Besides immersion in a foreign language and culture, another way to really get your brain using a foreign language is when you don't share a language with another individual besides the foreign language you are learning. In my class we have many different nationalities represented. While there are some students that speak English, many do not. We rely on Korean to communicate as it is really the only way we can (besides charades of what we want to tell the other person). I often think of what I want to say in English, only realizing later it doesn't matter because my classmate wouldn't understand me anyway.
I then feel bad when I end up reverting to English with a classmate that does understand English...because then those that don't are left out of the conversation. At least in Korean everyone can more or less understand what is being discussed. It may be basic conversations now, but I hope by the end of the summer we will have upped our skill levels to have everyday conversations without too much struggle.
No one said it was going to be easy and I know I personally will have to put a lot of effort into memorizing vocabulary and using every opportunity I can to practice my Korean. I've started a cheat sheet with the vocabulary I have trouble with which now spans a full page and covers part of the backside. Another difficult task is remembering where I can use certain grammar patterns and verb conjugations.
More to come later!
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