KoreaKast: Reflective Blog of a Teacher as Online Language Learner

KoreaKast is a reflective blog that tracks my adventure as a language teacher learning Korean online. The blog has been maintained as part of a pilot study for my Teachers as Online Language Learners (TOLL) project, which aims to give language teachers an avenue of self-access, experiential learning in language, education and educational technologies. The TOLL project is in development as a part of my MA TESOL studies at the University of Leeds, UK, and makes up part of my greater research on Educational Technology as a Foreign Language.

Although the pilot instalments of KoreaKast have been concluded, the blog serves as an example of how blogs can be used to encourage reflective language learning and develop metacognitive (or "thinking about thinking") skills. I hope the successful elements of the blog can be replicated by language teachers, in their own learning process, but also in guiding their students to independent learning. For more information on this research, please visit the links provided. Certain pages are under construction and will be completed shortly.

A Change of Direction

I have said before that the goal of reflective blogging for language learning is not to be a perfect student, but a self-aware student. KoreaKast is a case in point, since I cannot claim perfection, although I am very satisfied with what I have learnt.

Unfortunately my Korean adventure had an abrupt conclusion less than a week before my planned departure. En route to the embassy to collect my visa, my future boss called from Seoul to say my placement had been delayed by six months. Having been a middleman in public education myself, I understand that these things happen. Since I want to be working, though, I have accepted a position elsewhere. This means that learning Korean is no longer a priority, and I am discontinuing the blog.

So has KoreaKast fulfilled its purpose?

In the Name of Science, KoreaKast has been a pilot experiment in how online language learning resources can be harnessed using Web 2.0 applications. It has been an itinerary of my journey navigating the Web and making sense of the resources, the new language and my own learning process. It has been an example of how a blog can be exploited as a personal, reflective learning diary - whether by a learner or a teacher.

Although KoreaKast has merely scratched the surface of what is possible with blogs specifically, and Web 2.0 applications for learning generally, and has left endless possibilities untapped*, I do feel that it has been sufficiently successful. As the secondary aspect of the Teachers as Online Language Learners (TOLL) project, it has certainly served its purpose. The Survival Language Kit (SLK) that forms the core of TOLL proved effective and was well supported by the blog.

Where KoreaKast has served a greater purpose, is in the way it helped to develop my ideas about TOLL itself. By undergoing the very experience of being a Teacher as Online Language Learner myself, my understanding of other TOLLs' needs has deepened. I have, indeed, had the opportunity to practice what I preach before the sermon begins. This has refined the nature and scope of materials I hope to make available online for the project, and, I believe, given the project greater validity and credibility.

As KoreaKast concludes, I believe that with it I have met a vital criterion of good research: I have failed successfully. The metacognitive process at the very core of the TOLL concept is what makes this possible.

*While the reflective and synthesising aspects of blogging were well explored, the interactive aspect was not even touched on. This is an important consideration as the project continues, since TOLLs can benefit from experiencing the social dynamic of communities of interest - in their own learning as well as understanding how it impacts on their students.

Countdown! Survival Language in a Hurry

The sudden reality of departing for Korea by the end of the week only hit me in the last few days. Although I am the type who prefers to over-prepare, the truth is that real life does not always allow the luxury of good preparation. The question that faces me, like many others on the brink of departure, is: what Korean phrases will be most helpful to know before departure?

This entire blog is based on the principle of optimal return on language learning investment. This is done with the Survival Language Kit (SLK), based on research of linguist Paul Nation. You can read more about this in earlier posts, or follow the links. In a nutshell, the SLK allows users to tailor the most common phrases to their personal needs and interests. What makes it an effective learning tool is the process of critically compiling the Korean phrases oneself.

But in the hectic last week before take-off, what should I learn? As with all language learning, this depends on learner needs. Learner needs include social requirements and personal needs. Personalising this is part of the learning process, but I include my own case by way of example. The very first priority is to learn greetings and polite expressions. This is a good ice-breaker and a way to establish a connection, even if it is the sum total of one's knowledge. I personally consider counting the next step (although with Korean's dual system this is a challenge!). Talking about oneself is also handy, but probably not a first priority. An area that is absolutely vital to me, as a picky eater/occasional health nut/pesco-vegetarian, is food! This is also important to anyone with allergies and other special needs. Some emergency vocabulary is also always a good idea, even if this is limited to saying "help!".

In a perfect world, we can all spend plenty of time on mastering a language before a trip. In the real world, coping with pressure is often a more valuable skill. The fact remains that actually being immersed in the new environment can be a boost to language learning, far better than "studying"! however, it is easier to learn on the spot once a basic framework for the language is in place in one's mind.

As for me, my next priority is to learn to say "if you feed me red meat I will turn purple, start frothing at the mouth and die in a public media frenzy that will destroy your reputation." See, personal needs drive us to far higher levels of learning, not so?

Synthesising Resources

When learning a language I often find that no resource quite meets my needs. Each has its strong points, while it may neglect other areas completely.

What is especially useful of the TOLL project is the way it empowers learners to compile their own optimal resource, according to their personal needs, using a wealth of online resources. The particular value of this process is the constant critical evaluation of online materials, the gleaning of relevant information and the creation of a personalized store of tailored language knowledge.

As I continue to work through several online courses, I am finding that the introductory lesson is usually at a gentle pace (perhaps too much so, since I have long mastered "Annyong haseyo"), but the pace then picks up very quickly and diverges in unpredictable directions.

I am, however, finding the interactive resources from Seoul University and KBS very helpful, because they focus on the Korean Hangeul writing and phonetic system. This means once I arrive in Korea I will be able to read and pronounce signs - even if I don't understand them! from experience learning Mandarin and Arabic I know that this also rules out many "foreign accent" problems.

Today I learnt how to talk about my nationality (Seoul University's Click Korean course, Unit 3). That useful sentence pattern "I am ..." ([Jeo-neun ... imnida]) comes in handy once again, as it does with self-introduction and talking about one's profession. To describe nationality, the country's name is followed by "person" [saram]. So, to say I am South African, I say: [Jeo-neun nang Apirija saram imnida].

Since my nationality is NEVER in the phrasebooks, I also went in pursuit of an online dictionary. This search turned up two resources. Worldlingo translates full phrases, but since this is done by a bot, do proceed with caution. Indiana Uni's Multimedia Korean Dictionary provides an interactive experience with basic vocabulary, and is very inner child-friendly.

But the day beckons, and according to World Translator, 나는 급하게 이다 [na-neun gibhage ida]... I am in a hurry.

Motivation Motivation Motivation

After two weeks of blogblivion, I am back. The reason is contained in a three-part post on my teaching blog called Justification, Attitude, Motivation. And since the KoreaKast blog is not here to show that I am a perfect learner, but rather a reflective learner, I will confess.

I lost my motivation.

The reason is extremely sound: due to administrative delays with my documentation, my visa to work in Korea was in extreme jeopardy, even though I had the contract in my hands. I am not proud to say that I lost faith, but in my defense it did seem sensible. Of course, the value of learning Korean - to me - depends on my living in Korea. Hence the departure of motivation.

Well, yesterday the red tape was finally untangled and I could express the visa documentation. As the euphoria passed, I became concerned that I may have forgotten all the Korean I had learnt. But somewhere between sleep and waking, I started running over what I knew in my mind. Most was still there, and the rest just needs some refreshing.

Motivation paves the way for learning.

Now that I have my reason for learning back, I am eager to return to a routine of spending some time on Korean - and this blog - every morning after my workout. (Although my location can sometimes mean no internet connection - even wireless!)

This is where it gets interesting.

Massiseo! Delicious Korean Learning

맛있어! [Massiseo!] means "delicious" in Korean. But this post is about something far tastier than food...

In my previous post I mentioned that I had found most of my Korean learning resources through Google searches, and it only recently occurred to me that I could simply stand on the shoulders of giants (and normal-sized folk) in stead. How? Social bookmarking. my weapon of choice: Delicious.

UPDATE: Some time after this blog project ended, the survival of Delicious became unlikely. This was a blessing in disguise, since it led me to www.diigo.com, a much more sophisticated social bookmarking service. The principle is the same, but there are far more options, as well as a mobile application call PowerNote which allows you to sync notes and photos from your mobile phone securely online. Even so, read on for the original post. 

There is more on the rationale behind Delicious in my language teaching blog, but for now let's see how it can help learners of Korean. A Delicious tag search for Korean led me to the wealth of sites bookmarked by other Delicious users. After adding my own bookmarks, I could also easily call up my own collection of bookmarks for Korean.

What makes Delicious stand out is the tagging function, which keeps things organized and searchable. For my own purposes, I love the annotation function, where I can keep notes on each site for later reference... my own and others'.

And that, in a word, is the beauty of social bookmarking: sharing our knowledge.

Massiseo!

A Brief Word on Bells and Whistles (And a Great Find)

While compiling a resource bank for the Korean section of the TOLL project, I admit that I depended mostly on Google searches. (Only this morning did it occur to me to check social bookmarking services, like Delicious, but that is for a later post.) The resource bank includes brief annotations to help users, and myself, decide on the most appropriate sites for their purposes.

Looking over my resource bank as the sun rose today, I saw the final entry, for the Introduction to Korean course, which I had merely described as a "no-frills introduction to the writing and phonetic system". On a whim, I went to explore the site, and found that I learnt more about the Korean writing and phonetic system in ten minutes on this no-frills site, than I had in many hours. Not only that, but there was also a practice session of a manageable dose of vowels and consonants. For the first time, I felt that I had some mastery at the end of a study session. But wait! There's more! The course is downloadable, meaning it can be used offline exactly as it would be online, in both text and audio versions - an answer to the limitations of the sites I mentioned in yesterday's post.

This is a great find, and an earnest reminder that books should not be judged by their covers. many thanks to the polymath author of the langintro site, J. David Eisenberg, for this gem. No bells or whistles required.

Online Resources, Offline Use

At times, like while traveling, it can be tricky to ensure a consistent internet connection for your language learning. Since many of the more interactive resources are only available online, I find it is wise to accumulate some valuable learning materials that can be accessed offline. This can be done either on a computer or portable electronic device, or the "old-fashioned" way, in a notebook. Yes, I mean paper. Let's take a look at both.

Several online resources are downloadable and can be stored on a computer, PDA or smartphone. This is true of many online language learning resources, but let's consider a few examples for learning Korean. The podcasts and accompanying PDFs from Koreanclass 101 offers audio, audiovisuals and written documentation, online or off. The thorough lessons from the Korean Broadcasting Service can be copied and pasted to a Word document, although the audio guidelines are only available online. The same applies to the resources from Seoul National University.

An inbetween option is to make use of the Survival Language Kit, completing the necessary phrases in Korean, and saving it, or printing it out for reference and easy-access, anywhere study.

Although this blog documents the benefits of online resources, traditional resources should never be underestimated. A compact notebook can serve as an excellent learning resource, and there is no better notebook than the sturdy classic from Moleskine, available in a range of formats. (My inner Luddite rejoices.) It helps to keep the first few pages for an organically evolving Table of Contents, and number pages for easy reference. (Thanks to Henrick Borger for tipping me off on Tim Ferris' How to Take Notes like an Alpha Geek!) Leaving a lot of space is also wise, to allow for additional notes as your learning evolves. My notebooks are usually also sprinkled with colour-coded Post-It flags to help me find things easily. On second thoughts, my personal alpha geekdom probably needs very little encouragement.

While navigating the distant reaches of my home country the past week, I found my trusty paper notebook a great ally in keeping my learning on track, even while offline. Technology can make things faster, bigger and better, but it is always good to have a back-up plan beyond the virtual.

"Let's Speak Korean" - Language Learning from TV?

When it comes to learning, I am a lone wolf. Since childhood I have often spent time alone reading or studying, and most of my language learning has been solitary. My second university major was French, and I studied by distance - my only conversation partner was a dog!

Although I've had some success studying alone, having other students study with me has often driven me to learn faster. Other students create opportunities for communication, and we can learn from their experiences, too. A bit of competition can also be motivating.

Most of the online resources I have used address a solitary learner. This evening, though, I watched the first episode of "Let's Speak Korean", a television series featuring a Korean teacher, an American mediator and two international students learning Korean for the first time. Having "classmates" was a different experience, and it might be more suitable for some learners.

Each episode includes an introduction and cultural discussion, some useful phrases and a dialogue. There is supportive text, but it is only in Hangul! What is useful is to listen to the students and note feedback on their performance. Since there is no feedback when learning in isolation, this can be quite useful.

No language learning resource is perfect in itself, and supplementation is always enriching. A series like this can give learners who like to learn with classmates a more social learning experience.

What I found even more intriguing than the video itself was the discussion between viewers that it provoked. The viewers share their opinions and reasons for learning Korean, ask for help with thier learning and become a virtual classroom of sorts in their own right. A support network like this can be of great help to learners, and it is something I would like to look into further.

Time Management and the Gentle Art of Keeping Going No Matter What

One of the greatest enemies to learning a new language is that people claim they do not have enough time. One of the great things about learning with the Web is that there are many learning resources that do not take any extra time once you set them up and establish a habit of using them. Podcasts, for example, can be taken anywhere and played while doing daily chores like exercising, commuting or housework. Of course, some review with notes would be good later.

The Survival Language Kit can be converted to simple word and phrase cards using word processing software. These cards can fit in a pocket and be reviewed in the many empty moments that come by in a day.

When I was studying Chinese some years ago, I had an hour long commute and walk to and from class. I followed the example of a brilliant classmate and started audio recording each lesson, listening to it on the way home and again on the way to class, using my notes as well while on the bus. This was a tremendous memory aid, and saved time, too. That was in the neanderthal days of cassettes - with digital options today, the sky's the limit!

This week and next, my drive to and from my classes is two hours each way. Despite the heavy advertising on the Koreanclass 101 podcast, it may be just the ticket to keep my learning moving in these busy weeks.

New Language, New Sounds

Continuing my byte-sized learning experience, I started this day with a listen to the Koreanclass 101 podcast. Koreanclass 101 has its pros and cons: on the upside, it offers an excellent course, where users have access to a wealth of free resources... on the downside, they are free only for seven days, unless you opt for paid subscription.

I have downloaded the PDF files related to the first couple of podcasts, and I'm very impressed with the organization. They provide transcripts of the podcast conversations in hangul and romanized script, as well as translations and cultural notes in a well-organized format.

The way I learn, I really do need some visual help, and because time is so scarce right now, I value the romanized script. The drawback is that romanized script can harm one's pronunciation. To offset this problem, I am spending quite some time on listening to the audio files and repeating them out loud, as well as annoying my friends by piping up '잘 먹겠습니다!" [jal meokgesseumnida!] before meals. It does take some time to wrap one's mind, and tongue, around the new sounds, so practice is mroe important than dignity right now.

Quick Fixes

TOLL is specifically aimed at language teachers preparing to teach in a new country. By definition, they do not have vast amounts of time. Fortunately, neither do I, and part of my undertaking this project is to prove that survival language can be learnt even when one does not have much free time. The principle, of course, is to use small pockets of time - a notion which just happens to be sound in terms of memory and recall as well.

During a break from work and studies in the past fifteen minutes, I quickly experimented with this principle. I opened up my own Survival Language Kit document, intending to complete the first unit, which is about greetings and being polite. I was able to find both the hangul script and pronunciation for most of the phrases in that time.

Granted, I haven't learnt them as such, but am trying to use the basic hellos and thank yous with a fellow learner. I am also keeping one tab of my web browser open on http://rki.kbs.co.kr/learn_korean/text_htm/e_text/1e.htm, where the first lesson includes audio, and reviewing those in idle moments. This page is also linked in my customized Survival Language Kit.

Progress!

Introducing Myself in Korean

안녕하세요.
[Annyeong-haseyo.]
Hello.

만나서 반갑습니다.
Mannaseo ban-gapsseumnida.
It's a pleasure to meet you.

저는 마리애라고 해요.
Jeoneun Marie-rago haeyo.
My name is Marie.

Phew! That was a big promise I made in the last post, and my impatience to learn all the steps along the way didn't make things any easier.

I started out with the Koreanclass 101 podcast, which is linked to their very elaborate website. The podcast in itself is "edutaining" enough, but its first shortcoming is that the first lesson covers phrases for eating rather than greeting, and also seems to assume existing knowledge of the hangul writing and phonetic system. Its second shortcoming is that it mainly promotes paid subscription to the site. This may be a great business model, but doesn't meet my requirements for universally available, free online resources. The cultural notes were worthwhile.

My next stop was the elaborate Korean course offered by the Korean Broadcasting Service. And I cheated... I simply went to Chapter 21, Introducing Oneself, and copied the phrases above. Just one problem. My name is not Bill Smith. The English Names in Korean transliteration site informed me that my name is, Marie, is written as 마리애 in Korean. By counting off syllables I replaced Bill Smith's name with my own.

But I didn't cheat completely. KBS also offers audio for each lesson, so I am learning how to say these phrases. I also put a fair bit of thought into my syllable counting procedure, although I haven't touched the Hangul writing and phonetic system yet. This tells me that the 요 syllable [o or yo?], is the polite sentence ending I also came across in the Koreanclass 101 podcast.

So in the ten-odd minutes devoted to all this, I learnt a thing or two after all. (Including the fact that introducing oneself probably came up in Chapter 1 as well...)

Now about that writing system...

KoreaKast: Piloting the Teachers as Online Language Learners Project

It is a cliche that teaching something is the best way to learn. But it is a cliche for a reason: it's true!

KoreaKast pilots a Russian doll of a project on learning about learning and language and educational technology by using language and educational technology. This project is Teachers as Online Language Learners (TOLL), and it equips any language teacher to learn the survival phrases in a new language... in order to learn more about learning languages and using educational technologies.

With that mouthful out of the way, we can get down to the business of learning Korean.

The first step of TOLL is to create your own interactive phrasebook using the Survival Language Kit. Since my goal is to learn survival Korean, I have compiled a set of solid online resources for Korean Learning, which will help me compile my customized phrasebook.

The next step is to create a blog for reflecting on the language learning process. And here it is: KoreaKast, complete with one modest entry.

The third, and optional, step, is to enhance learning with Web 2.0-based activities.

All that, and I haven't even introduced myself. Perhaps I'll do that in the next entry. In Korean...