
The Korean language is an East Asian language spoken by about 77 million people. It is the official and national language of both Koreas: North Korea and South Korea, with different standardized official forms used in each country. It is a recognized minority language in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture and Changbai Korean Autonomous County of Jilin Province, China. It is also spoken in parts of Sakhalin, Russia, and Central Asia.
The Korean language is widely spreading all around the world. Learning Korean in today’s time is considered a great asset. If you are planning to learn the language soon then you should know that the Korean language is much more than some pronunciations and accents. But, don’t let this bother you, the alphabet system that they use in Korea is quite easy to get hold of. Now, coming to the topic, the importance of the Korean language. This solely depends on why you are learning the language. Beneficial or not, if you really are devoted to learning the language then this shouldn’t be bothering you at all.
Terrific ways to improve your Korean listening skills:-
- Speak as much Korean as possible –
Even though our blog focuses on improving your Korean listening skills, you won’t get anywhere without improving its twin: Korean speaking. Speaking Korean can be done actively by seeking out and having conversations with native Korean speakers or other learners.
- Put Those Vocal Cords to Work
It sounds strange, but you can improve your listening skills by speaking—even if you’re just repeating what you hear. In particular, practicing your Korean pronunciation will help sharpen your ear to distinguish words from the string of babble it might sound like otherwise. You might feel silly talking to yourself, but it works. Bonus: if nothing else, it improves your accent.
- Make listening part of your routine –
Understanding native speakers may seem daunting at first, but with a little time and perseverance, you will see your skills improve! The point is that you should make a conscious and decisive effort to practice your listening skills on a regular basis. It could be
One of the best ways to practice listening is to, well, listen to your target language. But this doesn’t mean putting on some music and listening to it in the background as you do for another 30 minutes a day or it might be 10. What matters most is that you practice consistently.
- Challenge Yourself to a Summary
To improve your focus while listening to a given audio or video resource, assign yourself a summary of the main points and/or details afterward.
You can do this by writing or speaking, although saying the summary aloud also helps you practice tip number two. Knowing that you’ll have to summarize will force you to listen attentively. On top of that, however, you’ll get practice mentally organizing and recalling what you hear. This is a very important skill if you need to take a proficiency test in Korean (especially for academic purposes).
- Watch TV shows & movies with subtitles-
Many people love to watch Japanese variety shows, dramas, or anime. They help you get used to the ways natives speak and the words they use. As it is effortless to read the subtitles, they are just enjoying the story and not listening carefully to the Korean language. As a result, to improve your listening, you should focus on listening to the Korean without looking at the subtitles
- Readout loud
If you’re listening to a lesson and reading along, read out loud. Then re-read and speed up your tempo. Do this again and again until you can speak faster. Try your best to pronounce the words correctly, but don’t obsess about it. Read swiftly, emote and put some inflection on the sentences. Reading aloud helps to train the muscles of your mouth and diaphragm to produce unfamiliar words and sounds.
- Talk to People Face-to-face
The nice thing about talking to real people is that you can ask them to slow down, without resorting to software. On top of that, you can check your understanding in real-time by asking questions, discussing specific meanings, and observing your language partner’s facial expressions and gestures.
Look for local Meetup groups or other language exchanges that might be happening where you’re located. You might also check out your local schools and universities to connect with students interested in Korean conversation or language exchange.
- Listen to music
Music is also the best tool for learning a language.
Music offers many advantages for learning languages. Scientists have shown that listening to a song and humming along can help with language learning! … When singing, we try to reproduce sounds and tone, so our accent is less pronounced than when we speak
Get out there, learn about these different genres and find some songs that you love. Once you find a song you cannot stop singing,and by singing it you will improve your pronunciation and vocabulary.
- Embrace the “Let It Pass” Strategy
The benefit of “let it pass” is that it keeps you focused on what you do understand, which helps you stay confident and motivated. Otherwise, it’s easy to lose that essential four-part mindset.
- Practice, practice, practice –
Take advantage of every single chance you have to listen to korean The old adage of “practice makes perfect” certainly rings true here. Rather than standing stunned like a deer in the headlights when someone throws rapid korean at you, constant listening practice will help you get the gist of what they’re saying. Soon, you’ll be able to distinguish critical keywords. This means you can understand the context of a conversation without worrying too much about understanding every single word.
- Don’t Do All of This at the Same Time
In case you needed a reminder… focus on one technique at a time, even if you use several techniques in a single session. Doing too much at once can hurt your focus. The more you practice and develop your skills, the more comfortable you’ll eventually become at employing multiple techniques at once don’t force yourself.
- Listen to yourself.
This way of improving your listening skills is related to the previous one. If you’re having a conversation with yourself in front of the mirror or in your head, you’re already listening to yourself. Use your own voice to practice your Korean listening skills!
You may think I am crazy, but I talk to myself in the languages I study when I have a shower or go for a run. I create imaginary conversations, ask myself questions and give myself answers pretending to be another person. Sometimes I even change my voice or my accent!
Listening to yourself is an amazing way of improving your listening skills.
Conclusion:
Just pick out what works for you and you’ll learn Korean in no time!