Who's Learning Korean?

I am learning Korean.

I think most people watching dramas are learning Korean. (The frustration of waiting for subtitles and/or how wrong some of them are will get to you sooner or later.) At the beginning, a couple of years ago, I tried actually learning Korean, like how you'd learn languages in school. But it was a lot of information to take in, and I wasn't one for slow learning. I had to absorb any new information as soon as I could, not giving my brain a chance to rest. And then I would proceed to confuse two or more rules and it would all be so overwhelming that I'd completely stop. So then I went back to the basics and thought I'd strengthen those.

Hanguel was pretty cool once it stuck. It was fun looking up words and actually being able to pronounce it. Some might think nothing of it, but it really is a huge step in the process of learning. If you know anything at all, be proud and keep going. (화이팅! xD) I can spell a few common words here and there, and I'm fairly good at spelling words I've never seen written before, with the occasional mistakes. (for example 업서 instead of 없어) But with practice, you'll be able to get it right.

Learning should be fun in my opinion, so I always try to play games and keep the atmosphere light. I like to look up any K-pop song's lyrics. Although they're not the best place to learn from (in lyrics, they can use any form of the word, and don't have to actually form sentences, so using them in daily life would be strange), they help keep things familiar. (I'm so happy that I understood 90% of a K.Will song the first time I heard it without even looking up the lyrics!) 

Connecting words to your life is also another cool way to practice. Whatever you are doing right now, just ask yourself how you'd say that in Korean. (I think 쓰고있어요 is what I'm doing now haha.) And I definitely suggest learning with a partner or someone. You have to actually show your progress and using yourself as a judge of that won't really get you far. (Two of my friends are into Korean like I am, but they haven't learned the hangeul yet so I can't even practice with them.  T_T) I'm up for a language partner any time. 어서 오세요~  :D

@SunAh: Wow, you've already achieved so much! I'm impressed - How did you do it? Just by looking up words and building up your vocabulary that way? I can never bring myself to do that..

I signed up for classes in a Korean Cultural Center about three years ago. I had to quit after only four lessons, though - Couldn't fit them into my schedule since it took a whole day to travel there, have the 90 minute class and travel back. There are no classes available anywhere near me.

After that, I started self-studying. My motivation was really low, though. I studied vocabulary through a smartphone app (which was great! I need to find that again. I was actually able to remember the words. But knowing 50 words didn't exactly help me in my studies) and bought some books and workbooks that I never even opened.

Recently I started listening to the KoreanClass101 podcasts in the car on my way to work. (Which is the only "free" time I have at the moment since I work full-time and go to University at nights and on weekends.)

I also found a language exchange partner in my local University about two years ago, but since I didn't really know any Korean and wasn't able to communicate, those meetings were only efficient for him - We talked in English which he wanted to get better at. We couldn talk in Korean since I was missing even the absolute basics.

I'm so motivated to learn Korean at the moment because I will be traveling to Seoul in April - For work, though. I probably won't have time to see anything apart from my hotel room, our exhibition booth and fancy restaurants where there will be important meetings with business partners.

If only I had the time. Or the resources. Or someone to study with me. (I've cried enough now, sorry. >D)

@boredandtwitchy: That's a great idea!! (Not exactly for me since I don't know enough Korean to post anything) - I used to use a Lang-8 to improve my Spanish skills, it's awesome. Everyone's so helpful. :)

HelloTalk is one of the apps I tried! The single actual Korean conversation I had on there went like this:

Me: "Hello! My name is Bia."
Stranger: "Hello! Your name is Pia. My name is XXXX."
Me: "Oh, thank you!"

(I'm at work and don't have Hangeul installed, so excuse the translation. xD)

The rest were slightly creepy non-Koreans who were interested in way different things than teaching me a language. As it is.

I'd love to be your study partner!! I think it's very motivating to have someone to collaborate and "compete" with. :)

고마워요!! :)

I've mostly got hangul down, and know some words. I'm going to Korea soon, so I'm hoping the words stick in my head a little bit better when I'm there. 

I'm a korean studies major, and I studying korean since aroud 5 years now, and also spend a year in korea as an exchange student. although I don't really get to do any korean studying at all lately, since I'm busy with my minor and no more courses to do in my major. I really want to keep studing, but can't really find the motivation to start lately, all I do is watch korean dramas xD I tired doing a studygroup with some friend, but well that didn#t really work out, since I was the only one doing something and so my motivation diesd down qiuckly again^^;
I'm thinking about taking the next topik, to have a reason to start studying properly again^^ 

I definetly recommend TTMIK and hello talk, they have helped me a lot while i was studying :)

@Nezumi: Memrise - That's the app I was looking for!! I used it a few years ago to learn vocabulary but lost it. Thanks for mentioning it, I loved that app (and website)! :D