Should you avoid the TOPIK test? (feat. Forrest) | A Glass with Billy
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ก.ค. 2024
- Are Korean tests such as the TOPIK worth it? What are the pros and cons of taking the TOPIK or a similar Korean test? I sat down with Forrest (fellow online Korean teacher) and we talked about what are the reasons someone should or should not take the TOPIK.
Special thanks to Forrest for his tips about the TOPIK: / seoul_4est
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Was fun to film this as well and I hope it was informative enough! If anyone has any other specific questions about TOPIK feel free to reply to this comment and I'll try to reply when I can, or ask in the Discord server ^^ Once I have a bit more time, hopefully I can start TH-cam and make more videos like this that are useful to people wanting to come study or work in Korea. Thanks for inviting me to film with you Billy ^^
Hi Forrest 씨.So I'd wanna ask how we can study for writing section and really they'll add speaking part to the TOPIK?If it's then I guess it has to be the TOPIK II.Right? And also which books would you advise specially for vocab? Thanks in advance )
@@user-pk3jr1ng6h Usually for the writing section you’ll just want to practice writing about common topics in different subject areas (social, political, economic, ethical/philosophical etc) when it comes to the long essay question at the end. There are many writing books out there that you can use that give you different prompts that you can write about and usually compare it to an example essay to check (though I recommend having it checked by a professional Korean tutor on italki). Since there isn’t much time to write you’ll want to just practice writing about different things within 50 minutes or so period of time. Also have to remember that you have to write on 원고지 paper so that can make writing even slower as well if you’re not used to it. For the other writing section questions, they don’t require too much preparation. The short answer question you may just want to remember the order you write things in to explain the graphs and different set expressions and vocab you should use to explain certain things that are represented through the graph.
Yes they’ll add a speaking section to TOPIK II.
I only have one book for vocab called 마인드맵으로 배우는 토픽 어휘 2300, which gives a bunch of themed words on one page with synonyms and antonyms. The rest of the words you can learn while taking mock exams.
Forrest nice to see you there ✨
What is your discord server?
@@kimbabie2363 you can find the link to Billy’s Discord server on his TH-cam channel under info
I took TOPIK II for the first time last April. I’m studying Korean by myself and I prepared for TOPIK specifically for around 4 months. Was only short 14 points of getting Level 6! I was super proud of myself. It was so interesting to figure out for myself which study methods worked for me and which didn’t. I was mostly focusing on vocabulary instead of grammar, did lots of writing exercises and read lots and lots of news articles on different subjects. Studying for it was so much fun-waiting for the results to come out almost made me go crazy though haha.
Oh wow.Congrats!🎉🎊🏅 Excuse me but can you give a little but information about which source we have to use or it'd be better to use them? Like which books or vocab? The vocab can be hard as u know and writing exercise ,it's true that I don't know how to prepare for them.Thanks in advance))
@@user-pk3jr1ng6h Thanks! For writing I used a book called "한국어 문장 쓰기의 모든것". It's not specifically for TOPIK but it teaches you the right grammar to use when writing in Korean. For TOPIK II writing specifically you could use a book called "Cracking TOPIK II Writing". Tackling Grammar and Vocab, the "빈도별" books are quite good in my opinion. They have books specifically for vocab and for grammar. For grammar, be sure you know the basics and make sure you can recognise some more advanced grammar structures. Don't try to learn 100s of different grammar because you simply won't need it. Just make sure that you really know how to correctly use the grammar structures you DO know. Regarding vocabulary, I'd advise learning vocab regarding social issues, environment, tourism, sightseeing, nature, global warming, technology/technological developments, company life, maybe science a little, etc. But make sure you have a pretty good basic knowledge of basic Korean vocabulary and vocabulary about daily life situations! Hope that helps a little!♡
its very helpful and informative .thanks by the way 😃
Hi, can you please tell me your email id or insta id. I really wanna know how can I learn Korean from scratch. I can't find any good resources and some books which I came through aren't available in Amazon for my place :((
Even though I am nowhere near this level of Korean, I'm still watching because it never hurts to learn new information because I really want to go to Korea. Nice video Billy 씨 💯
Agreed 😌
I took TOPIK II a little while ago with the intention of preparing very thoroughly but ended up just focusing on ‘everyday’ Korean instead. Didn’t do as well as I had hoped but as someone with a learning disability I decided not to be too hard on myself. It was a fun experience that I luckily didn’t need for everyday living.
People encouraging you to study a foreign language never say this but I think all adults have a learning disability when learning new languages as compared to kids. But because it’s harder I think it’s that much more awesome when you make real progress.
This is such a small world. Last time I went to Korea I hung out with Forrest! He is very good friends with my other friend 주연
Well, there are as many foreigners as we think in Korea. 😂
I'm guessing they're adding a speaking test to match CEFR exams? I took the CAE test and the process itself was brutal but it never expires so it was a one time thing 😂
Good luck on the TOPIK, Forrest. Let us know how you do.
This video has been insightful! It does make sense to have the TOPIK results valid for a certain time period only. And it's also great to hear that there would likely be a speaking component added to the test as well. I imagine that the speaking component would be the closest representation of testing real-time communication skills! Thank you for filming this timely video!
Thank for this Information!!! I appreciate it!!!
this is off topic from the video but I took your advice from the last time you responded to my comment (like 2 days ago lol). I found a podcast that posts korean conversations for listening practice and its been a huge confidence booster because I'm understanding alot of what's being said. Hopefully this will help me improve my interpretation skills. Maybe I'll go back to vlogs once I get more practice in from the podcast.
It's a good video about Topik because from a long time I was trying know what is Topik and it it necessary to learn Korean .I am a Korean language learners
And I am learning it on my own.Thanks for the video.
This was refreshing to watch... I remember when I started studying for the TOPIK test with a Korean teacher of mine. I could understand the Korean content, but I couldn't understand what the test wanted me to do (it wasn't a multiple choice question, it was a fill in the blank without any choices to choose from). It was pretty demotivating and irritating honestly, so I quit studying for it. 😂 Being able to talk to my Korean friends or strangers, order food, read books, and talk about politics/sensitive topics in Korean is good enough for me right now.
How long ago did you take it? I thought I was multiple choice?
Cool, I guess we get so worried about getting good grades and learning formal stuff we forget the real reason behind learning Korean in the first place
@@pwningpete1205 I was practicing for it, and there are parts where it is multiple choice. Certain sections are different though where you have to fill in the blank. And then there's an essay section like they mentioned.
@@derpderp9281 right!
I really appreciated this. I know that I am highly unlikely to truly need to take the TOPIK but had actually wanted to take it as a gauge. After listening to the pros and cons and factoring in the fact that I'm a very nervous and not always great test taker, I've decided I probably won't bother. I think I will take the practice tests from time to time to see how I do, but without the pressure of a real test. 감사합니다!
Love you Billy sir /a big thanks to you for teaching me korean hangul
I might sound like a broken record saying this, but Billy, you are awesome!!!!!!!
오~ 무슨 말인지 하나도 모르겠다...ㅎㅎ;; 포레스트 씨 영어로 말하니까 더 똑똑해 보여요 😊
Thank you for this video, I totally get it, I always get a higher score for writing then listening...and don't get me started on Speaking :)) I once thought about taking the test but in reality I really don't need it, but I agree the mock tests are fun to take. I get the necessity if you live in Korea or needed for the job.
I am taking the TOPIK I test this october in my country (Netherlands). I have no plans to study in korea or get a job in the near future, but after a full year of korean classes I just want to measure where I am standing in a general sense. Aiming to redo the TOPIK test next year to see how much I made progress in the upcoming year :) I will do some practice test but overall I think I will just focus on my classes and not specifically the test. For TOPIK I I think that is reasonable enough. For II I would probably have to give it a full focus.
I guess is just the same with the toefl, you have to practice taking a lot of test to get a good score, I'm still stuck at the toefl but the pandemic ruined all my plans to study abroad so I won't care about those test for awhile
Forrest pog
Interesting👍
I study korean basing most of my lessons (with a korean teacher) on the TOPIK test, and honestly while taking it there's some point at the end of it where words just mix in my head and time is running out so I end up messing up cause I don't even read properly the texts
For me, I've recently been applying for translation jobs (Korean -> English) and they've asked me to interview and take their sample test with no mention of the TOPIK exam. It is difficult to gauge whether you need this certificate or not. I would probably say it's more important for studies applications than it is job applications, because at least with jobs you can just use career experience. TOPIK is probably good if you're only just joining the workforce, though.
Great vid, the question in the title definitely made me think! I will probably have to take the test if I want to apply for higher education in Korea. Correct me if I'm wrong in assuming this though!
For these language certifications whether it’s useful or not will always be on a case by case basis. Some employers won’t even ask about it and others might require it. You just never know. But if you really don’t want to take it just don’t and then skip the jobs that need it I guess.
I'm actually taking topik 1 and 2 in october
Is it possible to register for both of them for the same date of application ??
topik exam will help you to get or study in korean company or in korea itself.. So can someone recommend me which exam will be more focus on speaking ? i somehow agree that topik cannot help you to fluent in korean language.. I just want to speak with native korean ppl when i travel to Seoul again.
During pandemic times, booking a topik 2 test in Korea is a huge pain in the butt.
The JLPT for Japanese is multiple choice and this helps keep the cost low. I used to take the JLPT every year to help motivate myself to study things I probably wouldn’t otherwise. I never took a German proficiency test after studying German because it costs hundreds of dollars. If they add a speaking section I wonder how much more it will cost.
There’s no exam location in Arizona but I might actually travel to LA to take it. My Korean is not progressing to conversational and I need to do something.
Hi 4 est!
Whenever people are talking about topik, toiec comes to mind. Toiec is a english test which help you to show your english skill into score. It takes a while to get good score if you do not have any foundation of English skills. But if you have decent English knowledge, you can excel in the test. I know a straggle for learning different languages and taking a language test. No ONE LOVES STUDYING!!!😰😰😰
Hey can any one tell me how to write shifa in korean iam wondering how f sound write in korean
I enjoy taking the 모의고사 just to see where I'm at, but I don't think there is a lot of utility in taking the actual test since I don't need the qualification to chat with Koreans..
Topik means "topic" in bahasa indonesia.
Right now, I am using hippocrene beginners Korean, which is in honorific form, integrated Korean with Professor Yoon TH-cam, and talk to me in Korean level two along with their podcast.
I am also working on translating a 12-minute clip from an English and Korean bilingual cartoon called, Jadoo.
Should I also learn daily activities simultaneously?
Should I also study for the topik exam or should the topik exam be considered after studying Korean for a year or two?
Should I master one book at a time?
omgg jadoo is awesome though shes so funny and at the same time the grammar is relatively simple so thats an awesome idea
Glad you mentioned Integrated Korean and Dr. Yun. I also am self tutoring and just started Intermediate I book. For each grammar point, I am writing my own workbook. KLEAR textbooks 1 & 2 filled up a 175 page workbook. Although I appreciate Dr. Yun for making his videos, lately I find that I need to watch other video makers who speak more or better English than Dr. Yun to fully comprehend the grammar point. That is why I enjoy Billy Go, Dr. Jream (sic) and especially Miss Vicky. So Billy, if you are reading this, for me it's not whether the teacher is a native or not, it's how much English they EFFECTIVELY use to teach me that foreign grammar point. Maybe someday if I reach the Advanced Intermediate level then I will try for the total Immersion Method, meanwhile, I'll stay away from those native speaking Korean videos.
@@468strings7 I understand your stance being that when I study with talk to me in Korean I don't always fully grasp their lessons and have to seek out other teachers to gain a further understanding of the content. I also used Miss Vicky to understand how to conjugate verbs in the past and future tense being that she provided more examples I was able to retain the information more than I was able to talk to me in Korean. However, talk to me in Korean makes learning Korean very entertaining.
This also happens with several Korean textbooks. Although, I am using hippocrine's beginners textbook, I found that Tuttle's Basic Korean is more modern and simplified. Mostly all these textbooks cover the same subjects like an introduction greetings shopping going to the bank and etc. Completing one textbook and going to the next will serve as repetition. I suppose by the end of the year I would have mastered the beginner textbooks that are on the market. I believe that once someone hits that intermediate plateau one should be able to become advanced only by experiencing the real world and taking heat to the phrases spoken in TV dramas and movies
@@468strings7 thank you for sharing your experience I have never came across Dr. Jream's content. Congratulations to you on your progress 🥳
Fighting 💪
omona forrest!!!!!!
6:49 that’s exactly what happens with Cambridge certificates 😂
😮 난 오년 동안 공부하고 있는데 아직도 잘 못 해. 이야기하고 듣는 것이 아직 어렵다.
💜💜
Hi Billy, is there any way to take the test online?
I think so far the test can only be taken offline, but there are test locations all over the world. Best would be to just find one near you on google
@@SweetDragoncandy ow so sweet of you, thanks a lot dear 💜.
www.studytopik.go.kr/sub-1/link_url.asp?ma_url=sub_1 you can take past TOPIK tests here (just the reading and listening sections)
When he said TOPIK is adding a new speaking test next year... my wig fell down.
Billy 씨 How do you avoid translating literally in your native language?
Once you're able to have basic conversations and think in basic Korean, you won't be translating anymore in your head. I'll also make a video with some more tips for this in the future :)
@@GoBillyKorean 감사합니다
Just try to make the image in your head and try to practice speaking and writing, this was my case for learning English. Once I started using social media in English, and got used to writing in English, I stopped translating in my head. Since I had that for English, I naturally kept that mindset while learning Korean even though I'm just a beginner, if I read "밥을 먹었어요" I just try to understand the general meaning rather than translating it
@@nadie-qm8rq thank you
Try using apps with pictures, using flash cards with pictures, and listening to Korean radio.
I have to take the TOPIK test in order to get a job teaching English in Korea.
Usually TOPIK isn't required to teach English in Korea, but it can help you get better jobs since you will be able to communicate with your Korean co-workers more effectively.
@@Seoul_4est Thank you! My goal is to become level six Korean in the next five years.
Book cafés, cat cafés. Now archery cafés!? How many kinds of cafés are there and how do they keep the food out of trouble with the activities???
I'm just waiting for the cafe cafe, where you choose the tiny cafe within a larger cafe that you want to go to and each one has a different menu.
@@GoBillyKorean LOL HARD! 😂🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😆😅
@@GoBillyKorean Billy you ARE A one man standing house of fun. 👏😄 💕🫶💕
And actually that would probably be a lot of fun too @@GoBillyKorean
Ayy glass dis man sum maekju ion care what an oppa takin bout
SKRRRT💨
How is it that no one has yet commented on the punny green title in the thumbnail?! 😂
I am from India
That sounds like TOFEL and IELTS ...
I got TOPIK lvl 5 and from my experience it is pretty useless irl. But it helps to get a job or enter the university. I am studying in Korean university and can’t understand 90 percent of lectures though. To any of u who want to study at any Korean university without perfect Korean(both speaking and academical) i advise u to give up on it because u will never be able to compete with local Koreans and making friends would be really hard and stressful.
Very inspiring XP
Hahaha topik is malay but topic is eng
Can you give us Forrest's discord username?
My name is at the top of Billy's discord listed under admin as "Forrest" :3
@@Seoul_4est Thank you!
How interesting, I never took the TOPIK test, but I once took the IELTS exam and it's exactly like they are saying: I studied much more about the test and how I should answer than actually study English 🥲
These tests are usually not a good indicator of how fluent you are, your grade doesn't really reflect how you speak in real life, but depending on your goals it might be necessary to take them - it's really more about learning how the grading and each section work than really studying Korean
Also the score for IELTS only lasts for 2 years, I would need to take it again 🥲