Learn Korean
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Keep pushing, keep learning
This 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 to intermediate level in Japanese…
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Korea has elected a new president
Yesterday 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 were other contenders but none…
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How I’m studying Hanja and why you should too
Since 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 are written in Hangeul they…
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More free Korean learning resources
Working 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 currently reading a really cool…
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Korean pronunciation – the struggle is real
As 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 the best way to get…
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Awesome (and free) listening resources for advanced Korean learners
I’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 language studies, watching an 8-minute…
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Korean debate patterns
A 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 since I was enrolled in…
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My last Korean reading project of 2020
With 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 grammar books that I’ve also…
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Remember to enjoy the view
I’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 that I’m improving. Part of…
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Plans are made to be changed
So, 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 still surprised that the decision…
Sofie to Korea 