When you learn a new language, there are some mistakes you should avoid to make your study efficient. I’ve been through it, and I made most of the mistakes I’ll write about here. Hopefully you can avoid them! ♡
So here are six mistakes you should try to avoid as a Korean learner! More will come later on, as these are not the only things a Korean learner should avoid doing.
Mistake 1 : Not Reading out Loud
When you read a Korean book, reading the sentences out loud is a really good way to get yourself used to the language. If you read silently, your mouth and tongue won’t get used to the sounds and it won’t come as naturally if you want to pronounce it later.
Weird but true, you might think you’d sound good when you read it silently, only to find out the pronunciation isn’t coming out the way you intend to when you actually speak the word out loud. To fix that, reading out loud will help a lot.
Mistake 2 : Not Talking to Yourself
Talking to yourself is actually a really good practice. If you’re shy, it’s even better! I started like this, and talking to myself has actually made me much more confident about my speaking skills and has helped me sound more natural (because you need to repeat stuff a lot of times to become more fluent in the way you say things.)
You can start by just talking about your feelings, your day, or little thoughts throughout your day. With time, you will be able to say more, and maybe one day you can do a “Speaking only Korean for 24 hours” challenge!
Mistake 3 : Buying Bulk Textbooks
My first mistake, hehe. I made it, and I guess many people did. Buying bulk textbooks will actually only slow your progress down. I love books, and I also love buying new books.
But ending up with many books will only confuse you on which one to start, which one is better, or which one you should stick to. Try to get informed (through community like studygram accounts) about Korean learning resources, choose wisely, and then stick to it.
Of course, if after weeks of studying through one book, you realize it doesn’t work, it’s pointless to stick to it. But if you feel yourself entertained, and improving, just continue ! No need to buy many books.
Mistake 4 : Relying on Romanization too Much
No matter how you put it, relying on romanization when you learn Korean is a mistake. Romanization was made for Korean to be readable internationally, but isn’t meant for people to actually study Korean – you won’t become great at speaking Korean by being able to read it only through romanization.
The romanization is an approximate translation of the sounds of Hangul into our alphabet. But most times, it’s confusing, and people don’t even write romanization the same way. And by sticking to it, you will slow down your Korean learning experience.
So if I can give you a piece of very solid advice, it’s to learn Hangul. It’s made of 24 letters, and you can learn it in a day if you’re very motivated/fast, or in a few days if you want to take your time. Read this article to learn Hangul. It’s really worth it.
Mistake 5 : Trying to Translate Your Language -> Korean
Translating things you want to say from your language to Korean might be a bad idea. Sometimes, it will work and will be natural in both languages, but most times, it won’t. Korean isn’t built the same as English (assuming your mother tongue is English), and most sentences translated this way will sound like Google Translate, or at least not natural at all.
Instead, try translating it in the most simple way you can. For example, you want to say “I can’t wait to see you“.
Translating this literally from English to Korean would sound very unnatural. “너를 보는 것을 기다릴 수가 없어”
Instead, find simple ways to say what you want to convey. The message will be understood, and later, as you continue your language learning journey, you will be able to put more emotions into your message.
Example :
1. 보고 싶다 (I want to see you/I miss you) – The most simple way to say that you want to see someone.
2. 너무 보고 싶다 (I want to see you so much) – Adding some extra vocabulary (너무, 빨리, …)
3. 보고 싶어서 미치겠다 (I want to see you so much that I might go crazy)- Adding some extra grammar to add emotions in your sentence
Mistake 6 : Sticking to Resources You Don’t Like
We’re all different, and we have different learning styles as well. When you learn a language, it’s the same! Some methods might work for me, but won’t be as efficient for you, or would seem boring for you.
Don’t stick with resources you don’t like just because it’s working for other people. It’s important to enjoy your learning materials. You’ll learn faster and have more fun when you like what you’re using.
If you’re looking for resources to use during your Korean learning journey, read this article. ♡
Wrap up
You now know six mistakes you should avoid when learning Korean! What did you think? Are you making some of them ? I’m curious to know.
Later on, we’ll tackle some more mistakes that I’ve made / I still make, and that I believe people could and should avoid if they want to learn faster.
Happy learning ♡
