Learning Korean can be a really interesting and rewarding experience. From being a total novice in the language, you can become a fluent speaker who functions well in Korean society. Although, it is important to note that speaking Korean to native speakers requires some tact as well as expertise. This is because most native speakers don’t expect foreigners to be perfectly fluent in their language.
However, if you need to communicate in Korean under normal circumstances, you would have to learn the language formally and diligently for a period of time. Korean language schools in Singapore offers learning packages to help people become fluent in Korean. After this, by putting to practice what you have learned, you can gradually attain fluency in communication.
Learn the basics
First of all, before you can become fluent in communicating, you need to learn the basics of the Korean language. You cannot simply start constructing sentences and having conversions like those you see in K-movies. You need to start from scratch by learning the Korean alphabet (Hangul), as well as the numbers. This might take a while, but it is the foundation to fluency in communication.
Memorize the common vocabulary
All the words you know in English have their equivalents in the Korean vocabulary. It is important that you lean the basic terms that are always used in conversations. It would be amateurish to switch back to English at different points in your conversation. This would definitely create a gap in the line of communication between you and your audience. So, to communicate fluently, you must master basic terms and expressions, and increase your Korean vocabulary as you learn. This extends to say you should learn basic conversation phrases such as greetings and polite terms. (e.g. ‘hello’, ‘bye’, ‘congratulations’, ‘yes’, ‘no’, ‘please’, ‘thank you’ etc.)
Learn the common Korean conventions
Due to the difference in cultural concepts, you might need to learn the Korean cultural conventions which is reflected in the language. Korean differs from English in every way, and thus language conventions for formal and informal speech obviously differ. There are language conventions that affect pronunciation, grammar and speech. An English speaker who tries to communicate well in Korean would have to unlearn some ’habits’ of the language. Fortunately, these ‘habits’ are taught in Korean classes in Singapore.
Practice with a native speaker
In order to perfect your fluency in communication, you should practice with a friend who is an expert or a native speaker of the language. Having such assistance would help you correct your errors without the pressure of formalities. In fact, you can learn some tips and informal details by practicing with a friend.
Finally, taking classes in Korean has proved to be very necessary to attain fluency in the language. The process of learning Korean is designed to assist committed learners, with the best tutors and learning methods, to attain fluency in communication.
