Do you ever get into something and think: “Maybe it’s just a phase?” That was me, six years ago when I started listening to K-pop. The world of K-pop was so fascinating to me and learning about it seemed to be never-ending and I enjoyed every part of it. Becoming an avid listener of K-pop, naturally, I was exposed to Korean culture and society and I felt myself itching to learn everything about it. From Korean history, literature, film, I got my hands on whatever I could access. Interestingly, it wasn’t something I always went out of my way to do; it was a domino effect of one source leading to another whether it was a book, film, or video. Still, I put off learning Korean language because I truly thought my interest in the culture wouldn’t last that long. And I’ve picked up and dropped so many languages in the past that this wasn’t something new to me.
![indoor concert](http://blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca/lifeatuoft/files/2021/11/FD4004CC-0B8C-4529-ADBD-86DC15C6E3B1-1-1024x768.jpg)
Still, it’s been six years and little has changed. I’m invested more in Korean culture than ever. When people ask me what piques my interest about it, I have many reasons but can’t think of a singular one that captures exactly what my appreciation means to me. I decided to pursue learning Korean language seriously after I finished writing a book that is set in South Korea. I knew that if I was writing something outside of my own experience I had to get it right.
With the years I spent getting to know Korean culture via translated sources, I was certain that there was so much I was missing because of the language barrier. I no longer wanted to limit what I know because of language and I feel that if I’m writing material in a space I haven’t been exposed to then I can’t have a selective understanding of it.
![korean-style indoor barbeque](http://blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca/lifeatuoft/files/2021/11/EFBA68A5-5888-4F93-8D94-552AE9CACC2F.jpeg)
I’ve learned that learning a language means more than speaking and understanding. At its core, knowing another language is a cultural exchange. The polyglots that speak a plethora of languages do so because they have this itch to discover what they can’t when a language barrier exists. Rather than being miles away from carrying a conversation, each word or phrase they learn is one step closer to connecting with a community.
This is the first part of my Korean language journey. In the next part, I’ll cover exactly how I am learning Korean right now and the materials I use.
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