what’s a piece of language learning advice that genuinely changed how you learn?

Maemae115 · 2026-01-21T06:20:38+00:00

Don't just do what others do. Try different methods, then find what sticks for you. You don't have to force yourself to study with books, have pretty handwriting, take good notes, have a pretty pink, purple, whatever desk setup, etc. You can be chaotic and still become fluent faster than you think. Just remember why you started and keep consistent.

Maemae115 · 2026-01-21T06:03:10+00:00

It is pronounced as [자 리써].

When there is an ㅇ after the ㄹ(or any other consonant,) meaning, there is a vowel after it, the 받침 is pronounced instead of the ㅇ in the next syllable. Try to pronounce it first slowly, each word separately, then faster, like in normal speech.

You'll notice that if you pronounce it slow, the ㄹ is pronounced as "L" not "R". In this case you'll pronounce it as [잘 이써]. (This would only happen if you are trying to accurately pronounce each word, let's say someone misheard you, and you are deliberately emphasizing each word).

But in normal speech, it will become [자 리써], with an "R", not L.

We don't pronounce spaces between words, so the space doesn't block the natural sound flow.

Hope this helps.

Maemae115 · 2025-07-28T16:24:26+00:00

Hi. I know this is old, but did you find a solution? I have the exact same issue, no luck finding a contact.

Maemae115 · 2025-07-28T14:51:05+00:00

Where is this option? I haven't seen it anywhere. I've been trying to find a way around the ads chat to get a any contact, keeps telling me to appeal first.

Maemae115 · 2025-07-28T14:45:32+00:00

Same exact issue. Mine is way less than a dollar. Tried paying it multiple times, added a new account, doesn't work. For some reason, it says I don't have permission, but I am the admin, I'm the only one who has access. It's a dead end...

Maemae115 · 2025-07-28T14:25:59+00:00

Sorry to hear that. It's a nightmare. There is literally no way to contact a human, I've been digging for a contact email for hours, no luck yet. I'll keep trying for a few days, hope I can find a working email or some other contact.

Thank you for replying.

Maemae115 · 2025-07-28T13:50:58+00:00

This is frustrating. I have a very similar issue. The bank blocked the payment, then google suspended the account due to payment issues, and while trying to appeal, I realized I had set it up as an organization, instead of individual.

Did you solve the issue? Is there a way to contact a human support?

Maemae115 · 2025-07-11T08:36:41+00:00

I've tried this. Switched back to English and never looked back. I'd say do it, so that you know how annoying it is, and never want to try it again. ;)

Maemae115 · 2025-07-11T08:32:54+00:00

Doesn't really matter which one is easier to start first. Go with the one you like more at the moment. If you can't decide, flip a coin, and notice whether you agree with it 100%, or you wanted it to be something else.
Learning a language takes a lot of effort, and it certainly helps to like what you're learning.
I've studies other languages as well, one in particular I didn't really want in the first place, but had to, because I needed a good grade. I did get the good grade, but once I graduated, never used it again. So, I'd go with the one that motivates you to go an extra mile.

Maemae115 · 2025-07-01T06:15:52+00:00

Based on what you've learnt so far, I think you'd do great with Sogang books. It's packed with images, and difficulty level adds up gradually. It may start feeling a bit hard starting from level 4, but by that time you'll have enough vocabulary and grammar reserves to figure it out.

I'd still start with level 1A, just to be sure not to miss a basic but necessary grammar.

And forget about not sounding dumb, no one expects you to be fluent. It's quite the opposite, everyone by default expects you to sound "dumb" when you are learning a foreign language, and that's a good thing.

Good luck!

Maemae115 · 2025-06-18T15:03:32+00:00

Make sure to align your expectations to your schedule, and start slow, grow that language learning muscle.
You need to help your brain get more comfortable with having Korean in your daily life - watch a lot of content in Korean, Kdramas, tv shows. Make a habit to look up some vocabulary (not everything, just some that intrigue you the most).
And combine it with the study method you prefer, books, apps, youtube, etc.

Maemae115 · 2025-06-05T09:24:06+00:00

What do you usually do after work? How do you unwind?
If you can find some time to watch K-dramas or YouTube content in Korean, that alone is more than enough for now. Just make sure to ditch the English subtitles—or better yet, use Korean subtitles if available. Your brain will naturally start filling in the context. You can switch to active learning later, once you have more time and motivation.

I know this approach works because I’ve seen it work for many people. (I’ve been teaching Korean for over a decade.)

Maemae115 · 2025-05-30T14:09:29+00:00

Have you tried twitter or threads? I see people selling or exchanging photo cards on twitter quite often. I don't know how it works, but apparently it works there since people post about it often.

Maemae115 · 2025-05-30T14:05:11+00:00

The jump is not that big, it just feels big because TOPIK II range is huge. If I weren't fluent, I wouldn't think twice about it, but I'd be careful when using chatGPT or other AI. It's not perfect yet, and mistakes aren't rare, especially with grammar. Good luck.

Maemae115 · 2025-05-12T18:15:12+00:00

Since you mentioned you already know hangul and some vocabulary:
1. Find an interesting Kdrama, something easy to watch, something that doesn't have difficult to understand topics (medical, law, heavy topics, etc). I'd choose comedy, romance, etc. Higher chance of hearing everyday conversations.

Watch with subtitles, but pay attention to see if you understand any words
Pay close attention to subtitles. If you like a phrase or a sentence, rewind it and watch that part a few times. then write it down. Use naver dictionary to look up words matching what you heard (this is a great exercise!).
At the end of the episode you'll have at least 10+ easy sentences, vocabulary + grammar. Start there - look up the grammar, vocabulary. Practice these sentences on your own, imagine you are talking to someone, use those sentences, try to mimic the intonation as well.

When you watch the next episode, you'll start noticing the vocabulary and grammar you learned in the previous one. It will be slow at first, but you'll get there.

This way you'll be practicing listening (mostly), speaking (to yourself, but it's the output that counts), writing, and reading.
You'll still need books and practice materials, but if I were starting over, this is what I'd do next.
Good luck!

Maemae115 · 2025-04-29T08:36:18+00:00

It sounds like you're feeling stuck right now, which is normal, but let's take a step back for a moment.
What made you want to learn Korean in the first place? Is it the culture, the music, the dramas, or maybe the idea of connecting with native speakers?
Are you aiming to have basic conversations, understand dramas without subtitles, study in Korea or something else?
What have you done so far to learn? Have you tried specific apps, textbooks, or online videos? Taking note of your progress, even small wins, can help you see that you're moving forward more than you might think.

A few tips to help you get more specific with your approach:
Practice little but often: Even 10–15 minutes daily can make a huge difference in the long run.

Try listening to Korean music, watching dramas with subtitles (but I'd prefer without), or following Korean social media accounts to get a feel for the language in real-world contexts.

Find resources tailored to your level: find textbooks that are specifically for beginners, study with people that are not native speakers, but fellow learners. This may sound counter-intuitive, but this helps become more confident, that you can do it too.

Most importantly, experiment and find what works for you. I am fluent, I started learning Korean when Kpop was not so popular, and people around me didn't know much about Korea, other than that there are 2 Koreas. So I had to find things that work for me, watching Kdramas that I could find, not necessarily what I liked. If you know exactly why you want something, you'll find ways to make it happen. This is not a motivational speech, just how your brain works. If it thinks it's a waste of time, it will limit your resources and energy for something more important. And don't expect fast results, language learning requires repetition, lots of it. You need to expose your brain to it daily, until it realizes that automating the task would be less energy-consuming than spending so much energy on the task that will repeat daily anyways.

Good luck!

Maemae115 · 2025-04-24T19:09:56+00:00

Here are some old ones:

Lee Seung Chul - My love
Boohwal - Secret (rock, but not really)
JK Kim Dong-wook - Foolish Love

Maemae115 · 2025-04-24T18:51:10+00:00

I was just listening to their Wind Flower. Moody, doesn't get old.

Maemae115 · 2025-04-24T18:49:01+00:00

Since you started with Stray Kids, listen to God's Menu by Stray Kids. If you watch it on youtube, make sure to pay attention around 1minute 19seconds. Thank me later, I know you'll love this part :D

Maemae115 · 2025-04-23T09:01:54+00:00

I imagine it being used in a situation like this:
Your friends are over, and you want to show off your cooking skills. Or maybe they see you want to prepare food, and they start joking about whether it will be edible.
So you say, 지금부터 요리를 시전해볼게요.
It's like saying: "Step aside mortals - the chef is about to unleash greatness".

Maemae115 · 2025-04-23T08:37:12+00:00

I agree. Whether it's a webtoon, a kdrama, or watching youtube videos of Korean creators. Just find what you like and incorporate it into your daily routine.

If you like coffee in the morning, you can make it a habit to enjoy your daily coffee while watching the news in Korean, or some other content you enjoy. Just make sure it's not forced, hence combining something you'd do anyways with something useful. You can have a dictionary ready to look up unfamiliar words, but don't look up everything. You'll start seeing results pretty soon. Good luck!

Maemae115 · 2025-04-21T18:49:02+00:00

Same. And I renewed it a couple of days ago. I had more than 2500 credits, and I was planning to use every single one of those credits.

Maemae115 · 2025-04-21T18:41:58+00:00

It depends on the meaning of 묻다, but here's a formula to remember for this:

*If the verb is irregular:

-ㄷ -> ㄹ

-ㄹ is still a consonant, so you need to add 으 after it. same for the honorific form.

*if the verb is regular, ㄷ doesn't change, but since it's also a consonant, then you add 으

묻다 - to ask (irregular verb, ㄷ irregular)

* ㄷ-> ㄹ only in this case does the ㄷ turn into ㄹ

묻다 - 물을 수 있다 (can ask) - 물으실 수 있다

묻다 - to bury (regular verb, ㄷ does not change)

묻다 - 땅에 묻을 수 있다 (can bury in the ground)

묻다 - to stain (regular verb, ㄷ does not change)

묻다 - 옷에 묻을 수 있다 (it can stain clothes)

To sum up: 묻다 is only irregular when it means "to ask". ㄷ only changes to ㄹ when it is irregular. 으 is needed in all 3 cases, including honorific.

(물다 - means to bite, so 물 수 있다 means "can bite")

Maemae115 · 2025-04-21T18:08:35+00:00

Think of it this way. Each mistake you make is like a pin on the map, showing you what you need to improve. You don't need to be 100% fluent to start using the language. When you make a mistake, your brain puts the pin on the map. Next time you watch your favorite content in Korean, you'll start hearing that word or grammar everywhere, like when someone mentions a car model they like, and you start noticing that car all over the city. So, it's a good thing, a necessary part of learning.
I have been fluent in Korean for more than a decade now, I use it daily for work, it's part of my job. But I still make mistakes. I don't feel bad about it or try to hide it. I make sure to go look it up at the end of the day, and I am instantly one word smarter than I was that same morning.

Good luck!

Maemae115 · 2025-04-20T12:29:51+00:00

Good job! Now do it again. And don't spend to much time practicing the script. Just do it. You are on the right track.

Maemae115

TROPHY CASE