← Day #30 30-Day Challenge Home Base Day #0 → Inspiration This is what I want to receive. So, I’ve registered to take the 31st TOPIK test on July 21st, 2013 (that’s tomorrow). Here’s what I (and you) need toContinue reading 30-Day Challenge: BONUS – What to prepare and expect on the TOPIK test date
30-Day Challenge: Day #29 – Why reading aloud and dramatizing your speech can improve your Korean
← Day #28 30-Day Challenge Home Base Day #30 → Inspiration The above video looks like it features the current head of the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO): Charm Lee. Mr. Lee is fluent in at least 3 languages – asContinue reading 30-Day Challenge: Day #29 – Why reading aloud and dramatizing your speech can improve your Korean
30-Day Challenge: Day #28 – Find a language exchange partner for better practice
← Day #27 30-Day Challenge Home Base Day #29 → Inspiration Why is a language exchange the BEST way to practice a foreign language? 1. In a language classroom: There is very little time to practice actually SPEAKING. Most timeContinue reading 30-Day Challenge: Day #28 – Find a language exchange partner for better practice
iPhone Resource: TOPIK One – The BEST TOPIK test prep app now available for iDevices!
Find the Android version here. TOPIK One Great news! TOPIK One (the BEST TOPIK test prep app for Android) is now available on iDevices as well! Nice job, André Graziani, thanks for finishing up this amazing resource! And just like theContinue reading iPhone Resource: TOPIK One – The BEST TOPIK test prep app now available for iDevices!
30-Day Challenge: Day #27 – 36 Tips for talking with Korean Taxi Drivers
← Day #26 30-Day Challenge Home Base Day #28 → Inspiration One of the best ways to take the pulse of the national mood in Korea is to chat with a taxi driver. Many have a sharp eye because theyContinue reading 30-Day Challenge: Day #27 – 36 Tips for talking with Korean Taxi Drivers
30-Day Challenge: Day #26 – Ordering food in Korean is completely mindblowingly awesome
← Day #25 30-Day Challenge Home Base Day #27 → Inspiration The title of today’s post comes from this video on Arirang TV starring Simon from EatYourKimchi. Here’s the first video EatYourKimchi made about ordering food in Korea: Ordering foodContinue reading 30-Day Challenge: Day #26 – Ordering food in Korean is completely mindblowingly awesome
30-Day Challenge: Day #25 – Practical Application: Learn how to read Korean nutrition labels
← Day #24 30-Day Challenge Home Base Day #26 → Inspiration Are you familiar with this thing? (Americans) It’s recently morphed into this: Those diagrams show the past (and present) USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) daily recommendations for foodContinue reading 30-Day Challenge: Day #25 – Practical Application: Learn how to read Korean nutrition labels
30-Day Challenge: Day #24 – Practically practice Korean by reviewing Korean movies (in Korean)
← Day #23 30-Day Challenge Home Base Day #25 → Inspiration The above movie preview is from 은밀하게 위대하게 (“Secretly, Greatly”) and was the top movie in Korea from June 6, 2013 to June 15, 2013. What is quite possibly theContinue reading 30-Day Challenge: Day #24 – Practically practice Korean by reviewing Korean movies (in Korean)
30-Day Challenge: Day #23 – Practice your Korean language flow and fluency by remaking a TV advertisement (광고)
← Day #22 30-Day Challenge Home Base Day #24 → Inspiration Yesterday’s post was all about learning a Korean dialect. So, I thought it would be fun to issue a Challenge to remake the commercial above with your voice (or chooseContinue reading 30-Day Challenge: Day #23 – Practice your Korean language flow and fluency by remaking a TV advertisement (광고)
30-Day Challenge: Day #22 – Increase your enjoyment of Korean by learning a dialect (사투리)
← Day #21 30-Day Challenge Home Base Day #23 → Inspiration The video above is a documentary (entirely in Korean – though also entirely subtitled in Korean) from MBC about different Korean dialects. Watch a bit of it (or allContinue reading 30-Day Challenge: Day #22 – Increase your enjoyment of Korean by learning a dialect (사투리)
30-Day Challenge: Day #21 – 3 Korean Word Games you can play to test or increase your vocabulary
← Day #20 30-Day Challenge Home Base Day #22 → Inspiration 1. 끝말잇기 (Last letter Game) The clip above is from the TV show called 아빠! 어디가? In this game, players must speak vocabulary words where the first syllable ofContinue reading 30-Day Challenge: Day #21 – 3 Korean Word Games you can play to test or increase your vocabulary
30-Day Challenge: Day #20 – Why and how you should Mimic the sounds and accents of native speakers
← Day #19 30-Day Challenge Home Base Day #21 → Inspiration The inspiration today comes from Idahosa (pronounced “ee DOW sah”) over at mimicmethod.com. He has put together an entire website built on the idea that you should spend moreContinue reading 30-Day Challenge: Day #20 – Why and how you should Mimic the sounds and accents of native speakers
30-Day Challenge: Day #19 – Sing karaoke (노래방) to improve your memory and enjoyment of Korean
← Day #18 30-Day Challenge Home Base Day #20 → Inspiration If you’re studying Korean, noraebang is an awesome way to practice reading and pronunciation. I would go to noraebang every day if I could. — SeoulBeats.com The video aboveContinue reading 30-Day Challenge: Day #19 – Sing karaoke (노래방) to improve your memory and enjoyment of Korean
30-Day Challenge: Day #18 – Learn new expressions and solidify your memory with Children’s Songs
← Day #17 30-Day Challenge Home Base Day #19 → Inspiration Today’s inspiration comes from a guest post at the Everyday Language Learner blog by Susanna Zaraysky. Susanna is a polyglot who speaks 7 languages, has been to more than 50 countries,Continue reading 30-Day Challenge: Day #18 – Learn new expressions and solidify your memory with Children’s Songs
30-Day Challenge: Day #17 – Improve your Korean by memorizing song lyrics, drama monologues, or poetry
← Day #16 30-Day Challenge Home Base Day #18 → Inspiration Another good way to improve your Korean is to memorize not just words, not just phrases and idioms, not just quotes, but full passages or poems (song lyrics andContinue reading 30-Day Challenge: Day #17 – Improve your Korean by memorizing song lyrics, drama monologues, or poetry
30-Day Challenge: Day #16 – Learn how to text message and KakaoTalk like a native Korean
← Day #15 30-Day Challenge Home Base Day #17 → Inspiration Wow! I just found this really cool video online: It shows how to text message and shorten words in Korean. Now you’ll not only be able to understand whatContinue reading 30-Day Challenge: Day #16 – Learn how to text message and KakaoTalk like a native Korean
30-Day Challenge: Day #15 – Proper spacing (띄어쓰기) in Korean can Save a person’s life!
← Day #14 30-Day Challenge Home Base Day #16 → Inspiration I’m sure you’ve probably seen this image floating around the Internet before: In English, correct punctuation can save a person’s life. Well, this is very similar in Korean asContinue reading 30-Day Challenge: Day #15 – Proper spacing (띄어쓰기) in Korean can Save a person’s life!
Learn how to write TOPIK essays well using Wongoji writing guidelines
The following are Wongoji basic writing guidelines that I found in a Nonsul (essay) notebook by PAPIER co, LTD. I’ve translated them into English to help you better understand how to properly write essays using Wongoji papers (which is whatContinue reading Learn how to write TOPIK essays well using Wongoji writing guidelines
Get Started in Korean with 7 FREE Online Phrasebooks
In order to start studying Korean well, you’re going to need a good phrasebook. Here are 7 that are freely available online: Daily Korean The following 3 phrasebooks and guides introduce the basic necessary phrases for most aspects of lifeContinue reading Get Started in Korean with 7 FREE Online Phrasebooks
30-Day Challenge: Day #14 – Use Dictation to improve not only your Listening, but also your Reading, Writing, AND Speaking
← Day #13 30-Day Challenge Home Base Day #15 → Inspiration Listening should be an engaging, methodic, and sustained activity. Another good video today from Dr. Vakunta: the seven habits of Highly Effective Listeners: Combine active and passive listening HybridContinue reading 30-Day Challenge: Day #14 – Use Dictation to improve not only your Listening, but also your Reading, Writing, AND Speaking
30-Day Challenge: Day #13 – Proper spelling enhances vocabulary, memory, and reading ability
← Day #12 30-Day Challenge Home Base Day #14 → Inspiration The above video shows the importance of spelling in English. But you know, learning how to spell is also important in a foreign language you’re studying. Chinese might beContinue reading 30-Day Challenge: Day #13 – Proper spelling enhances vocabulary, memory, and reading ability
Vocabulary List for Complete Guide to the TOPIK: Basic – Week 4
Here are the fourth 108 words (#325-432) from Part 1 of the Complete Guide to the TOPIK: Basic. You can find: The first 108 words here The second 108 words here The third set of 108 here More are forthcoming Complete GuideContinue reading Vocabulary List for Complete Guide to the TOPIK: Basic – Week 4
30-Day Challenge: Day #12 – The best way to learn grammar is to USE it
← Day #11 30-Day Challenge Home Base Day #13 → Inspiration Learning the grammar of a target language may be daunting. More so because the grammar rules of the language you are learning may be very different from those ofContinue reading 30-Day Challenge: Day #12 – The best way to learn grammar is to USE it
30-Day Challenge: Day #11 – The importance of vocabulary acquisition cannot be overstated
← Day #10 30-Day Challenge Home Base Day #12 → Inspiration Poor mastery of grammar would not break down communication, but scanty vocabulary would… One cannot overstate the importance of a rich word-bank in the language learning process. The following areContinue reading 30-Day Challenge: Day #11 – The importance of vocabulary acquisition cannot be overstated
30-Day Challenge: Day #10 – What Lee Byung-Hun can teach you about second language learning
← Day #9 30-Day Challenge Home Base Day #11 → Inspiration: Lee Byung-Hun (이병헌) From the intro in the above video: He’s dominated his country’s film industry for more than two decades, starring in some 20 soap operas and moreContinue reading 30-Day Challenge: Day #10 – What Lee Byung-Hun can teach you about second language learning
30-Day Challenge: Day #9 – Abraham Lincoln’s reading method can boost your memory and confidence in a foreign language
← Day #8 30-Day Challenge Home Base Day #10 → Inspiration: Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), the 16th US President, had an interesting method for studying and remembering the important news of the day. Lord Charnwood writes of this inContinue reading 30-Day Challenge: Day #9 – Abraham Lincoln’s reading method can boost your memory and confidence in a foreign language
30-Day Challenge: Day #8 – Sam Hammington’s language learning Confidence
← Day #7 30-Day Challenge Home Base Day #9 → Inspiration: Sam Hammington The following in an excerpt from the Wall Street English Korea podcast episode #25 with Sam Hammington. Direct mp3 download available on the podcast website. My full transcriptionContinue reading 30-Day Challenge: Day #8 – Sam Hammington’s language learning Confidence
How to use TV and Movies (well) to study a foreign language
I’ve already given the advice that in order to study a foreign language well using TV or movies, you should watch those videos in the target language and with subtitles in the target language. Here’s why: 1. Your brain sucksContinue reading How to use TV and Movies (well) to study a foreign language
30-Day Challenge: Day #7 – Arnold Schwarzenegger’s language learning mindset
← Day #6 30-Day Challenge Home Base Day #8 → Inspiration: Arnold Schwarzenegger There is a saying in German: Wenn Schon, Denn Schon. It basically means, ‘If you’re going to do it, do it. Go all out.’ — USC Global Conference KeynoteContinue reading 30-Day Challenge: Day #7 – Arnold Schwarzenegger’s language learning mindset
30-Day Challenge: Day #6 – Use ‘Keystone Habits’ to create a chain reaction of Success like Michael Phelps
← Day #5 30-Day Challenge Home Base Day #7 → Inspiration: Michael Phelps I’ve previously written on the power of using your brain’s neurological cravings to form habits to aid your language study. Today will we look at another exampleContinue reading 30-Day Challenge: Day #6 – Use ‘Keystone Habits’ to create a chain reaction of Success like Michael Phelps