The importance of language learning as an indispensable means of communication cannot be over- emphasized. The history of language as a means of communication is as old as the history of mankind. Language is a legacy that has been passed on from generation to generation. However, getting to be fluent in any language initially requires interest, effort and practice. The Korean language is not an exception.
The Korean language is one of the most recently developed languages and it is said to be a scientific language. With some inputs from Chinese language and recently from English language, it is fast becoming a language that is spoken by many nationalities.
“Hallyu” which is a term in Korean language that means a growing popularity of Korean movies and TV dramas across Asia has also immensely contributed to growing pace of the language. Due to its simple characters with 21 vowels and 19 consonants and their distinct sounds it is simple for a foreigner to quickly grasp and hence can easily read .Pronunciation may seem difficult at first but becomes quite easier later. As a graduate of Korean language, literature and culture studies, I have come to appreciate the language and its People.
Like any other language, learning Korean as a second language may initially seem difficult but soon becomes quite interesting once stated. We must resist the temptation of being afraid of making mistakes, as nobody is perfect in the initial stage of learning any language. Speak as much as you can but also take time to listen. A popular Korean maxim states”얼굴이 다르듯이 생각도 다르다” which means as the faces of people are different, so are their thoughts. Some people are very expressive while others may be inexpressive. This may be due to lack of confidence and can be a barrier to learning a language. I find that committing to memory the basic everyday expressions and greetings as well as the patterns. Afterwards we can then treat each aspects of grammar to be practiced and improved upon. Practical benefit derived from conversation with the native Korean speakers is the learning of both the language and culture of Korea. Since language emerges from culture.
In conclusion, making an appreciable progress in the learning of the learning language starts with a keen interest in the language. Thereafter, with effort and continuous practice and without the fear of making mistakes in speaking, somebody can quickly and easily become a proficient Korean speaker.
Research Professor, GKI
