It’s been a while since I posted anything, so I felt I needed to write up a quick post about where I am currently at with my language learning journey. So far, I am only learning one language after briefly diving into an old language five months ago. Korean was becoming overwhelming because I was burnt out, so I decided to go back to French, a language I hadn’t reviewed in decades. The experiment lasted a few weeks and it did not work out since I lost the motivation to learn it.
For 2023, I have a few goals that are achievable and will hopefully keep me focused. My focus will be mainly on Korean since I have managed to stay consistent even when it’s become overwhelming. I manage to review a little every single day compared to early 2022 when I was pouring hours and hours a day, studying up to 30+ hours a week. My weekly study time is a fraction of those first six months, I feel lucky to study a total of 5 hours a week these days but most of it is the slow review and perfecting what I know.
The first goal is to expand my vocabulary for the first six months. vocabulary is holding me back from entering the intermediate level. it is one of the major reasons I burnt out and slowed down. Although I was learning many grammar points, and cruising through books, I was still insanely behind with vocabulary. Making simple sentences became a struggle, so I knew I needed to tackle vocabulary from a different angle. I am now trying to actively learn and know 3000 words but my end-of-2023 goal is 5000 total which includes the words I already know. Right now, I can confidently say I know over 2000 words and passively know 3000+. Technically I need to “learn” 2000 new words and ingrain the 3000 that are a mix of known and passively known.
My second goal is to learn more grammar points and perfect what I already know. It is a change of pace from what I am used to but I know slow and steady will help me win this marathon. I want to perfect old grammar points before moving ahead to the intermediate and advanced levels. Perfecting my foundation is essential during this point in my learning journey.
The third goal is to get tutoring. The issue with being in the higher beginner and lower intermediate levels is that you can feel making and breaking down walls to get to the next stage but you have a limited capacity. This is where the tutoring will help me. I will need guidance once I break into the intermediate territory. Someone who can help me navigate through and give me more knowledge. So far I know my plan to move out of beginner; read more, learn more vocab, and practice. However, intermediate is another beast and I want someone to correct my mistakes. Tutoring will also help me stay on track because since I am investing, I will need to do the work.
Finally, around Q4 of 2023, I will begin a new language. So far, it’s looking like it could be Japanese. By the end of Q3, I believe I will be at a high enough level (B1) to begin a new language without feeling confused with the current one. Of course, I will be dipping my toes because my total concentration will be on Korean but I learned that I need another language (even if it’s temporary) to break me out of the slump. Working with another language in conjunction with maintaining Korean will allow me to stay focused and not feel bored.
I hope your 2023 flourishes!
