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Continue reading →: 12 hot days in Korea – Part 4Day 10 After another hearty breakfast at the hotel, my friend and I headed to Hyehwa to hike in the park around Naksan and explore the Ihwa mural village. I always really liked the area around Naksan but don’t always have the time to enjoy it when I’m in Seoul.…
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Continue reading →: 12 hot days in Korea – Part 3Day 7 We felt a bit tired after our trip to Gangneung, so we had a slow morning before I headed to Hongdae to have lunch with Kyeongeun from Talk To Me In Korean. After lunch, we headed to the office to say hi to the others and it was…
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Continue reading →: 12 hot days in Korea – Part 2Day 4 After a few days in Korea, it was time for me to reunite with my Korean family. Aside from the heatwave, which I could have done without, I seemed to have timed my visit perfectly. Geonha’s brother had been studying for a master’s degree in economics while working…
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Continue reading →: 12 hot days in Korea – Part 1It’s been over a week since I came back from my most recent trip to Korea. It’s been five years since I was in Korea this time of year and in that time I had managed to completely forget how insufferably hot it gets in August. It didn’t help that…
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Continue reading →: One year later…I’m back after the longest break from blogging I have ever taken. The last time I posted was July 31, 2023 – a year ago almost to the date. So, what took me so long? I guess I got out of the habit because it’s certainly not like I didn’t…
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Continue reading →: Back from BCLT summer schoolI just spent an entire week having the most fun I’ve had in years! I’m sure you all know from that statement alone that I must have been participating in the BCLT summer school for literary translation. I have recently signed a translation contract with Danish publisher Korridor and have…
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Continue reading →: Life update (with pictures)Can anyone believe that we’re already halfway through 2023? As always, I like to use the beginning of July to reflect on my goals and progress, since July marks the entry to the second half of the year. I set several goals for myself at the beginning of the year,…
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Continue reading →: Spring in Seoul, part 2I’ll continue right where I left off in part 1. On Wednesday, March 15, I headed to Hanyang University to have lunch with one of my former econ students from Sogang, who is now in law school. I keep in touch with a few of my former students and it’s…
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Continue reading →: Spring in Seoul, part 1Two weeks ago I spent a wonderful spring vacation in Seoul. I was too early for the cherry blossoms but there was no way I could go at any other time. Geonha’s hyung was getting married, and I would not miss being there for the celebration! I arrived in Seoul…
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Continue reading →: My JLPT N3 resultsAs I wrote here on my blog, I took the JLPT N3 in December after studying for it for the past year. I had passed the N4 level quite convincingly in January 2022 and definitely felt up for the challenge. I felt pretty good about the test when I left…
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Continue reading →: Goals for 2023With 2023 being just hours away, I spent some time reviewing my goals for 2022. Like always I have followed through with some, completely abandoned others, and made a half-assed attempt on the remaining goals. A year ago my vision for 2022 were: So with some goals for 2022 met,…
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It’s that time of the year again…
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Continue reading →: It’s that time of the year again…For most people, whether they celebrate Christmas or not, this time of year means something special. It’s the end of the year and a time to reflect and make new plans – or if you’re learning Japanese – a time to take the JLPT exam. The JLPT is held twice…
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Keep pushing, keep learning
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Continue reading →: Keep pushing, keep learningThis may sound like the title of a motivational seminar but I’ve actually wanted to talk to you guys about complacency and language learning arrogance for a while. At least since I saw a tweet that really resonated with me: Most of 2022 I’ve been focusing on going from beginner…
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Continue reading →: Canada, covid, and cramming for the JLPTHappy October everyone! I can’t believe we’re already far into fall. It’s been a while since my last update and the headline should give you some idea as to the reason why. I spent the first week of September in Canada together with my husband where we attended a friend’s…
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Continue reading →: Korea diaries vol. 5It’s been a while since I updated you on my recent trip to Korea. Life has kept me busy but now I’m ready to share the fifth and final chapter – just in time for my next adventure. On Monday I’m flying to Canada to attend a friend’s wedding but…
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Continue reading →: Korea diaries vol. 4We’re continuing with my bite-sized accounts of my latest trip to Seoul and we’ve made it to the second week. On Monday July 19, I got up early and took the bus to Hyehwa station. I like the area around Hyehwa and Daehangno and always hike to the top of…
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Continue reading →: Korea diaries vol. 3I hope you all had a lovely weekend. Meanwhile I’m back with the third installment in my Korea diaries series. So far, I have covered my first week in Seoul in volumes 1 and 2 and we’ve now made it to Friday July 15. That day I had made plans…
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Continue reading →: Korea diaries vol. 2After having spent a lovely first weekend in Seoul meeting with Geonha’s brother and his fiancee and touring a few of my favorite spots I was ready to start a new week in Korea. I started my Monday morning in the hotel “gym” where I – whilst wearing a mask…
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Korea diaries vol. 1
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Continue reading →: Korea diaries vol. 1It’s been a while, but I’m finally back – this time with some much-needed Korea-related content. After more than two and a half years of not being able to go to Korea for reasons everyone probably is aware of I finally managed to book a trip to Seoul for this…
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Continue reading →: I went to Switzerland (for the first time ever)With covid gradually becoming a thing of the past the world is beginning to open up again, and my travel heart is rejoicing at all the destinations that are waiting to be explored. I’ll readily admit that Seoul is the one destination that I care most about being able to…
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Korea has elected a new president
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Continue reading →: Korea has elected a new presidentYesterday was the presidential election day in South Korea and the past few weeks had indicated that it would be a tight race between the two main contestants – Lee Jae-myeong from the democratic party and Yoon Seok-yeol from the conservative people’s power party (yes that name, I know). There…
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Continue reading →: JLPT results are inAs I wrote about recently, I took the JLPT N4 test in Copenhagen in early December. Unlike with the TOPIK, there is no official date for the results announcement but at the exam, we were told that we could expect to get the results by early February. It turns out…
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Continue reading →: New year, new goalsHappy New Year everyone. It’s officially 2022 – or as Stephen Colbert called it – the third straight year of 2020. Anyway, as always I like to create a list of goals and intentions for the new year while keeping in mind that sometimes life happens, and deviating from the…
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Continue reading →: Learning two (or more) languages at onceI can’t believe that we’re almost finished with 2021. A year that started on a hopeful note but turned out to be little more than an echo of 2020. Here’s to a fresh start and hopefully better times in 2022. After I published my JLPT post, a few of you…
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Continue reading →: My very first JLPT experienceIf you’ve been following along for a while you’ll know that I’ve been flirting with the Japanese language on and off since sometime in 2017. It’s mostly been off though, and I never managed to do anything but learn the scripts, scratch the surface in terms of grammar and vocab,…
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Continue reading →: What I’ve been up to (feat. my second TOPIK experience)Hey everyone – It sure has been a while! While I’ve been away from this blog I’ve been happy to see that my readers haven’t. I still get lots of reads and new subscribers every day. Thank you! I guess there must be a few evergreens among my vast library…
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Continue reading →: Korea’s xenophobic quarantine mandateI’m privileged to live in a country with a high level of trust in our (fair and transparent) authorities and an equally high willingness to take the COVID vaccine, which is offered for free to anyone over 12 (I’m talking about Denmark by the way). I myself am currently between…
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Continue reading →: How I’m studying Hanja and why you should tooSince my last post, I’ve received several requests to share my Hanja learning tips, so ladies and gentlemen – here they come! If you’re learning Korean you probably know that 60-70 percent of all Korean words have roots in Chinese characters called Hanja in Korean. That means that although they…
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July
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Continue reading →: JulyAnd just like that it’s July. We’re already halfway through 2021. It seems like forever and a blink of an eye at the same time. Just like the Koreans divide the year into 상반기 and 하반기 for the first and second half, I like to use this time of year…
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Continue reading →: More free Korean learning resourcesWorking as a Korean teacher, I’m constantly looking to improve not only my own Korean skills but also to expand my knowledge of methods for effectively teaching Korean to others. For the past few weeks I have spent my italki lessons, talking with my teacher about how to improve. I’m…
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Continue reading →: Snow in AprilWith Korean cherry blossoms taking up most of my Instagram feed these days, the view from my own window seems even more depressing in comparison. For the past week the weather has been extremely windy and today a generous amount of snow was added into this ever-changing cocktail that is…
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Continue reading →: Korean pronunciation tips I wish I’d learned soonerWith most of the country in continued lockdown, I’m still confined to my apartment from which all my teaching, class preparation and self studying takes place. In order to feel a sense of progress and purpose I’ve created a detailed study routine for myself with several chapters to be read…
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Continue reading →: Korean pronunciation – the struggle is realAs a Korean teacher and lifelong language learner, I can testify firsthand that the pronunciation is one of the hardest parts of learning Korean. The distinct sounds, the double consonants and the countless exceptions to the standard pronunciation rules are enough to make your head spin. When learning the language…
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Continue reading →: Awesome (and free) listening resources for advanced Korean learnersI’m a big fan of YouTube. You can find almost any kind of content there in any language you want. That’s why I highly recommend Korean learners of all levels to explore YouTube for listening resources. Especially if you don’t have a lot of time on your hands for your…
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Fun Korean, Inspiration, Korea, Korean, Korean expressions, Korean vocabulary, Language learning, Learn Korean
Korean debate patterns
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Continue reading →: Korean debate patternsA skill which truly indicates that one is fluent in a foreign language is the ability to debate in that language. When I was studying at Sogang university, the top levels 5 and 6 dedicated quite a significant amount of time to debate practice. Even though it’s been four years…
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Book reviews, Books, Korean, Korean books, Language learning, Learn Korean, Reviews, Studying Korean
My last Korean reading project of 2020
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Continue reading →: My last Korean reading project of 2020With only one day left of 2020, my last Korean reading project of this year has come to an end. In total, I’ve managed to read 12 Korean novels this year. This averages one per month, and I guess that’s not all bad considering the amount of Korean text and…
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Daily life, Korean, Language learning, Life, Life update, Memories, Personal development, Uncategorized
Rays of light in the dark
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Continue reading →: Rays of light in the darkI’m writing this on the darkest day of the year. In Denmark that means less than 6.5 hours of daylight, and this year, December has been unusually dark and gloomy. No snow (which is totally fine) but lots and lots of rain. There were 2 weeks straight where it was…
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Remember to enjoy the view
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Continue reading →: Remember to enjoy the viewI’ve recently written about how I sometimes struggle to stay motivated, and I believe one reason that I didn’t explore in my previous post is that I feel like I’ve been plateauing lately. While I do make an effort to study Korean every single day, I just don’t really feel…
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Inspiration, Korean expressions, Korean vocabulary, Life, Motivation, Uncategorized, Useful expressions
A sigh of relief
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Continue reading →: A sigh of reliefI’m sure the whole world watched the final days of the American election with tension and anxiety and breathed a sigh of relief when it became crystal clear on Saturday that Joe Biden was the new President-elect to the United States. I know I did. Why do I care when…
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Continue reading →: Staying motivated(?)When I wrote this headline I must admit that it sounded odd to me because the truth is that I’m currently anything but motivated. My TOPIK plans are down the drain for this year at least, my purpose for taking the TOPIK has been postponed indefinitely, and there is really…
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Continue reading →: Plans are made to be changedSo, a few weeks ago I shared on this blog that I had signed up for the TOPIK test in London in November and added that it might very well be that I wouldn’t get to go because of the pandemic. I will indeed not go to London but I’m…
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Continue reading →: How I’m preparing for TOPIK, reading editionAs I told you in my latest blog post I’m currently preparing to take the TOPIK in London this November. That is, if the Covid-19 situation allows. So far, things are looking rather bleak with cases skyrocketing all over Europe including Denmark and the UK. Anyway, I’m determined to continue…
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New season, new goals
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Continue reading →: New season, new goalsI’ve always loved the early fall with its changing of the colors, the crisp air, and the “back to school” feel of everything. I always feel compelled to buy pens and notebooks this time of year and I’m so happy that, as a teacher, it’s a perfectly valid thing for…
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Daily life, Happiness, Inspiration, Korean, Language learning, Mental health, Motivation, Personal development, Self development, Uncategorized
My happy place
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Continue reading →: My happy placeI try to make a habit of practicing gratitude and give thanks for all the wonderful things I have going on in my life. I find this daily practice particularly helpful in a year where none of us are having the 2020 we had planned or hoped for. One of…
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The coolest proverbs
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Continue reading →: The coolest proverbsI recently had a pretty cool discussion about proverbs with a Korean acquaintance. I always loved proverbs and idioms in any language since I find that they reveal so much about a country’s culture. For example, think about how many proverbs and idioms there are about bread in Western culture.…
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Continue reading →: Strengthening my (Korean) coreIt’s been a while now since lockdown ended here and I’m starting to feel like things are back to somewhat normal although traveling still seems to be off-limits. Although I haven’t been that diligent in maintaining my blog during this time, I’ve thought a great deal about how to bring…
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Continue reading →: It’s been a while…It’s been almost two months since my last post. Ever since I started writing this blog over five years ago, this is probably the longest I’ve ever gone without updating it. So why haven’t I? The short answer is that I simply didn’t feel like it. I do enjoy writing…
Hello,
I’m Sofie
Welcome to my blog!
