LOST: Translation

X: 안녕하세요?
     (Hello)
Me: 안녕하세요?
     (Hello)
X: 한국말 잘 하시네요.
     (You speak Korean well.)
Me: 아니요. 한국말 잘 못 해요.
     (No. I can't speak Korean well.)

X: 한국에 언제 왔어요?
     (When did you come to Korea?)
Me: 네?
     (Yes? Which means: Pardon? because I didn't understand)

X: 뭐 먹고 십어요?
     (What would you like to eat?)
Me: 네?
     (Pardon?)

And so almost all conversations end with me saying: 미안합니다 (I'm sorry). I don't know Korean that well.

I'm lost.

No, I have not experienced getting lost in Korea just yet. Yeah, sometimes I take the wrong turn but I still manage to go to wherever I'm supposed to go. Mostly because I seldom go out without a companion who can speak the language, especially during my first months of stay.  It was only after more than 4 months in Sangju that I dared to go to downtown alone. I asked for directions but in a mixed Korean and English sentences.

So it is more of being lost in a conversation because at first, I don't know what they were saying but now it's more of, I don't know how to answer them in Korean.

I started studying the language when I was still in the Philippines but all I was able do was to learn how to write, and in a way read Hanguel, and memorize some phrases, like hello, thank you, good bye.  I told myself, I'll learn it fast when I get to Korea. Boy, was I wrong!

I never thought that learning a new language is this difficult. I had Korean Language class last semester and I did learn new words and some grammar points. Answering workbooks is easy. But it was not much of help in speaking. I still can't answer in Korean when people I meet ask me questions.

I watched a video saying that one can be fluent with a new language in just 6 months. I really wish that was true, but I'm on my 6th month already.  The speaker in the video said that a person can be very good 'theoretically' while learning a new language but may become 'deaf' when in a situation where the language was to be used. Deaf because she can't understand what is being said.

In my case, I think it's more of being 'dumb' - unable to speak. Most of the time, I can understand what people are saying especially when it comes to daily conversations because I already know the words or at times based on the context. So when I'm asked a question I know what to say but don't know how to say it. I become dumb - 'Korean dumb'.

My friends in the Philippines know that I tend to set very high standards. Not just on other people but more so to myself.  At first, I didn't want to use the language until I'm sure that my pronunciation or grammar is correct. But as the days passed by, I became at ease in just answering in English instead of using Korean. It then became my handicap. I didn't develop the confidence in speaking the language. And this is made worst because not a lot of people can speak English or would like to speak with me because they, just like me, are not so confident in using it.

I can't go on like this! I will not be able to gain much from this experience if I can't communicate with the people around me or attend symposiums, which are almost always in Korean, and just listen without understanding.

I'm trying different ways to help me learn the language: books, videos, audio files, and online lessons.  Now, I no longer care if my pronunciation  or grammar is correct. I try to use the words that I know mixed with English words. I hope all of these will be of help.

Books, online lessons coupled with prayers