A Beginner’s Mind Posted by Linda on Dec 1, 2011 in Culture, Korean Language, Vocabulary
“Why are you learning Korean? You.” This question haunts me. As a second generation Korean-American who learned how to speak Korean by osmosis from my Korean mother’s small conversations and language leaks amongst her family and friends, I am insecure about my “Korean-ness”. Our stereotypical society expects me to know about Korean culture, food, and the language. Meanwhile, I have my mom on speed dial whenever I get “lost in translation”.
My de facto boundaries are defined by an irony of two separate identities that unite who I am as a person: I am an internal minority in Korea, and an external minority anywhere else in the world. Not quite blending in, I have an undesired language boundary when in South Korea because I am far from fluent. While living in and visiting South Korea, I felt like an imposter— a foreigner who embodies a local appearance. Moreover, in the United States, where I now live, I have this enduring boundary built by broken questions like, “Where are you from?”
In an attempt to conquer these so-called cultural boundaries, I want to improve my knowledge of all things Korean. A friend once said to me, “Your ‘East meets West’ isn’t getting along.” I appreciate and love Korean culture and traditions, but my “American-ness” is imprinted upon me. As funny as it is imagining myself in a hanbok 한복 (traditional, east) paired with jeans (modern, west), my idea of balancing my East and West is arming myself with knowledge about all things Korean. I want to polish that bridge by sharing what I know. But most importantly, I want to meet like-minded individuals who are learning or want to learn Korean; this would be a relief to my identity crisis.
I wanted to tell you my story, in hopes that you too would share yours.
My story: I am a beginner.
In a sea of “been there done that” ambiance, I am adopting the Buddhist concept of a “Beginner’s Mind” 초심, or the transliteration “chosim”. Note: the Hangeul word 초심 translates into the English word “beginner”. With 초심, there is eagerness, open-mindedness, and an absence of preconceptions when learning. As a beginner, there are many possibilities! For me, to build upon the innate Korean “things” I know from my family and from living in and visiting South Korea, I needed to get back to basics—a blank slate.
Are you a beginner too? Are you willing to ignore what others say about learning Korean—that its complex grammar is difficult to grasp, or that it is one of the most difficult languages to master, etc. Quite the contrary, I learned the Hangeul alphabet in two days! Easily learning how to write and pronounce Hangeul consonants and vowels encouraged me to look up the words I was reading aloud. It is a game for me, building on my vocabulary and constructing small sentences, etc.
My question for you is, “Why are you learning Korean?” You.” Each person has a reason for wanting to learn a language. It’s fascinating to me, to know why you want to learn Korean!
I would love to connect with you on Twitter: twitter.com/lindasauce. I am working on various blog entries related to Korean culture and the language. If there is a specific topic you are interested in—e.g., wanting a translation of a K-pop song, looking for Korean products outside of Korea, Korean language resources, etc.—please comment, and I will write about it.
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Comments:
Carrie:
I learned the Korean alphabet in about 6 hours, its not as hard as everyone thinks!
Linda:
@Carrie That’s quite an accomplishment Carrie! Did you teach yourself? :O)
Handi:
Hi..my name is handi and i’m an indonesian… I used to study korea, but due to my thight schedule and no study partner.. I’m not studying korean now. I think i’ve drawned into korean wave! Since 2005 i reallylove korean movie, then in 2006 i went to beijing to study chinese..but i made friends with a lot of korean…. That made me more more and more love korean.. And i really want to study korean…. And that’s my reason to study korean… I’m in lve with korean… Lol
Linda:
@Handi Hey Handi! I totally understand; I wish there more hours in a day!
Irina:
Thank you, that is a very inspirational note you wrote.
I am not of a Korean origin myself, that is why the level of sincereness of interest in Korea, it’s language and culture is doubted, and I sometimes hear things like “That’s because you cannot understand the way Koreans think”. Well, there’s no doubt I do not have this understanding by default, but that’s exactly what I’m trying to overcome. Or is it permissable only to Koreans to be engaged in Korean studies, to, if I have to use this word, love Korea? It’s not like that, right?
So thank you again for writing what you did 🙂
Linda:
@Irina Hi Irina, thank you VERY MUCH for your insight! I agree with you—anyone should be able to enjoy learning Korean, for whatever reason! Many people interested in Korean culture have admired Koreans’ ability to hold on to traditions. 🙂 Also, I have met many non-Koreans who speak Korean, and their reasons for learning Korean vary! Recently, I met a group of Mexican girls obsessed with the K-drama, Playful Kiss—they wanted to write a Korean love letter to Kim Hyun Joong! I think it’s great! I hope to hear more about your Korean adventures!
niya:
I want to learn Korean because I fell in love with the korean dramas. Funny, I share the same sentiments as Shunryu Suzuki. I am African American with a Korean heart. When I watch the shows I laugh because many of the small nuiances said and done are what I have witnessed in my own culture. So I feel Koreans are soul brothers and sisters of ours if not kindred spirits.
Linda:
@niya Hi Niya, I really enjoyed reading your comments! I too have a love for K-dramas. Do you have a favorite series? Consider me a kindred soul sister! I completely agree with you, that the decision to learn a new language can be very overwhelming. But, in my experience, and from talking with others— learning and building a solid vocabulary is the first step! I love that you said you had a Korean heart; many people have told me that they respect Korean culture because of Koreans’ ability to hold on to their customs/traditions in a highly industrialized society. Also, I love that you mentioned that you believe language and culture go hand in hand. I WILL CROSS MY FINGERS for you, but I think you aren’t giving yourself enough credit! Please keep me updated on your progress! To answer your question, I suggest you start with learning how to write and pronounce the Hangeul alphabet. Then, practice recognizing common character combinations. I like this website, for starters: http://bit.ly/aZvfoZ. And, when you watch K-dramas, try to read the Korean words you see in the background, etc. Good luck!
niya:
Taking on the study of Korean seems to be a rather daunting task. I have confidence in my learning ability -but doubt has a constant presence right beside me – I worry. I want to get it right. It is wonderful when you have someon who is a native speaker of the language – say… “You’re Korean is pretty good.” I really want to get to that point. I get overwhelmed when I see the unfamilar alphabet, and the arrangement of the letters and then I start to think the culture and the customs of the people. I believe you really don’t know a language without knowing the people. Please cross your fingers for me. I will certainly put for an earnest effort.
Question: For someone like me, should I start with familiarizing myself with the alphatbet and phonetic pronunciation? Should I pay attention to transliteration? Are there good websites to visit to learn about the Korean culture?
Niya
Yi Da:
Hey ,
Please advice, How should we best learn korean ?
Cheers
Yi da
Linda:
@Yi Da Hey there, I think each person has his/her own learning style. But, from research and talking with other people— the very first step is learning how to write and pronounce the Hangeul alphabet consonants and vowels. After you have memorized that, the next step is to understand how the consonants and vowels of Hangeul combine. Here is a helpful chart: http://bit.ly/rQaN14. I can help you start from the beginning if you’d like. You can message me on Twitter! Best regards!
Alex:
Hi Linda, Just read your post…Thought I should write couple of words, proving that you are not alone in this what I call “Overseas korean Identity crysis World”…I can actually relate myself to your story… 🙂 But my background is probably a bit more complecated than yours…I’m 4th generation ethnic korean, born in Russia, grew up in Uzbekistan, and currently living in Thailand for the past 9 years…When I turned 18, I had my “Identity crysis”…which gotten worse when I moved to Thailand…”Where are You from?”, “Why You can’t speak Korean?”, “Why you don’t know much about korean culture” and etc etc…These questions haunted me for a long time…until I figured out that I must work on myself building confidence that I am who I am, and the World should accept this fact 🙂 …plus started working on improving my korean…I must say I’m not a beginner…but of course I’m still far from calling myself fluent.
Linda:
@Alex Alex, HI! I really appreciate your response! We are global citizens, and some would say we are “Third Culture Kids”— a coined term associated with people who were raised in various cultures outside their ethnic origin. Third Culture Kids take little bits and pieces of each culture they are exposed to, and create a “third culture” for themselves. I LOVE IT! It’s what makes us unique, right? Thanks again for your comment.
Ummu:
Why I want to learn korean language? That is definitely the 1 question that I asked myself as well. The reason is because I watch korean drama & listen to their songs. I don’t have any korean roots, just a foreigner who would like to learn the language. 🙂
Although it’s very hard for me since I don’t speak in that language, variety shows & songs help a lot! Just that I don’t have a partner to learn this language together.
Anyway, the alphabets are easy. Got that by going through it together with the song lyrics that I like. 😀
Linda:
@Ummu Ummu, thank you for sharing your story! I love that Korean dramas are bringing so many various cultures together, don’t you? What is your native language? 🙂 That’s amazing that you taught yourself the alphabet. 🙂
Min:
Hey linda i stumbled across this blog while on facebook and I cannot agree with you more. I am a second generation Korean American and somehow we are expected to be well versed in Korean and its culture while maintaining our “Americanness”. It is a balance of identities that is not easy to maintain, and I’d like to believe there is no right or wrong answer. Growing up in America I was fortunate enough to be rooted in Korean values and customs at home while still being American at the same time. However, as I got older it seemed like I never completely fit into one culture it was like I was being pulled both ways, but I can’t find myself at home 100% on one side. Now i’ve come to accept that I have two cultures and have comed to embrace it and be open minded to learning new things. Coincidently I’ve been trying to polish up on my Korean language as well! I’d love to talk to you more about this subject. Please email me if you have time minhyuk_07@hotmail.com
Linda:
@Min Hi Min, I can relate to your entire experience. I feel that becoming fluent in Korean will allow me to be more confident in “claiming” my Korean-ness. Perhaps not all Korean-Americans, or Korean hybrids feel this way— but I’m glad you share my POV! I’ll definitely e-mail you. You can message me on Twitter, and we can chat there too. Looking forward to hearing more about your experience(s)!
annice:
Whoever you are, Whereever you are, Glad to received your blog. If i could say it, its more like a bomb that blow in front of me, “why i am leaning korean?”. Yes, and you are not the first person who asked me those question. Korean is far away from my background. Was born in Indonesia, with Conservative Chinese culture and background for the past 24 years. In just few years i could decide, that i like Korean culture.
Wondering why Indonesia and Chinese culture not interested me that much compare to Korea.
“Begginner will look into many different door to get the result, but Expert will look only few door, cause Expert use how to save energy and act efficient”.
Nothing wrongs with both, its only time to solve on it.
If no begginners there won’t be any expert.
Learning Korean more easy compare to Chinese, in a day you could remember all the “hangul”. There is one thing i could share, “there is always a reason for everything”.
Linda:
@annice Thank you for your insightful response. Yes, “there is always a reason for everything”. 🙂
Anno:
Cool that you are studying Korean. As a white person I get asked the question quite a lot (and often people think I must be at least somewhat asian by descent.)
I learn Korean because I like it. . . . 그냥 좋아합니다 ㅋㅋ
Linda:
@Anno Hi Anno, that’s GREAT! 🙂 Yes, I know a lot about Korean culture and can speak it etc. But, I’m far from fluent. Fluency is my goal! I hope to hear more about your journey!
Linda:
P.S. Anno, just checked out your blog! LOVE IT! 🙂
Ummu:
Hi Linda!
My native language is malay language. Alphabets are the same as english lang so it was quite an achievement when I can get all korean alphabets. Right now, I’m able to read and pronounce the words but very slowly though. I need more practice & need to understand the meanings of the words. 😉
Linda:
Hi Ummu! That’s a major accomplishment, indeed! We’ll practice together, perhaps. I recommend keeping a notebook of words you would like translated. If you post a list of words here, I could translate them for you. 🙂
shelhass:
Well, how can I explain this without sounding pretencious?
Here goes the short story:
I’m in love. Wait, it’s not what you’re thinking! I’m brazilian and I always had a thing for foreign things. Name it. Actors, places, food, writers…
In the beginning was the bloody Backstreet Boys. I just liked them so much that I had to learn english in order to sing correctly (actually the probleam wasn’t so much the language as was the singing part, but that’s another story). So English I learned.
Then I fell for Jane Austen’s works. Can you imagine a person breathing Britain culture 24/7? I got really proud last month, while I was doing an interview job, and interview guy stopped for a minute and asked me if I ever travelled to England and when I said no he got surprised, cause – that’s his opinion not mine – a had a ‘very strong Brit accent’. That was probably the biggest smile I gave in my entire life.
Some years ago, it happened again. I’m this kind of girl who happens to like watching football and I do pay attention to the game, not just the players. I was having such a hard time figuring out how to pronounce German names, that I just put myself to the task of learning the language. So that’s why I’m graduating on German, and I’m still surprised how much I like it.
Then, can you imagine what happened next. Yeah, love at first sight all over again. I fell in love with korean food. So here I am. I read your every single post in order to acquire more vocabulary. I don’t speak yet. But I can read hangul better now, I recognize lots of words while watching k-dramas and I think I’m starting to improve my writing skills, but there’s still a long way to go.
What I still find difficult to use are some particles, cause we brazilians don’t use them on our grammar so I keep forgetting it most of the time.
Sorry for the essay, but I got carried away.
Keep up with the good work. 화이팅!
*(Take it easy on me, my english writing skills aren’t so good as my speaking one).
Linda:
@shelhass Hi Shelhass! 🙂 Firstly, I love your blog! Although I cannot read Portuguese, I love the layout, etc.
And, I LOVE your story about wanting to learn Korean. I too was in love with THE BACKSTREET BOYS! Hahahahaha! That’s amazing how you know so many languages; you are talented! I will post more articles about Korean food if you’d like. What are your favorite K-dramas? Best, Linda
shelhass:
Thank you! I’ve been thinking about translating my blog, but I would need more time than I have right now.
Yes I would, I love Korean food.
Oh Linda I’m watching so many dramas right now… Well, Dal Ja’s Spring and City Hunter are favorites. I like some Hong Sisters dramas like My Girl, The Greatest Love and You’re Beautiful.
Hey, have you seen Damo? That one rocks!
distybug:
I’m a native English speaker. I found Korean dramas in looking for something clean for me and my daughter to watch together. Since I started watching them, I’ve become very interested in all things Korean. I’m just beginning to learn Hangul and know a handful of Korean phrases/words. Love your blog.
distybug:
BTW, I like Boys Over Flowers, City Hunter, the Hong sister’s dramas…too many to list!
Linda:
@distybug Hi “distybug”, THANK YOU for your comments! 🙂 I LOVE K-dramas too! Where do you watch K-dramas? It’s so AWESOME that you’re learning Korean! What would you like to know about Korean culture? And, what Korean words and phrases would you like to learn? Best, Linda
Teemeah:
I have just ordered my “Teach Yourself Korean” copy, I’m looking forward to start learning. I have an affection for beautifully sounding languages, and Korean is definitely an “ear candy” if I might say this way. My story is sort of complicated, I started learning Chinese about a year ago (still learning) because I stumbled upon Jay Chou’s music in a Jet Li movie (yeah I know, it’s getting hard to follow now..). Then just recently there was this Time poll where Jay was beaten by Rain, and I was helluva furious, who the hell is this Rain guy, what kinda weird name is that and how come he can beat *my* Jay Chou in a poll?! Ridiculous! 😀 So I was like, okie dokie let’s check him out and see what’s all this fuss about. And I was like *whoa*. Then I wandered around websites and stumbled upon the kdrama Boys over Flowers – my first ever Kdrama! And I was hooked on first instance. The pronunciation captured me instantly, and more so after I watched Secret Garden. This is such an interesting language! based on the subtitles I started figuring out words and grammatical structures (I love to do it by myself, exploring and then i can check in the grammar book whether I was right in my assumptions – this is how I learned Turkish a few years ago). I also discovered some shocking similarities with my mother tongue (Hungarian) and Turkish. When I first heard the word ‘abeoji’, I was like “no way!”. Because in hungarian we have the word “apuci” which is an affectionate form of saying “dad”, and you almost pronounce it similarly to abeoji, except for the “j” which is “c” [ts like in tzar] in our language. As we know [p] and [b]are interchangable, too. So I ws like, I really have to get to know this language from a closer look :))) I can’t wait for the book to arrive.
Choronghi:
I guess I have some similar stuff as you but actually i think it’s more embarrassing to be in my position. cause it’s like i lived in korea from ages of 3 to 8 so i was fluent. now ‘im 20 and i don’t speak it, understand some, read it write it fine. so I’m trying to improve. the first step i did was learn japanese lol. Well it’s hard to explain. It has to do with the hanja and taking
distybug:
I watch KD on viki.com, dramafever.com, mysoju.com, hulu.com, and a couple of others. My fav site is viki.com…very few and short commercials!
Linda:
@distybug Hey distybug! I will check out http://www.viki.com! THANK YOU! 🙂
Surpriz:
I really enjoyed reading your post and these comments. Like several people I’m also not ethnically Korean but I “fell” for the language when I discovered Korean dramas (and the music that filled them). Something about the language sounds really good to my ear and–as another said– culture is inseparable from the language. When I see or hear something I don’t understand it’s always a challenge, almost a game, to figure out what’s going on. What started as a drama lead to questions such as: what does that word/sound mean? what are they wearing? Who is the actor? What is this song? It’s no wonder that it lead to blogs, forums, other shows, and the like.
To some extent I’ve almost been embarrassed that it was popculture (dramas and “kpop”) that’s drawn to the language but I’m reevaluating in light of these comments. It doesn’t mean I’m superficial (or a one-dimensional and unhealthily obsessed fangirl), it’s just the reality of how my interest got started. Even if I don’t pursue the popculture as much as in the past the language and prospects of visiting still interest me. THANKS FOR SHARING!!
Linda:
@Surpriz Hi Surpriz! Thank you for your thoughtful post! 🙂
friday:
im a filipino,i love kdramas and kpop lover.i want to lean koreab langguage.
reem:
my name is reem am girl i love korea veryyyyyyy mush i hope vist korea and learn hangol am from palestine
Mi Rae:
Why am I learning Korean?
I don’t really know to be honest, I don’t but I’ve always had this urge to want to be able to speak Korean, this language is so fascinating and the story behind the creation of this language is even more fascinating than the language itself, I feel very proud when I’m standing in the midst of Korean people and I understand what they are talking about.
Korean language is addictive, something I think I will always treasure even though I am not Korean at all.
Linda:
@Mi Rae Thank you for your comment Mi! 🙂
Kate:
Hi, Linda.
Thank you for sharing a bit of your story.
I confess I’m another one who became interested in learning Korean after getting into K-dramas. When my niece first tried to convince me to watch 20 hrs of City Hunter, I was sure she was wrong that I would like it so much. Hooked on episode one. Now I watch almost nothing but Korean shows (currently addicted to Running Man, but Faith is my favourite drama).
I’d like to learn Korean for many reasons. I’d love to read Korean books that aren’t translated, to watch shows without relying on subtitles, to join in singing some of my favourite Korean songs, to visit Korea and talk to people with ease, to have greater insight into a culture that I enjoy, to be able to talk with some Koreans I’ve met online…and I just love the sound of it.
After learning Hanguel, I’ve finally started really learning phrases with the Pimsleur lessons. I hope I continue learning quickly as I actually get to visit Korea for two weeks very soon. I cannot wait!
Fighting! ^-^
Melissa Reyes:
Hi.. I love everything Korean … I so wanted to learn
the thing is due to my hectic job schedule I have no time
to attend any Korean classes. So I started searching online
about Korean alphabet, simple words and I’m practicing on
how to write. the thing is I need to practice how to pronounce
those words.. do you know any free website where you can learn Korean for free? I would love to teach my brother also..
P.S. may I know your twitter account so that I can twit you sometime and ff you? mine is @ellise014reyes
hope to hear from you soon!!!
thank you
Liz
Sin Hout:
Hello.
I am a Cambodian and a Korean student.
I’ve learned Korean for 5 months and a week.
The reason that I learn Korean is I want to get a scholarship from Korea.
But after reading your post, your writing about Chosim, Linda, I think I will know another fascinating culture.
I’ve got some questions:
1. How can I have online learning partners?
2. I’d like to read some short paragraphs in Korean but not for children. They should be about history, culture or jokes. Is it possible to do that?
cathy:
Hi,
Like Handi, I’ve been in love to Korean movies since Korean wave starts here in Philippines and decided to study(self learning) their language last October 2014. But unfortunately due to my schedule, i wasn’t able to practice what I’ve learn. as of now, I can read/write a little and doing my very best to understand them. Hopefully, before March this year I can read, write and understand Hangul fully. Furthermore, I’m planning to work and stay in Korea for good by 2018, but if God permits, I hope earlier than 2018. 😀
Ojeh:
I’m from West Africa. I started learning Korean because I loved KDrama. I wanted to be able to watch it without having to use the subtitle. But then I realized that I actually loved the language itself, and had a strong love for the culture. I may never visit Korea, but that dont mean I wont be able to speak, read and write it son. Thanks for your story.
Aviera:
Hi I’m Aviera.
My mom and grandmother are Korean but my grandma left my mom when she was younger… So right before I turned 18 my mom started to relearn Korean and asked if I would be willing to help her because everything is easier with a partner lol. But I wanted to learn because almost all of my friends are Korean.