Tuesday, August 10, 2010

It's all Korean to me

I've recently started dabbling in Korean..yet again. I wish there were some logical, cyclic pattern to this language exploration, but there isn't really. Over the past few years, I've randomly had urges to learn the language. Today I still don't know much more than I did a few years back. I always pick up in the same place and end up re-tracing old circles. Real productive, huh?

I suspect that my productivity constantly gets hindered because learning Korean has literally no practical value in my current life. I'm not travelling to Korea anytime soon (though I badly wish I were). In my daily life, I do not encounter people with whom I need to communicate in Korean. I've done previous coursework in Spanish and ASL. Unfortunately, however, I don't remember nearly as much as I would like in either. The knowledge fades with a lack of use. I feel that learning Korean could potentially amount to nothing.

But. I also think learning Korean is something of a right for me. It's one way of making me feel more closely connected to the culture I lost. Language is a crucial part of any culture. It says so much, literally. And I do admire the Korean language. I like sound of it. There is a somehow musical quality about the way it is spoken..the inflections and such. If I ever find the devotion to keep studying and speaking Korean, I think it could be a very meaningful experience. Not to mention I could more easily watch Korean dramas/movies and listen to Korean songs. Right now I am hooked on the music from Boys Before Flowers (popular K-drama). I wish I could sing along. Maybe this sounds silly to say, but it can be mildly frustrating loving a catchy song and not being able to actually sing it and understand it. Unless I really immerse myself, I very likely will never achieve fluency in Korean. But it's always good to have something to work towards.

3 comments:

  1. Oh, I know better than anyone about the struggles of learning Korean! I have so often started and stopped, started and stopped. It can be really hard to find use for it, too. I'd advise you to maybe seek out a Korea town near you (if there is such a thing). Luckily, we have a few suburbs in Sydney that are heavily populated by Korean people and their stores. It can be handy to shop in them and get more of a feel for the language.

    If you want another adoptee to learn with, I'd be willing to help! ^_^

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  2. Hmm..there's not really any Koreatown to speak of where I am currently, but I'm leaving in another week for school and will likely find more resources out that way.

    I'd love having someone else to learn the language with! Though I suspect you are farther along than me. I basically pull a brain muscle trying to read hangul (and then, of course, I don't even know what I read if I manage to read it). What learning tools do you use? I've been listening to podcasts from Koreanclass101.com and watching Korean dramas. Half educational and half guilty pleasure.

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  3. Hello, just found your blog today and am enjoying reading your posts. I agree that Korean is a beautiful language, and sounds so pretty! I have never learned another language to fluency, and when I have tried to it is so hard!! I definitely agree that unless you're immersed in the country and surrounded by people speaking it, it's hard to get past learning just a few words and phrases here and there. Good luck!

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