The past couple of days, I’ve had more than the usual amount of people looking at my site.  When I look at the data, I see people are reading my review of tutor-K.com, my thoughts on online tutoring and so forth.  When I see this, and I think about the comments some of you have given me privately, it’s clear that learning Korean is a hot topic.  For some of you, you are not at a level with your Korean that you want to be at.  To be honest, I’m the same way.  My Korean should be a lot further than where it should be.  But for some of you, you are at the breaking point.  You are hitting the wall when it comes to learning Korean.  It is either make or break for you, and I want to see you make it.  So hear are a few things I want you to keep in mind with your Korean learning that I hope will help you to continue.

No One is Perfect

Don’t put pressure on yourself to speak perfect Korean.  I’ve seen people who are Korean and interpret from important speeches from Korean to English who have had to be corrected by some who are just learning Korean.  So you can speak Korean your whole life and still not be perfect.  Look at it this way.  English is the official language of the United States.  But how many Americans speak perfect English?  According to many from England, no one in the US speaks perfect English.  So no one is expecting you to memorize the entire dictionary.  Just do your best and keep working hard to improve.

It Takes Time

I have never met anyone that was fluent in a language within one day.  Learning a language takes time.  Even a child that has been exposed to a language his or her whole life has to to go to school and learn more about the language.  And as an adult, you continue to add words to your vocabulary.  Speaking a language can be a life long journey when it is your mother tongue.  So when you are learning additional language(s), it will be a long journey as well.  Just be patient and you will improve.

Be Adaptable 

Some people may feel that they cannot learn Korean, or any other language that is foreign to them. But maybe you cannot learn it the way you are trying to learn it.  There are a bunch of different ways to learn a new language.  Some are free, while others cost money.  If one way isn’t working for you, try a different way.  You never know what way works best for you until you try it out and see.

Don’t Give Up

How many people have started to climb a mountain, quit partway through the journey and still made it too the top?  No one has.  A climber has to keep pushing forward to get to the top of the mountain.  The same is true when it comes to learning a language.  If you quit, you’ll never learn it.  But if you keep working hard, you will learn it. Just as a climber needs a good team to help him along the way, you need a good support system as well.  With the right support and a good sense of determination, you can reach the top of the language mountain.

Everyone learns at different rates.  So don’t feel bad if someone learns faster than you do.  You probably learn faster than someone else does.  You just don’t know it.  But remember that no one is born speaking a language perfectly.  We all have to learn a language and it takes time for all of us.  But if you work hard and apply yourself, you will succeed and you will be able to express yourself.  Keep climbing the mountain.  If you do, you will reach your goals and enjoy the beautiful view from the top.