My Korean Language Experience by Dolapo Decker

My experience in the Korean Language has been a cocktail of feelings and experiences since I started this journey a few years ago. I have my good and bad days.  Korean isn't an easy language and I am sure those who do eventually get to a fluent conversational level have put in a lot of tears and hard work. I am grateful we have teachers who make these tears and hard work worth it.

Our teachers have been nothing short of dedicated and available for clarifications and despite the language barriers between communicating in English and Korean; they have given it their best. They have been kind and patient with the language students.  I found out in this journey that self study along with learning from the instructors in the language class puts one at an advantage and guides the transition process in learning Korean Language. One cannot help but emphasize how important it was to have been under such tutelage.

I also had the experience of bonding with other language students.  Learning a new language can sometimes be a painful lonely journey but I discovered I wasn't alone and I had friends with similar interests and struggles that were willing to help, which communication and understanding a lot better. The more, the merrier as they say.

I also gained the confidence to compete in the Korean Speech Competition 2015. I came third and was given a generous cash prize of twenty thousand naira (#20,000). I also won the award of the best Korean language student of the Beginner class in 2015.

I would suggest if it is possible to have a Korean Language student who performs a little better than average in the class to have a little time coach the students who may struggle with the language, at least at the Beginner’s level. If all students were able to pick up what is being taught at a comfortable pace and level of understanding, we would make the teacher's job easier because it not an easy task, the work they do for us and free at that. I truly admire and appreciate them and I'm grateful to the Korean Cultural Centre, Nigeria for giving me this opportunity to learn, experience something new and grow in more ways than one.