Oh wow, it’s been how many years? 4? I think so. It’s been 4 years since I started studying the Korean Language (thanks year abroad in Seoul) and I’m still stuck in False Beginner/Intermediate. Bah!
When I got back from Seoul, I looked around for classes and it became obvious that I would have to rely on self learning. After the first six months I realised something very important about myself, I don’t love self learning. I’m someone who loves structure of a classroom but more importantly, I love interacting with people. My language learning has always thrived when I’ve been in an environment when I’ve actively had to use my skills. Without a structured class or really anyone to talk on a regular basis I focused on other things. Now I’m done with school, and I have loads of free time, I’m rededicating myself to my language studies.
Which is why as I look for a job in my career, I took a part time job as a waitress in a Korean Restaurant!
This is my uniform, like a casual traditional hanbok. It is so cute, and I love it.
Working as a waitress is not my ideal career path, nor is it something I want to do for a long time, but for now while I’m job searching it’s nice to leave the house. It’s nice to be earning something, and it’s nice to be thrown into a world where I’m forced to speak Korean. The chefs know I was an exchange student, so they pretty much only talk to me in Korean. That’s scary! I’m having to learn things super quick so I don’t make a mistake. But! I’m really enjoying it, I feel my confidence growing and even though my grammar isn’t perfect, I find myself making an effort to say something in order to be understood.
I’m supplementing this with text books! I have so many, that I really should be fluent by now~ I recently bought Essential Korean for Business Use, which is more like a phrase book. If I’m applying for jobs that may need me to use Korean, I should learn the appropriate phrases right?
adoredee 
Keep up the good work, this job and being in another Korean environment will help immensely. Thank you, too, you gave me an idea to search for a place where I’ll be forced to speak Spanish. 🙂
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Thank you! It was an idea I had for a long time but always came up with excuses not to do it. Then one day I drove by, and just thought why not? So I walked in asked if they were hiring because I wanted to practice my speaking and next week I started!
I say do it! Sometimes pushing yourself out of your comfort zone really helps. Good luck!
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Thanks for the advice, and the funny part was when you said they know you were an exchange student, so they speak to you almost always in Korean. I think I’ll begin searching for some places.
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Exclusively! It’s been a while since I’ve had a real conversation in Korean, so I’m not used to how fast they talk at al! One of the chefs asked me for a bottle of Cola, but I didn’t understand because he said it so fast and I was like, “.. wha?” Which he thought was hilarious. But he slowed it down, and poked fun at me a little (all in Korean) and I felt so much more confident. It’s a real confidence booster for sure!
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Wow! Now see, that’s what you can’t receive from studying by yourself (which is what I do most of the time, as well as conversate with my boyfriend). I’m also about to download some telenovelas in Spanish.
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I watch dramas all the time! They’re great to help you keep up to current language patterns and pronunciations. Also, I love phrasebooks. I know people say they’re bad for language practice but if you’re also doing separate grammar study then learning new sentences and vocabulary that way isn’t bad at allll.
You’re so lucky! You have a Spanish speaking boyfriend? I’m trying to teach my boyfriend Korean (blind leading the blind) hahaha, he says hello to me in Korean now which is adorable.
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I love textbooks! I’m a person that learns by every route except for just listening, but I learn the best by writing and reading.
He’s Guatemalan, and I’m half-Mexican (don’t tell anyone I don’t know my own language :p). We’re about to celebrate our six-month anniversary. 🙂
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Have you tried downloading the talktomeinkorean podcasts? I think they get quite advanced (well, by my standard!) and I often listen to them on repeat if I’m doing something…hoping osmosis will work its magic somehow and I’ll wake up speaking fluently!
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