interest. For instance, K-pop is so prominent right now (and rightfully so!) — but did you know about Pansori? Pansori is a Korean genre of musical storytelling that’s part of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Popular Korean stew, budae-jjigae, was born out of leftover US military rations added to Korean ingredients post-Korean War. It’s easier for me to remember these words when I’m curious about their origins.
Memorize words better with a bit of context. Dig deeper into topics that intrigue you. Read about their role in the target country’s history. I find that being aware of the history and trajectory of things deepens my understanding and appreciation for them.
Study smarter, not harder
Studying isn’t fun, especially if you've been procrastinating, and it’s the same with learning new languages. Thinking about the thousands of unknown words you’ll need to grasp along with the morphology and syntax of the language — even reading this sentence — is stressful! So what can you do?
Be microproductive. In other words, break down your chores into smaller, less overwhelming tasks that also happen to be more goal-driven. I often deviate from my to-do lists as I tend to overestimate what I can do in one day, which let me tell you is very discouraging. So set attainable goals. And you know what’s easier to attain — smaller tasks! Make a realistic tasklist for where you want to be on the learning curve. Aim to do a little bit of everything each week. More so, I’d suggest focusing on one language at a time to avoid mixing them up.
Don’t be scared to dive in
According to the Defense Service Institute, Korean is among the hardest languages for English speakers. However, a trip down history lane (see why history matters!) will have you know that modern Korean, aka Hangul, was designed by King Sejong the Great to be easy and boost literacy. It’s no surprise that South Korea features among countries with the highest literacy rate. So it can’t be all that hard, even if languages aren’t your forte.
If you’re confused on where to start, just start somewhere! I randomly learned how to read Korean in two hours — and so can you! There are exceptions for sure since some words aren’t pronounced as they’re spelled, but trust me when I say it takes more time to figure out ‘le’ and ‘la’ in French than to read Hangul — and this coming from a native French speaker! Small beginnings and consistent growth bear long-lasting results, so just dive in!
Learning a new language is daunting when you don’t care enough to learn about its country and people. So seek to understand the influences and stimuli surrounding native speakers and experience them through exposure. Once you get started, make a list of your microtasks and gradually tick them off. Find your own little quirks to make the target language less tedious to learn — in my case, it was making it a part of my life as much as possible.
About Shars
Shars is a third-year Economics and Psychology student. She's currently interning with External Relations at the U of A — although she believes her true vocation to be pro-binge watcher or foodie (just kidding!) A quote that she always comes back to: "If I work hard, I can eat delicious things!"