Learning a language has its ups and downs.  But for some, it seems like going down has become a regular thing.  But you can never learn a language if you give up on it.  It takes hard work and dedication to keep going.  While it may seem hard, it is possible to learn any language you want.  So how can you improve your language skills and become better at speaking and understanding Korean?  Here are a few tips that helped me and helped others as well.

Have a Goal in Mind

You wouldn’t get into your car and drive for a long distance without knowing where you were going.  Learning a language should be the same way.  Ask yourself, “what is my purpose for learning this language?”  Keeping in mind why you want to learn Korean will help you to continue to work towards learning Korean.

Have an Honorable Goal 

Wanting to meet hot chicks or wanting to see if a certain stereotype is true is not a good reason to learn a new language.  Wanting to help people, learn more about a culture or learning more about your past is a good reason to learn a new language.  If you are already dating or married to someone who is from another culture can be a good reason also.  Or maybe you need to learn another language for your career. Whatever your reason is, if it is honorable, you will have a better chance of reaching it.

Study Each Day

Some people feel that if they study for hours at a time, they will improve.  But for most people, studying smaller sections each day is better than a long weekend cram session.   Some have increased their vocabulary by learning just 1 new word a day.  Others will read a small section of a book out loud each day.  By taking a small amount of time to study and practice each day, you can see long lasting results.

Be Around The People

Being in Korea will be the best way to improve your Korean.  But what if you can’t move to Korea?  Try to spend as much time talking to Korean people as possible.  In particular, older Korean people are the best ones to talk to.  Older Koreans are more likely to teach you the proper way to speak Korean, and teach you about Korean culture.  Also, many find that they try harder to speak Korean around older ones who speak little to no English.  Younger ones are more likely to speak English to you.  Never underestimate the value of having older ones in your life.

Be Realistic

It is very rare that a person will become fluent in any language in less than a year.  So don’t be sadden if you do not see great results right away.  There are people in the United States that have lived there their whole lives, and still cannot speak proper English.  So don’t expect to speak proper Korean in a short time.  If you are realistic, you will see that you have probably learned a lot about Korean language and culture already.  You have gotten farther than most who have a bad motive in mind for learning Korean.  And your progress will get better and better the longer you stick with learning Korean.

One day, a good friend told me that learning a new language is like climbing a mountain.  There are many ups and downs that you encounter.  But if you keep climbing, you will one day reach the top of the mountain. With your goals in mind, keep climbing the mountain that is learning Korean.  If you climb it consistently, you too will one day be able to reach the top of the mountain, and help others who are going along the same path.