Here’s what I have been thinking about lately: self studying a language is hard work. It’s exciting, then it gets hard, then it’s fun again! But, oh, here it goes again being hard, I have no idea what all of these rules are, what does it mean, why are there so many of you?

Friends, this is exactly my train of thought, word by word. Truth.

With this in mind, this week’s installment of Maia’s schemes to learn Korean the fun & effective way I bring you my latest invention (it’s not really an invention but just go with it):

Keeping a journal in Korean

Now, listen, this has to be a commitment. Every page must be 100% in Korean or else I will fail and there’s going to be some kind of consequence that I have not yet thought of but will some day. That’s the most important rule of all.

Other (personal) rules to stick by in this journaling adventure:

• Make it look nice
• Don't feel like I have to write a lot. If I've had a tough day it's okay to just write a sentence
• Don't forget to update for ages

Ramblings about the wonders of La La Land and BTS's new album, titled "꿈을 갖고 있는 나" (Me, who has a dream)

I put all my heart into my first entry. It's not as nice as it could be, but what matters is that it felt amazing to actually make those sentences, put them together and write them down. I learned a couple of new words, too!

After I was done, I read the whole thing out loud until I felt that my reading was natural, and then recorded myself reading and sent it to some friends who don't mind me nagging them with this. There's something about someone hearing me that motivates me, so I do it often.

Tools I used

• Naver dictionary app: for checking if the sentences were correct and looking for vocabulary
• Pinterest: for aesthetic inspiration
• Pen, scissors & notebook: for obvious reasons

New vocab I learned

감동적인 (touching, inspiring)
배신하다 (to betray)

It's only been a few days since I started mine, but I'm enjoying it so much! I can vent the stress away at the end of the day and learn at the same time. Much better than punching a bag, if ask me.