[4급]
I've now been in 4급 for two weeks. This is when the format of class changes from the format that is presented in levels 1-3.
Writing class is basically a mini-review session of the previous days listening/speaking/reading material with a writing task added in. Many times we write about the material we studied or write about some related topic. For example we learned about Korean money in reading class and for writing we wrote about our home country's money. What used to be just speaking is now listening+speaking for 2 hours. Normally the first day of a new chapter we listen to a dialogue or audio track and also study the new grammar that was introduced. The second day of a chapter we have another listening exercise plus some dialogue or vocab/grammar practice.
The reading class is basically the same levels 1-3 but really since they expect you to preview all the material before class the value added is hard to measure. I often don't get to preview a lot since we also receive a ton of homework so I'm reading the passage for the first time in class and also getting exposed to the vocabulary for the first or second time. Our teacher also speaks at what is probably considered 'normal' pace which for my brain is blazing fast. Class always seems to be rushed to complete all the listed tasks for the day. This is in contrast to my listening/speaking block of time where the teacher seems to take more time to explain things even if we don't plow through the chapters assigned tasks as quickly.
My writing teacher was one of the original teachers who helped compile material for the 1st publication of the level 4 book which is currently being revised. The book we actually use for class is one that is self-produced and currently not fully published. It's all in black and white and lacks the color and photos that the level 1-3 books had.
My thoughts on level 4 now is that even if I had done level 3 all over again (which I almost had to do) I'm not sure that would have better prepared me for level 4. The format for level 4 is different, the grammar and vocabulary is basically all new (many similar grammar patterns to what we've already studied as well to further crowd and congest the mind), and I thought I had a lot of homework in level 3 but compared to now it doesn't seem like it was that bad.
[...and such]
The weather now is consistently cold, snowing every now and then. Regardless of how cold it has been, there are still plenty of folks out on the weekends at all the hotspots around town. I want to try to go skiing here in Korea although I'm not sure of the best way to go about doing so. I believe there are a number of buses or packages one can buy to get to a ski resort but I just haven't done the research yet.
I'm also planning a number of trips for next spring since I know I'll still be residing in Asia. I hope to make some more blog posts/videos about all of that come next year. I haven't really traveled all that much since moving to Korea which is in stark contrast to what my life was right before I moved here where I was traveling pretty much every month and sometimes multiple times a month.
We also have a class field trip this coming Friday so if I get any good pictures or blog worthy information I'll be sure to upload!
Until next time...
~
Saturday, December 13, 2014
Monday, December 1, 2014
My Korean Life #19: 6.5 months
The 6 month mark has come and gone and now I'm about 6.5 months into my new-ish life here in Korea. I would say at this point the 'honeymoon' phase of moving to a new location is over. As for myself I've successfully completed two terms of language school and started the winter term this week.
It has not been without its challenges and during every exam time I became quite stressed and even somewhat irritable and frustrated. Considering there are only two test periods per term (a midterm exam and a final exam) there is very little room for error. Class participation (homework, in class participation, etc.) counts for no more than 10% of our grade so the only real assessment we have is the exam. There is little time left for much else besides preview for the next day's lesson, review the current day's lesson, complete homework, and study vocabulary. I find myself studying hours outside of class hours especially for review/preview/vocabulary and even with this it is not enough. You must also find time to practice speaking and listening which...can be a little harder.
In other news, since moving to Korea I've gotten more frequent comments on how I've slimmed down and generally "look better now". To me this implies I wasn't at my best looking right before I moved to Korea. I admit my eating habits were pretty bad and I actually was fairly sedentary throughout the day. Got up from bed, sat in a car to get to work, sat at a desk for 9+ hours, sat in a car to get back home, sat in a chair to watch TV/play video games/etc. Between the sitting was eating and barely any calories were burnt in any given day.
In contrast, I now walk much more than I ever used to and my diet has completely changed. In the USA I got very lazy with how I acquired food and since I never had to worry about more than myself I would eat unhealthy/fast food meals quite often. I don't think it's a bad thing to eat out at restaurants frequently - what can be bad is what you choose when you do. I actually eat out a lot here in Korea because 1) it's cheap 2) I live alone and cooking for one is not so fun 3) the options are relatively healthy and at a cheaper price point.
In the USA my day might have started with a granola bar but would slowly spiral out of control. Lunch might have been Chinese takeout, fast food burgers/tacos/burritos, hot sandwiches (think Philly Cheesesteak style), or a number of other not healthy items. Dinner was often bought on the way home or shortly after getting home...this was pizza, pasta, more fast food, etc. If I had continued on this eating path with no exercise I'm guessing I would have gained even more weight and looked even more round than I did before my move.
You may also be wondering just how good my Korean is now...for me it's hard to judge. Most of my Korean friends say I've improved a lot. Those who rarely heard me speak or write Korean before think I'm decent. My personal assessment is that I have a long way to go. I still struggle to understand native Koreans. My speaking is still probably my weakest skill but my writing and reading comprehension aren't half-bad. Many people have told me I just need to find every possible way to practice and take advantage of every opportunity to speak/listen to Korean. I still find it challenging though and most likely will for a long time. I can't really equate learning this language to anything else...it's just difficult.
Travel! I actually haven't done as much of it as I would have liked but I did go to Jeonju which was a nice break from Seoul. I took the train to and from Jeonju and it was quite a smooth ride except the train coming back to Seoul was an older one without as nice amenities but still enjoyable. I am currently trying to plan some trips around Asia for early 2015 but with school and other things already starting to pile up these plans may/may not come to fruition.
Missing the USA? Hard to say, there are things I do miss about the USA. There are many friends and family I don't get to see as often...there are some foods I miss and I kind of miss being able to drive a car. I miss having a steady income ^.^ but I hopefully will remedy that by next year...either with part time work or something.
Anyway, I'll most likely write about level 4 within the next few weeks. Wish me luck!
~
It has not been without its challenges and during every exam time I became quite stressed and even somewhat irritable and frustrated. Considering there are only two test periods per term (a midterm exam and a final exam) there is very little room for error. Class participation (homework, in class participation, etc.) counts for no more than 10% of our grade so the only real assessment we have is the exam. There is little time left for much else besides preview for the next day's lesson, review the current day's lesson, complete homework, and study vocabulary. I find myself studying hours outside of class hours especially for review/preview/vocabulary and even with this it is not enough. You must also find time to practice speaking and listening which...can be a little harder.
In other news, since moving to Korea I've gotten more frequent comments on how I've slimmed down and generally "look better now". To me this implies I wasn't at my best looking right before I moved to Korea. I admit my eating habits were pretty bad and I actually was fairly sedentary throughout the day. Got up from bed, sat in a car to get to work, sat at a desk for 9+ hours, sat in a car to get back home, sat in a chair to watch TV/play video games/etc. Between the sitting was eating and barely any calories were burnt in any given day.
In contrast, I now walk much more than I ever used to and my diet has completely changed. In the USA I got very lazy with how I acquired food and since I never had to worry about more than myself I would eat unhealthy/fast food meals quite often. I don't think it's a bad thing to eat out at restaurants frequently - what can be bad is what you choose when you do. I actually eat out a lot here in Korea because 1) it's cheap 2) I live alone and cooking for one is not so fun 3) the options are relatively healthy and at a cheaper price point.
In the USA my day might have started with a granola bar but would slowly spiral out of control. Lunch might have been Chinese takeout, fast food burgers/tacos/burritos, hot sandwiches (think Philly Cheesesteak style), or a number of other not healthy items. Dinner was often bought on the way home or shortly after getting home...this was pizza, pasta, more fast food, etc. If I had continued on this eating path with no exercise I'm guessing I would have gained even more weight and looked even more round than I did before my move.
You may also be wondering just how good my Korean is now...for me it's hard to judge. Most of my Korean friends say I've improved a lot. Those who rarely heard me speak or write Korean before think I'm decent. My personal assessment is that I have a long way to go. I still struggle to understand native Koreans. My speaking is still probably my weakest skill but my writing and reading comprehension aren't half-bad. Many people have told me I just need to find every possible way to practice and take advantage of every opportunity to speak/listen to Korean. I still find it challenging though and most likely will for a long time. I can't really equate learning this language to anything else...it's just difficult.
Travel! I actually haven't done as much of it as I would have liked but I did go to Jeonju which was a nice break from Seoul. I took the train to and from Jeonju and it was quite a smooth ride except the train coming back to Seoul was an older one without as nice amenities but still enjoyable. I am currently trying to plan some trips around Asia for early 2015 but with school and other things already starting to pile up these plans may/may not come to fruition.
Missing the USA? Hard to say, there are things I do miss about the USA. There are many friends and family I don't get to see as often...there are some foods I miss and I kind of miss being able to drive a car. I miss having a steady income ^.^ but I hopefully will remedy that by next year...either with part time work or something.
Anyway, I'll most likely write about level 4 within the next few weeks. Wish me luck!
~
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