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.