10 THINGS YOU NEED TO “LEARN KOREAN THE NIGERIAN WAY”

  

 So you want to LEARN KOREAN THE NIGERIAN WAY? I have news for you: It is pretty easy, that is if you want it to be. If you are serious, you should be able to make few meaningful sentences very soon. When I first started to learn the Korean Language, I found it most difficult, more especially because I didn’t have laid down rules and the necessary materials. Being able to speak Korean is one thing, being able to read and write Korean is another. Korean Language is in itself also scientific. The most noticeable thing, to me, was the fact that any other word could be incorporated into their language with only minor changes to the sound. For example Juice is Korean is pronounced the same except for a strong influence in the e, something like 'Juice-e', but more on that later.

In order to successfully commence and succeed on this trip, there are ten things you need to have.

1.      A pen

2.      A notebook (strictly for Korean language). Don’t write what you learn in pieces of papers here and there.

3.      Internet: You cannot afford to learn this language offline, without making references to the resources the internet has for you.

4.      A recorder: This is a great tool in learning any language. You get to record the words you have learnt for the day and replay it when you are in a cab or in the middle of something. It makes learning easier and faster.

5.      Flash cards: These are very easy to make yourself. You don’t have to spend money buying from a stationery store. All you need is a cardboard paper or an old calendar with a plain side. Cut them up into small squares, the size of a standard business/complimentary card. Once it is done, you can write for instance; a word on one side and its Korean meaning on the other. When you are in the middle of a boring situation, in a bus or on a queue, you can just pick a card and rehearse what you have learnt.

6.      A phrase book: This is just a portable book where you can write down words you have learnt. I use an A7 jotter. It makes it easy for me to carry about and bring out of my bag at ease.  Along with the flash cards, it helps other persons help you by asking you questions to help see how much you can remember and further aid the learning process.

7.      A reference book: You need a reference book especially when you are learning Korean grammar. These are some of the ones I use:

i.                    Basic Korean & Intermediate Korean by Andrew Byon

ii.                  Dirty Korean by Haewon Geebi Baek

iii.                Beginning Korean by David  J. Silva

They are all free for download on the internet.

8.      Korean to English dictionary.

9.      Movies and music to motivate you: just imagine you have learnt a few Korean words and sentences and you overhear a Korean movie line that you understand even without seeing the subtitle, you would be thrilled to learn more and especially the rest that you could not understand.

10.  Maximum concentration.