Animisery – A Blog About Living Miserably with Anime (Among Other Things)

Getting back into studying Korean has been a lot less difficult than I thought it would be. I’m already familiar with the written Korean language or Hangul so what would usually be the first step in any Korean language education is already rendered moot and doesn’t bear repeating. The written Hangul language is actually one of the newest languages in the world and is, from what I’ve been reading, designed so that each shape with be similar to how your mouth or throat will be shaped or formed to make each sound. I don’t exactly see it so far but I can tell you my favorite character is the ㅇ because it makes a “ng” sound and I really like that. It’s also silent if it’s at the beginning of a syllable block and lets you know to pronounce the vowel sound after it. Like 당 would be pronounced similar to “d-ah-ng” while something like 욕 would be pronounced like “yo-k”. I think it’s fun.

So far, I’m using two books for my Korean learning. The first is a book called “Korean Grammar in Use” by a multitude of authors and the “My First 500 Korean Words” by Talk to Me in Korean. “Korean Grammar in Use” functions as a textbook that will help build my functionality in speaking while “My First 500 Korean Words” serves as a vocabulary builder. I’m also using a multitude of apps to accent my education and help build a habit of regular study including a flash card deck from Anki, Rosetta Stone, Memrise, and Duolingo. The last two are just for the express purpose of having a game to give me incentives to study more Korean in my spare time and don’t serve as pillars of my education. Rosetta Stone works very well at giving practical speaking techniques until I get a tutor and the Anki deck just really helps familiarize me with words. I’ve read from many many many people that memorization doesn’t really aid with effective speaking and I whole heartedly believe that.

I’ve also started carrying around a small journal to write unfamiliar words when I encounter them. If I’m listening to a K-pop song and hear a word that intrigues me then I look it in my dictionary to figure out what it means and I write it down. It’s just a small thing but it’s fun to look for answers in that way. Speaking of Korean culture, I’m also trying to pick up some Korean dramas in order to hear the language and study it via repetition. When I was going to get my N5 certification, I would often repeat phrases I heard in anime to get a grasp of the words and how they strung together. I’m hoping that K-dramas will serve a similar purpose although I’m notoriously antsy and can’t sit through hour long programs. I have found a few that sound intensely intriguing and I’m totally looking forward to watching them when the time comes. They include Extra-ordinary You, Goblin, Death’s Game, Coffee Prince, Winter Sonata, and Reply 1988. I’ve only seen a couple of K-dramas like Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo and To The Beautiful You but I failed to finish them. It’s that hour long run times, I’m telling you.

So far, progress has honestly been slow. I’ll have the handle of a word for a while and then it’ll fall from my repertoire. Do not even get me started on Korean numbers. I don’t know why I can’t even begin to understand why they in particular elude me. I got 하나 which is Korean for one and that’s it. It doesn’t help that Korean has two sets of numbers.

I’m sure things will go better as I practice more. I’m hoping to find some classes nearby or a solid tutor on a site like Preply or Camly. This is just the beginning and it can only go up from here! Until I update you again (or actually decide to post about anime), I’ll see you all later!

안녕!!!