Learning Korean Without Leaving California

Before I Go

I leave for South Korea in three days, and I still don’t fully trust myself to order from a menu beyond pointing and politely asking, “이거 주세요” (please give me this).

I’ve been studying Korean for a while now, coursework, conversation hours, self-study, singing along to the entire ATEEZ discography. I can finally read 한글 (Hangeul) without sounding out every syllable block, which feels like a win. But I can sing it even better. 노래방 (noraebang, Korean karaoke) here I come! And I know enough vocabulary to follow along when listening to others talk, sometimes; just enough to catch a word or phrase here and there and feel a little flicker of oh, I got that one. But fluency? I’m not there. Not even close.

But honestly, that’s kind of the point of going to Korea.

I’m headed to Dankook University in Jukjeon (just outside of Seoul) this summer to study abroad. I’ll be a peer English language teacher, take Korean language courses, and spend the rest of my time eating things I can’t fully pronounce yet, visiting places I’ve only seen through a screen, and figuring out the subway/bus system.

What I’ve Been Using to Prepare

• Korean coursework through CSU Fullerton
• Korean Conversation Hour at CSU Chico (thank you to everyone who practiced with me!)
• Self-study: vocabulary apps, Lingo Legend (so cute and so fun!), YouTube, Instagram Korean teachers, listening to music and actually looking up what the lyrics mean
• And a whole lot of getting stuck with not-knowing and trying anyway

The thing nobody tells you about language learning is that the embarrassing and frustrating part, the pausing, the stumbling, the getting it wrong in front of someone, is the best method. There’s no way around it. You just have to be a little bad at it for a while and still keep going. Don’t rush, but don’t stop.

So, I’ll keep track of it all, a little at a time. One word. One meal. One place. One small, interesting or unexpected thing that brings us all closer together.

Next up: fitting my entire life for the next three months into one medium suitcase and a carry-on. Wish me luck!