...it seems that most "language blogs" are catered toward selling language skills or products. I have yet to find a blog that will devote itself to practice like this one will be.
I will post up my "schedule" for language learning for this summer (June, July and August) soon! It's a tight schedule!
Thursday, May 24, 2018
Tuesday, May 22, 2018
Why I Love Languages
I should probably begin my language journey by explaining why I love languages.
I have always loved languages though I'm not eloquent in formal writing and speech. In elementary school, I was always chosen for literary prizes for writing stories. In that same period, I worked hard to listen and repeat Chinese cassettes that my father forced us to do.
But, it wasn't until HS that I learned how good I was in language. Spanish and Latin were among my highest grades. I was tutoring other students in it shortly after. I was even teaching Korean classes to my friends during lunch.
In college, I took an advanced course of Japanese (a 5 credit class per semester for 3 semesters) which cemented my love for languages. I didn't continue Japanese for a 4th semester (though I wanted to) because of complications. But I did pass a placement in Korean to skip a continuous 4 semester language requirement at my university. But to fulfill classes, I did take a semester of Elementary German!
A chemistry professor once told me in freshman year, "I'm just lucky I'm good at what I'm interested in." I find that to be true in this case. I'm very good with languages and I love communicating to people. It's a blessing!
(It was hard getting here though. I spent my entire college career trudging through economics and some time after college in accounting. It was a very, very circuitous path!)
I mean, who can resist languages? There is something mesmerizing about the pictographs of the Chinese language. Its influence resounds in Korean and Japanese although the two have very distinct and unique languages of their own. The two follow strictly divided language between the polite and impolite. Korean has the most innovative alphabet in the world. Japanese uses 3 writing systems. Spanish is phonetic making it much, much easier to use than English. Somehow, all these quirks fascinate me and I would love to understand someone from halfway across the world!
I have always loved languages though I'm not eloquent in formal writing and speech. In elementary school, I was always chosen for literary prizes for writing stories. In that same period, I worked hard to listen and repeat Chinese cassettes that my father forced us to do.
But, it wasn't until HS that I learned how good I was in language. Spanish and Latin were among my highest grades. I was tutoring other students in it shortly after. I was even teaching Korean classes to my friends during lunch.
In college, I took an advanced course of Japanese (a 5 credit class per semester for 3 semesters) which cemented my love for languages. I didn't continue Japanese for a 4th semester (though I wanted to) because of complications. But I did pass a placement in Korean to skip a continuous 4 semester language requirement at my university. But to fulfill classes, I did take a semester of Elementary German!
A chemistry professor once told me in freshman year, "I'm just lucky I'm good at what I'm interested in." I find that to be true in this case. I'm very good with languages and I love communicating to people. It's a blessing!
(It was hard getting here though. I spent my entire college career trudging through economics and some time after college in accounting. It was a very, very circuitous path!)
I mean, who can resist languages? There is something mesmerizing about the pictographs of the Chinese language. Its influence resounds in Korean and Japanese although the two have very distinct and unique languages of their own. The two follow strictly divided language between the polite and impolite. Korean has the most innovative alphabet in the world. Japanese uses 3 writing systems. Spanish is phonetic making it much, much easier to use than English. Somehow, all these quirks fascinate me and I would love to understand someone from halfway across the world!
Monday, May 21, 2018
New Language Blog!! \(*v*)/
Hello, I will be starting a language blog to practice English, Spanish, Korean and Mandarin! I'm hoping to apply to grad school for East Asian Languages next year, but I need to reach a 3rd year level in order to qualify!!
Why these languages?
Well, I studied the following (and found it a waste that I forgot them all):
Korean - since birth, but only went to elementary and Pre-K, my secondary language (in a placement test in my undergrad college, I ranked 2.5 years level)
English - since 5, my primary language
Spanish - HS 4 years (Haven't practiced in over 10 years and my boyfriend speaks it)
Latin - HS 2 years (Haven't practiced in over 10 years)
Japanese - 1.5 years in college
German - .5 year in college
Mandarin- .5 year after college
What am I currently studying?
I am currently studying Mandarin (Chinese 101) in Queens College! This summer (June-mid August) I will be studying to place in 203/204 because the 102 class isn't available until Spring 2019!
What will I post?
I will be primarily posting pics of writing samples as I do not know how to type in most of these languages. In time, I hope to learn! Help me out if I make any mistakes. Please and thank you!
What do I want to ultimately do?
Eventually I want to speak/listen/read/write the following fluently to level of a college student or beyond:
1. English (translator level)
2. Korean (translator level)
3. Mandarin (translator level)
4. Japanese (translator level)
5. Spanish (college level)
6. French (college level)
7. German (college level)
8. Russian (college level)
Why am I studying so many languages?
I want to ultimately write multilingual children's books! I know writing children's books doesn't require a high understanding of languages, but reading on children's books literary theories is sure made up of difficult language! I also know majoring in pedagogy would be best for this purpose, but I don't want to teach students. I really hate teaching! I do want to speak these languages to have mastery at certain levels as a translator. I'm still searching for a main job (my parents believe writing can only be a side job) as a translator possibly in the banking industry in the meantime.
Why these languages?
Well, I studied the following (and found it a waste that I forgot them all):
Korean - since birth, but only went to elementary and Pre-K, my secondary language (in a placement test in my undergrad college, I ranked 2.5 years level)
English - since 5, my primary language
Spanish - HS 4 years (Haven't practiced in over 10 years and my boyfriend speaks it)
Latin - HS 2 years (Haven't practiced in over 10 years)
Japanese - 1.5 years in college
German - .5 year in college
Mandarin- .5 year after college
What am I currently studying?
I am currently studying Mandarin (Chinese 101) in Queens College! This summer (June-mid August) I will be studying to place in 203/204 because the 102 class isn't available until Spring 2019!
What will I post?
I will be primarily posting pics of writing samples as I do not know how to type in most of these languages. In time, I hope to learn! Help me out if I make any mistakes. Please and thank you!
What do I want to ultimately do?
Eventually I want to speak/listen/read/write the following fluently to level of a college student or beyond:
1. English (translator level)
2. Korean (translator level)
3. Mandarin (translator level)
4. Japanese (translator level)
5. Spanish (college level)
6. French (college level)
7. German (college level)
8. Russian (college level)
Why am I studying so many languages?
I want to ultimately write multilingual children's books! I know writing children's books doesn't require a high understanding of languages, but reading on children's books literary theories is sure made up of difficult language! I also know majoring in pedagogy would be best for this purpose, but I don't want to teach students. I really hate teaching! I do want to speak these languages to have mastery at certain levels as a translator. I'm still searching for a main job (my parents believe writing can only be a side job) as a translator possibly in the banking industry in the meantime.
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