Like A Korean Academy
Why do people start learning Korean?
안녕하세요,
Inae Kim here. Welcome to LAK Academy’s first newsletter! 🎉 My team and I are making newsletters📰 to provide some tips about learning Korean and how to practice Korean! Not only that, but we also want you to immerse yourself in the language and take a deep dive into Korean culture as well.
So, for our very first newsletter, I wanted to give you an insight into LAK and how it all started. Also, our topic this week will be, "Why do people start learning Korean?”
I love traveling✈️🧳and I have lived in several countries around the world.🌏 My first overseas experience was in Xinjiang, China as a college👩🎓 student majoring in Chinese language and literature. Back then, there were very few Koreans in China, and the locals found it fascinating that I was Korean. I made a lot of friends in college, and some asked me to teach them Korean. I was not sure about it because I had no teaching experience, but I agreed to teach them anyway. I took my group of friends and started teaching them in a group setting, and that is when I realized that I enjoyed helping them learn about Korea and the Korean language. I listened to my heart ❤️ and I decided to become a Korean language teacher.
🤷♂️Why Do People Start Learning Korean?🤷♀️
Korean is a fascinating and beautiful language. Korea has a unique language system, interesting grammar, and a rich cultural heritage. It is spoken by around 75 million people worldwide. Over the past couple of years, there has been a major increase in learning Korean. But why Korean? In this newsletter, we will explore some of the reasons why people start learning Korean.
K-Pop 🎵
In the last couple of years, Korean music, also known as K-pop has grown in so much popularity. K-Pop is a genre of music that originated in South Korea, and its popularity has spread across the world, with groups such as BTS🧑🎤 and Blackpink👯♀️👯♀️ attracting huge crowds of fans. The amazing choreography, visually stunning music videos, and talented voices have mesmerized people from all over the world. Fans of K-pop often want to learn the lyrics to their favorite songs as well as understand the meaning behind them. This leads them to start learning Korean so they can better appreciate the music. Others want to understand what their favorite idol is saying in videos, and others dream about being able to speak to their bias someday. As a result, K-pop has made a major impact on influencing fans to learn Korean.
K-Dramas 🎬
Many foreigners were introduced to Korean dramas thanks to entertainment platforms. K-dramas have been praised for their unique stories, high-quality production, and, of course, their emotional appeal😭. Many people from all over the world binge-watch K-dramas; they swoon 😍 and want more! People feel a deep connection with the characters and the storyline. K-Drama lovers start learning Korean so they can watch these shows without relying on subtitles🚫. By doing so, they can get a better understanding of the nuances of the language and appreciate the storytelling on a deeper level.
Travel ✈️🧳
From the high tech, fast paced streets of Seoul to the relaxing island of Jeju. Korea has become a popular destination for travelers. By learning Korean, you can have a more immersive experience during your travels. You will be able to communicate with locals, read signs, and menus, and better understand the culture and history of the country.
Also, speaking Korean can help you avoid some of the common issues that travelers face when visiting a foreign country. For example, being able to communicate in Korean can help you navigate transportation systems,🚌 order food🍜🍚, and get help in case of an emergency.🏥
Work👨💼👩💼
Another reason why people start learning Korean is for career advancement. With the global influence of Korean companies such as Samsung👨💻, LG, Hyundai, and Kia,🚘 there is a high demand for professionals who can speak Korean fluently. Also, Korea has a high demand for English instructors👩🏫. If you are interested in working in industries such as technology, automotive, entertainment, or education, being proficient in Korean can give you a big advantage over other candidates.
The demand for Korean language skills is not limited to industries that have direct ties to Korea. Many companies around the world are also looking for individuals who can speak Korean, especially if they have business interests in South Korea or the wider Asian region. You can have more job options and be more competitive in the job market if you learn Korean.
Intellectual Curiosity and Cultural Interest
Some people just love learning languages and like the challenge. Korea has a unique writing system that you can learn in a day. 📖 Also, the way that Korean words are pronounced can have multiple meanings depending on the context. Some are fascinated by cultures and want to take a deep dive into them, like the amazing food 🥟, fashion 👗, customs, traditions, and beautiful scenery 🌇.
Preparation for a language proficiency exam 📚
Finally, some people start learning Korean because they want to prepare for a language proficiency exam. There are several language proficiency exams for Korean, including the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK), 📘✍️, and the Korean Language Proficiency Test (KLPT). These tests are used to see how well people who don't speak Korean as their first language do. They are often needed to get into Korean universities 🏫, or for certain jobs in Korea. Learning Korean to prepare for one of these exams can significantly motivate some people.
In conclusion, there are many reasons why people are starting or have started learning Korean.
Whether it's to appreciate K-pop🎤 and K-dramas🎭 better, to advance one's travel🏝 or career👨🍳, or simply for personal interest, there is no doubt that LAK will help you reach your goal!
Why are you interested in Korean?
We would love to hear your story! Leave A Comment
I hope that you enjoyed this newsletter.
Have a great week! 안녕!
안녕하세요 반갑습니다! 여기 네 한국어 공부 이야기를있어요. 나쁜 문법 미안해요
(Don't know if the last two sentences made total sense but basically I was trying to say Here is my Korean studying story and sorry for my bad grammar)
I started learning Korean because I got a job teaching English in Korea and over the eight years I lived there I studied on and off (to be honest more off than on). I left Korea in 2012 I think it was, but have recently started studying again. It's funny, before I moved to Korea I assumed I'd learn Korean to a pretty good level just because I'd be living there, and that it would be an immersion type of thing but I'm still only a high beginner or maybe, with a big stress on maybe, a low intermediate. What I found is that being an English teacher where my job was to be English I was kind of in a bit of an English bubble. Also since my mother language is English it was a lot easier for me to survive without a high level of Korean, subway stations all are in Korean and English, in many stores the workers could speak at least a tiny bit of English or in bigger stores there would be at least one employee with reasonably good English, my schools would always help with things like banking or whatever was needed, and then after all those excuses I'd often feel tired after work. The other issue is even though I would periodically come back to it I'm not the most disciplined person (a nicer way to say I'm lazy).
I'm actually embarrassed I'm not much better because I married a Korean woman a few years before leaving Korea. Her English is much better than my Korean so we are able to communicate pretty good in English. For much of the time when I lived in Korea I wished I was better at Korean than I was. I think with my lazy personality type, and partly due to living with depression for many years, I came to the impression that the only way I'd get beyond the plateau that I'd hit would be to actually take a University course and study it formally but didn't feel like I had the energy to study formally and work. Well the last few years since making a career change I've been a lot less depressed. A few years back I had done about a third of a year studying French on Duolingo since I'm Canadian and it's the second official language and can be an asset in getting good jobs here. I found the gamification aspect of it helped me do it consistently, but once I lost my streak I quit French.
Well, fast forward to 44 days ago and for several reasons it seemed like the right time to start studying Korean again. There are several reasons. My mother in law speaks no English. We get along good but I'd really love to be able to carry out a somewhat proper conversation with her beyond the basic mostly beginner functional type of things I can say. She is in a care home now and her memory is starting to go. Also, although my wife has pretty good English if I could become an advance Korean speaker it would make her life more enjoyable because speaking English all the time can sometimes be tiring.
Duolingo is good for some basics, for reading, vocabulary, and listening and it's good because it seems to motivate me to do it every day, but to go to another level adding other resources will be needed.
I found your blog because I was reading a Reddit thread about whether or not it's possible to actually learn a Language on Duolingo, and one poster recommended a site or app of something " ? . . . Ancient and Modern Languages" which I downloaded but it seems I downloaded something called "Substack" and just started clicking on all the Korean stuff. I forget the full name of what I first began looking for, so hope I can find it again, but it has stuff for about 40 languages, and Korean is one of them. I used to enjoy the "Let's Speak Korean" TV show years ago, so maybe I'll search for that again. Who knows, maybe I can find time and money to go to Korea and enroll in a semester or two at Sogang University, which is where I'd like to study if I had a choice because in my research they are the best if your goal is to be able to speak and be conversational, whereas some other universities I've read focus more on grammar. I don't mind if my grammar isn't perfect as long as I can get my thoughts and ideas across.
I am happy to have found your blog and look forward to more posts.
I once had a Korean high school student live with me for a semester. She introduced me (ever so briefly) to Hangul. I want to write to her in Korean. I have just now started studying the language. Here is my first letter to her, but I do not know if my grammar is correct. I tried to keep the sentences short and simple, but they are still above my skill level. I'll show you in the reply what I have written. Do you think it is okay?