Learning a new language, especially a difficult one such as the Korean language can seem a lengthy and challenging process. This is usually due to the common mistakes made by the majority, which keeps them away from acquiring the language skills rapidly. If these mistakes are carefully analyzed and avoided, the process of learning the Korean language can be sped up to a significant extent. Admittedly, the majority of these mistakes are made not only while learning Korean, but also other languages, however, the impact they make can be different across languages, and mistakes mentioned in this article do considerably affect specifically the process of learning the Korean language. Let us discuss these mistakes, so that you do not make them when studying.
1. Learning without listening - wrong pronunciation.
Korean language has its own unique pronunciation which can be quite challenging for foreigners to adopt. This is mainly attributed to the lack of listening and trying to learn more from the book. Korean alphabet is different, and to explain the sounds books use English equivalents which cannot 100% reflect the real sounds. People are accustomed to perceiving books as the main source of studying a language and often use it as the only way. Books, albeit important, do not cover a significant proportion contributing to acquiring a new language. In case of Korean, it is essential to create the interplay between listening and speaking besides book studying. By listening, I suggest not doing listening tests which are adapted to the speed of a learner and the course taken, but more real-life conversations such as in Korean TV shows and k-dramas. Although you will not understand everything, you will start to feel the language and can avoid the wrong pronunciation.
2. Learning words separately.
Words in Korean language possess the tendency of being easily forgotten. This is due to similarities between words and sounds. There can be five words that sound almost identical but there are one or two letter differences. If you take down Korean words into your vocabulary and learn them one by one you will lose much time and both the efficiency and effectiveness of learning will be reduced. The best way to learn Korean words is from the context. It is recommended that you write the translation or the definition of a particular word inside a text or paragraph, so that you can connect it to the meaning and remember much faster. Moreover, you can reread the same paragraph later again, which is quite useful contribution to the language learning.
3. Lost consistency.
Unfortunately, this is the major reason why most people cannot keep persistency and improve their language skills to the level where they can confidently express themselves. Language needs to be used in order to not be forgotten. People lose their consistency easily when they do not track their progress and learn without a plan. Planning the learning process helps stay organized and not to lose motivation while tracking the progress stimulates the desire to excel and improve. Considering this, one should understand the importance of consistency in language learning and keep studying at least short amount of time every day.
4. Hesitance to talk.
There is a plethora of people who are fluent in Korean listening, reading and writing and absolutely weak in speaking, despite speaking being the most important part of any language. Especially, this is true for those who learned Korean for getting a TOPIK (test of proficiency in Korean) level, because this exam includes mainly listening, reading and writing. Being among Korean people, who obviously speak Korean in a native level, these people hesitate to talk Korean because they think they will look inferior due to poor skills or possible mistakes. However, you should understand that nobody will speak perfectly until they actually start talking and make many mistakes. These steps are predominant to take for being fluent in Korean language. Therefore, if your speaking skills are weak, overcome your shyness and speak as much as you can, and you will see significant improvements.
5. Avoid dubbing.
Korean dramas are extremely popular among foreigners. Many of them even decide to start their journey to Korea because of their deep interest to K-dramas. Nevertheless, a huge mistake these people make is watching these dramas or movies with dubbing. Certainly, it is easy to watch dramas in a language you understand, and we watch dramas not for studying, but for leisure. However, watching Korean dramas in original with subtitles is an enormous contribution to your language acquiring process. If you combine learning Korean with watching k-dramas, you will better feel the language, and, consequently, learn it faster.
6. No to romanization and transcription.
In Korean language, specifically, romanization and transcription are dangerous. When you learn Korean words that are written using English letters, you develop the wrong pronunciation. Those who are fluent in Korean do not have any problem in reading Korean words written in English correctly because they know the Korean version of it. However, if you are beginner in Korean, it is highly recommended to read only with Korean alphabet. It will help you not only avoid the wrong pronunciation, but also make it comfortable for you to read writings in Korean. You need to get uncomfortable to feel comfortable later.
7. Taking over your capacity.
Most of us wrongly believe that to succeed in learning a language, we should make the learning environment more difficult. This means learning too many new words, studying to the extent that you give up your sleep, food and rest or doing too difficult listenings and readings. You should understand that learning a language should not be easy, but at the same time not stressful. If you try learning more than your capacity allows you, not only you will lose the effectiveness of studying, but also lose you motivation and desire to study. In case of Korean, it is, unfortunately, a common problem, because of the TOPIK exam. Lots of people do not start learning Korean until they urgently need it, be it for university or job, therefore, they start learning it only when there is a necessity for that. To achieve the level they want, most people study days and nights, get stressed, lose desire to study and, eventually, fail to achieve high results. Thus, it is essential to understand your capacity and not take over it.
The mistakes mentioned in this article are personally witnessed by the author and considered to be most frequent among Korean language learners. Korean may seem a difficult language to learn, however, if you avoid these common mistakes, it will be more straightforward and less stressful to study. Knowing Korean language offers countless benefits and opens many doors in your life, hence, be patient and learn the language properly. Good luck!
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