Hey, Talk-Talk's! Thank you for watching this video 💖 In our next video, we're going to compare and analyze the Korean of two foreign K-pop idols! Who would you like us to look into? Leave their names in the comments 🤗
I have been in a Javanese speaking city for 5 years because of studying, but I can't speak Javanese cause I don't learn it, of course i am familiar with certain words and expressions, but that's it. So I think the main thing that made people fluent in a foreign language is the learning, the environment that speaks the target language is just a supporting part of it.
Not only that. Tons of foreigners live in Korea but never really learn the language well at all. I think the difference is that they are also *pushed* to learn it. Like when we are children, we are also pushed to say words and make sentences by our parents. It can be a similar method for training KPOP idols. Idols have to be pushed because it's part of their job and time is of the essence to get them to a competent level for public speaking and PR. To a lot of us, it's a hobby, and as a result we don't nearly have the same amount of immersion, environment, and routine for things to stick as quickly.
I think immersion learning makes the difference. A foreign idol who lives in Korea, surrounded by native Koreans, will learn faster than the (many) foreign learners who are living in another country, with no 24h contact with Korean speakers. Even if you study 2 hours a day, which is already a tremendous amount of time, it is not as much as immersion learning.
Exactly. At the end of the day the best way to predict how good someone will be at their target language is how many hours they spend practicing it. All but the most dedicated learners will spend no more than an hour a day on average learning their target language. And we know that 3 years is sufficient to acquire a good language ability with that level of dedication. That means 365 hours per year, which in turn is a bit more than 1000 hours over the course of 3 years. However if you are living in Korea, constantly being spoken to in Korean. Even if you talk/listen very little you will have 5+ hours of practice each day. That means it will take 6-7 months to learn the same basics most people take 3+ years to learn.
I would say that Japanese people, like Momo, Sana, Mina, and many more, have a little advantage because Japanese grammar is very similar to Korean. Obviously what Lisa said it's key, but they already have the grammar structure, and sometimes similar words. What I have heard from Sana in an interview is that for them pronunciation was the hardest part.
I am hungarian and i have been told by a person who knows both korean and japanese that i should start with korean (the only problem is we don't say the H letter when its combined with another consonant, ex: TH, we just say T. Also it might be a me thing but i don't really hear the difference between hard and soft letters)
@bubliiekqiio The Korean "h" sound isn't that hard. Normally you a light puff of air from the back of your throat. It's a soft H. The only other h is pounced with a ch that is like saying a thick J sound.
@@tsuyuasui7297 for me personally I’m having a slightly easier time with Korean than I did with Japanese. I love anime so that’s why I wanted to learn it, I just couldn’t figure out the alphabet as easily as Korean.
As a "foreigner" who's been fluent in Korean for several years now, I partially agree with most of these points. The evidence suggests that when you start learning a language, especially one as complex as Korean, it's absolutely fine, if not recommended, that you begin with lots of comprehensible input with little to no output. The concept of "start speaking from day one" is partly a myth and partly language-dependent. If you were learning French as a native English speaker, this might be possible, but for Korean, you are far better off learning and listening to as much Korean as you possibly can because if you can't understand what other people are saying, it's pretty pointless to be able produce a few random phrases or sentences. Only once you start understanding the language can you truly participate in conversation and it's waaaay easier to learn how to speak once you have a decent grasp of basic grammar and can understand 1000+ words. I basically got fluent through the TTMIK's 이야기 series and 수다 타임. I literally memorised and mimicked everything from those series and produced it as often as I could with my Korean friends and 1.5 years later, I was essentially high B2, closing in on C1. Don't get it misconstrued though, speaking was ultimately the thing that led me to become fluent of course BUT it was because I developed my listening and vocab first and then got into speaking later on. Good luck guys.
But remember the testing effect can help you to learn by priming your brain too. So output is good early IF you can deal with being bad at it and struggling and not give up. If it’s more likely to make someone quit, then I’d definitely agree with you. Babies are exposed to many words before they understand them. I guess we should mimic how languages are naturally learned.
Native Korean speaker here! We can often understand each other even if our grammar isn't spot-on. Why? Korean has a very flexible word order, allowing us to rearrange sentences without changing the meaning. Sounds strange, right? But I've been doing it all along, and other native Korean speakers have understood me perfectly! It's true!
@@misspriss2482 I was amazed when I started learning Korean. The grammar, sentence structure, and even a lot of words are almost the exact same. Was just so much easier than when I first learned Japanese.
I'm doing the opposite right now haha! Having already studied Korean is making learning Japanese a million times easier. All you really have to focus on are the Kanji since everything else is so similar!
@@Adam-vx6to I started learning Korean before learning Japanese, and I was also amazed at the similarities. Whenever I try to understand Japanese grammar, the best way for me to learn was to compare it with Korean grammar. I also started making a list of all the words that (almost) sound and mean exactly the same lol. Though I feel like polite/formal language is a lot harder in Japanese.
It's important to remember that idols are also doing very intensive learning compared to the average person. Their companies hire teachers for them, and some of them spend hours a day every day doing their Korean lessons on top of their own study and practice outside of class. That's not reasonable for most people, unless you're a full time language student. So people shouldn't compare themselves to idols and get down on themselves about not getting the language as fast, because these idols should be learning much faster than you just based on how much time they're spending studying the language every day with a teacher at their disposal on top of being in a fully immersive environment. Their circumstances are completely different from most people's.
There's also one more aspect that no one mentioned and that is that idols appearing in variety shows and doing interviews have quite limited set of topics they know they will be required to talk about. There are things that they can with 100% certainty know they won't be asked about. That narrow scope helps them appear more fluent in the beginning.
Yeah idols have to learn the language and since they live in Korea or Japan, it makes it easier, even though I can type a bit of Japanese and speak a bit of Japanese, it's all thanks to watching anime and listening to Japanese songs and they have to learn to it because they will need to be able to sing it to their fans etc, but there are other ways to learn Korean such as language exchange apps
I would second your point about reading out loud. It is incredibly helpful. When I moved to France 20+ years ago and really started learning the language I was given a very helpful tip (much like what you said) "French is learned with the mouth" I think we concentrate so much on the internal cognitive aspects of learning that we forget that language is expressed through the body, mouth and gesture/body language. Muscles used in each language are different. My mouth used to actually ache a bit after speaking French all day because I was using new muscles. The connections between what you want to say and actually saying it (connecting language centre to motor skills) need to be practiced over and over again to build them. It really helped me to read out loud and ever since I try to do that when I study another language.
OMG i had never realised my mouth muscles ache too when I practice speaking any language I'm learning... I think I had kinda thought about it but never trust myself and just ignore the thought hahah thanks for your advice and motivation 8) So interesting you moved to France!🇫🇷
Its so fascinating that minnie and yuqi improved their korean so much by talking to each other even tho theyre both foreigners but they probably made each other very comfortable so they improved really fast
I think the US Government calls quick language learning tactics "immersion methods." I worked a truck driver for 30 years and worked my way inside and was transportation managing behind a desk too. At one place I worked, one of my peers was offered a transportation management position at a trucking firm in a small city in France. He took the job despite not knowing ANY French. I saw him three years later when he returned for some family event and he spoke French like a native, at least to my untrained ear. I saw him at a store, and he said the best way he learned is the motivation method described here. He HAD to learn as very few people around him spoke English. Great video and well presented TTMIK people.
1. Output (talking to speakers): 0.1 - watch/listen Korean speech 0.2 - read out loud, so it's good for your speaking also 2. Motivation 1.1 - internal, when you learn it for your own goals. 1.2 - instrumental, when you need Korean in practice, job. 3. Systematic & consistent learning opportunities. Mostly needed in professionals' help to continue "consistence".
Felix is such an angel and always gives his honest advice which I greatly appreciate. Thank you for this video! I'm hoping to really take my Korean language learning more seriously this year! Fighting everyone!
A lot of comments here are about immersion, and while that definitely helps just being immersed doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll learn the language. I’ve met so many people who live in countries with very low English levels but who never get proficient in the local language even after years because they’ve found the few people who speak English and get by without it, or don’t challenge themselves etc. Even if you are immersed you still need to put in effort to improve, and at the same time you don’t need to be living in Korea to create an immersive environment!
Its also selfish, native speakers are NOT your language teacher and will let you make all those bad grammer mistakes without correcting you, letting your mind form bad habits that you have to unlearn later down the road. A sinking man cannot swim, and found that the people who say you have to go to the country to learn it are just to lazy in there own country and blame there lack of progress on the fact there not in the country.
i dont live in america and i’m not surrounded around english native speaking people that much just by consuming the language to my everyday life, like online friends, music, media, series, singing, for years just made me more fluent than my actual native language 😭
I don't know how anyone can think immersion is enough when so many immigrants who have lived in a country 20-30 years have only rudimentary language skills. Whether it's English in America or Korean in Korea immersion without focused studying does very little.
The summarizing is so effective. My friend and I watch a Kdrama and we summarize each episode in Korean and explain it to each other. Also talking about interesting stories about your life or your concerns to yourself helps a lot with finding words that you don't know and learning them.
Aw, Felix is one of the reasons why I’m learning Korean! ♥️ This clip of him always reminds me of that and helps me a lot to motivate myself! Thank you for this interesting video!
I live in NY and started dating a korean girl 2 months ago who is studying here. I have been using duolingo and deerlingo to learn, but having her teach me the casual informal way to speak to her and her friends has really been the break through for me
Than you probably have a lot of motivation to learn the language! I’ve met my korean boyfriend through tandem learning. And over 5 years later still don’t speak korean and his german improved a bit but we never practiced again together 😅
My streak on Duolingo is like 2000 something and I just don't think it's helpful for fluency. You can learn bits and bobs and some phrases but I don't think it's a good tool for actually conversing and speaking a foreign language well
I really like the idea of learning languages. Lately, i started with Korean. And while improving with the basics, im worrying constantly about my motivation. For now, i think i have the motivation i need. But im not a person who can think on the future and being in peace with me. Depression, anxiety... This type of video helps a lot. Thanks. Now, apart of that. What video or playlist u can recommend from ur channel to start with basic sentenses? Or... How to start, basicly? I got hangul already... some general vocabulary... But not that much other than that.
Thank you for your comment! We'd recommend the following playlist. This series is one of the most popular series of our channel and is targeted to Korean beginners. As you already learned Hangeul, these videos will come in handy! 파이팅! th-cam.com/video/Jzep8XeOvwY/w-d-xo.html
@@badiahe yeah about as much as anyone could with a few hours of google translate lol. You all honestly overestimate most idols’ language abilities. Other than Korean and their own native language(s), most foreign idols can’t really speak more languages that well.
@scholarssolutions6735 well her English is pretty fantastic so you're wrong there. I speak Japanese and she's fluent. Yoohyeon from Dreamcatcher speaks English glish very very well and Cantonese quite profeciantly and a bit of German. So sorry you're just wrong.
It's simple: 1) They have excellent teachers. 2) They have a full immersion environment. 3) They have enormous financial incentive to learn. A foreign English teacher in Korea has none of these things, so it should be no surprise that most of them never achieve fluency in Korean.
It's worth keeping in mind that many K-pop idols undergo years of training prior to their debut, so it's not uncommon for some of them to take a while to become fluent in Korean. However, this might not be apparent to fans since they are usually only exposed to the idols after their debut. For instance, Shuhua from (G)-Idle had only trained for 2 years before her debut, and her Korean proficiency wasn't very good at first. Even now, her Korean skills are not very strong. In contrast, some idols have trained for 5, 6, or even 10 years while simultaneously learning Korean.
I think what a lot of people tend to miss is, aside from factors such as motivation and exposure, languages that have been heavily influenced by Middle Chinese will share a working vocabulary that will often be as similar between each other as European languages'. It's a big reason why East Asian students tend to progress much faster in Korean. With Japanese in particular, both the vocab and the grammar are very similar, so naturally they are likely to learn Korean the fastest.
I’m learning French which is easier for me since I also speak Portuguese and Spanish but I definitely could relate to Felix’s words when I first started learning Portuguese. Once you accept where you are you can then make the changes necessary to learn well. So don’t stress yourself out comparing yourself to others’ progress. ❤
I also recently heard a great metaphor about learning a language. Learning a language can be like climbing a mountain while climbing it will be a long and hard journey but reaching the top and seeing the breathtaking view is totally worth it.
I'll be 40 this year and I've just started learning Korean like a month ago. As a German, who has lived abroad, I'm already fluent in english and a bit of Dutch, but korean is a whole different level. The structure of a sentence is so different and as I get older it's a bit harder to remember everything😅. But I put in a couple hours every day and talk out loud, I'm also trying to make Korean friends here in Germany so I can practice what I've learned. One thing you should never do is give up. You can only improve, no matter how slow of a learner you are.
The difference your mother tongue has with your target language effects everything so much. As a Turk, i learned English by myself and it was hard to understand some parts of structure but since i was like 13 while learning, i just keep on going cuz i didnt have another thing to do. Now im learning Korean which is really similar to Turkish in many ways, i can feel the fun of learning a language. But when its harder, you will feel even more proud after learning it and i bet it will become easier&funnier as you keep going. Never give up!
I've realized hat immersion is really the only way to learn a language successfully, just like how we learn our mother tongue. Without immersion, for me, only about half the information gets retained. I learned how to read and write Spanish in class but to speak it, fluently or not, I had to learn with a native Spanish speaker and only then was I able to pick up on conversation and engage in conversation. I'm learning Korean now which is much more challenging since it uses a Non-Roman alphabet and has many sounds English. doesn't have, like the r/l sound sounds closer in both Spanish and Korean than it does in English. Thanks for the learning tips and I appreciate your channel. 🤍
So many immigrants in America live there 20-30 years without becoming fluent in English, while so many Europeans learn English really well without ever meeting a native speaker. Immersion is just one of many things that lead to successful language learning.
@@ProteaAurea Those immigrants live decades avoiding native speakers, surrounding themselves with other immigrants and using their children as translators, while the Europeans spend decades consuming countless English movies, shows, songs, video games and social media content. Living in the country doesn't mean you immerse yourself in the language, and immersion doesn't require you to live in the country.
Thank you for this video. It has given me some more motivation to keep studying Korean and not be so upset that I am not learning quickly. I’m a slow language learner but I know when it clicks i will be so happy I didn’t give up!! Btw. I live in Korea. Have a tutor. I have opportunities to speak Korean but often don’t listen to Korean much. I’m trying to increase my intake.
i almost cried with the message of yeji, im starting korean lessons next week and im so excited but nervous at the same time! thanks for the motivation
i often watch language learning videos and most of the time they recommend the same tips and tricks to improve. this video though is totally mind blowing!! practical tips mixed with psychological facts is just my cup of tea. i will try to implement every recommendation into my daily life, 선생님! ~ big thank you from italy 💕
😭😭😭😭 I’ve been trying to learn for 7 years OMG I hadn’t even noticed it was that long!!! But I always feel like I’m still basic and beginner that I can never advance, but Yeji is right when I was reading out loud it was advancing faster and I need to continue that. As someone who doesn’t have friends here to talk to all the time I need to find ways for output. I need to talk more to my friends in Korea in Korean more often as well. One day I will visit Korea again and actually be fluent understanding everything! Goals! 여러분 할 수 있어요! 화이팅! 성생님들 감사합니다! P.S. it was also 7 yrs ago after wanting and trying to learn Korean on my own that I found TTMIK! Watching its progress is amazing!
Thank you for including Felix, he really studied korean hard and with help from members, books etc... I am a proud stay having him as inspiration to keep going
Clearly Lisa, Minnie, and Yuqi are not only more motivated but intrinsically far smarter than the typical foreign language learner. Sorry if it's hard for you to internalise that they're not only more beautiful, talented, and intelligent, but also more motivated and dedicated than the rest of us!
This was so helpful. For some reason, so many people on youtube say stuff like, "I just took a week and learned all the grammar, then picked up all the vocab in the next month. After that, I was just fluent." It's just pointless and depressing. But this helped a ton. Thank you!
1 - Their native language share similar roots 2 - They need to speak the language for their own survival 3 - They're surrounded by native speaker Bonus: If they're speaking a tonal language, like Minnie or Jackson, they have a higher chance of having perfect pitch and be good at recognizing intonation patterns regardless. Edit ( after watching the video ): Yup close enough guesses. Money is indeed a thing too, these entertainment companies invest a lot in their artists.
I completely agree with everything that was mentioned. What helped me the two times I lived in Korea was going downtown and surrounding myself with Koreans interacting so I could study body language, tone, etc which helped me with my confidence and accent. I would then purposely put myself into situations where I needed to use my Korean in order to buy something, ask a question, etc. Don't worry about making mistakes...it's going to happen..just be sure to learn from those mistakes. Even now my Korean is not what it once was since I have been away 7 years, but I am starting courses next week in order to be fluent by the time I move back in 2025 and I can't wait!
I think immersion helps a lot, I feel my Korean has increased a lot than before after I started working as an Kor-Eng interpreter/translator, even tho I still have a lotttttt to learn but yea I am better than before~
Very well said! I enjoyed this video and it inspired me to continue pushing to learn Korean. I have a Korean partner but we default to English so much. I want to make a more conscious effort and properly make the best of the fact that I have someone who I can comfortably learn from
Hi! Great content!! All of these pieces of advice are very useful! I tried most of them except the first one about speaking with people in Korean. Although I do have Korean acquaintances I'm never sure how to approach them. Especially regarding using social media, one downside is that it's easier for me to write my message in Korean rather than speaking it directly because I have time to think. I would love to know how to approach Koreans in the future. That would be a great tip for me if you would like to teach it. Also, I have to say that speaking Korean out loud or any other language is a tip that saved me so much! I tend to think that it's a pretty underrated method that should get more attention from learners. It doesn't only help you improve your pronunciation and speaking abilities but also helps you get over the anxieties of speaking Korean or any other language you learn. I know it's a bit cringe at first to hear yourself but you'll come to like it when you get results from this kind of practice. Have a good day and keep up the great work!
In terms of language acquisition living in an environment where people only speak your target language is crucial to improving quickly, also the urge to improve to survive and live a more social live plays a role too I think. Personally I think listening to comprehensible listening content is very useful to fake the first thing I mentioned, in some way :)
native speakers are not your parents or teachers. native speakers will not correct your mistakes, letting you form bad habits which you will have to unlearn later down the road making your job twice as hard. focus on input, both reading and audio get to above intermid and then immersion will be a benefit
The truth is that some people are just not skilled in learning languages, and others get a lot of help(like the idols), not to mention that they don't really deal with that many things as a normal human because they have people to do things for them. It's not the same for everyone. Talking in the video for only 3 people is not enough proof to make it like "the same" for all. I teach kids Korean English, and every kid learns in a different way. So my advice is to find the best way for you, it's not a guarantee that you will learn like those people did. :)
How K-pop Idols Learn Korean Quickly (Summed up) Focus on Output: Prioritize speaking and writing actively, not just passive input (listening/reading). Practice Methods: Summarize videos in Korean Explain experiences to imaginary Korean friends Read aloud in Korean to improve fluency Strong Motivation: Both internal (liking K-pop) and instrumental (career advancement) motivations boost learning Consistent, Structured Support: Their labels provide systematic training and resources. What We Can Learn Increase Your Speaking Practice: Find ways to actively use Korean, even if you don't have many Korean-speaking people around. Build Stronger Motivations: Look for practical applications of Korean beyond K-pop and dramas to stay motivated. Utilize Established Resources: Use well-designed curricula and services like Talk To Me In Korean for a structured learning experience. Important Reminders Learning Pace is Individual: Don't compare yourself unfairly to idols. They have unique advantages and still work hard over time. Be Kind to Yourself: Language learning takes time and effort. Celebrate your progress!
HORI7ON (호라이즌)'s Marcus can now carry basic conversations with their Korean fans. So impressive! Korean is now his third language after Filipino and English. It really helps if you practice with native speakers especially in the day-to-day setting like at the grocery
Immersian learning is so difficult for me here....I've lived in S. Korea for 2 years, and still cant even have a conversation...now mind you, i live in what would be considered the "countryside." So whenever i have the chance to talk to Native Koreans, it's only at the supermarket or at my job. And it's only basic conversation, like "do you need a bag? Would you like your receipt?" I once tried small talk with the cashier and she didnt even acknowledge it. 😂 And whenever i go to Seoul and try to speak Korean, they either speak English back to me, or the Korean is so advanced that im completely lost and all conversation just stops. 😂 I've joined language exchange apps but very quickly learned that that is NOT what they are for here. I wish Koreans (in my towm) loved small talk!!! That would be so helpful!!!
It took me around 2 years alone to get adjusted to the language. I'm not much of an active learner, I just practice by making new friends, but after living in Korea for 6 years, I'm pretty confident with my abilities. Give yourself some more time and it will come to you naturally! Also, I know those apps like HelloTalk can be difficult. I tried many times too. Your better chance is to become a "regular" at a local bar or Cafe and make friends there. That's what I did!
well said, i learned chinese in university in my country but i went to China to study and i saw the difference, learn much more in China, my teacher spoke just chinese, i have to speak chinese to make people understand myself, i made chinese friends, some speak english but i have some who don't speak english and i have to speak chinese with her. I spend 6 month in China, i didn't become fully fluent but after 6 month i could make a conversation just in chinese
Don’t underestimate the power of speaking with friends in Korean! It’s so right that being able to speak in a stress free environment helps soooo much. In my second semester of Korean language school (I was legit only in level 2!) one of my classmates and friends spoke no English at all. So even though we couldn’t speak Korean well, we only used Korean with each other. By the end of the semester we were speaking super easily with each other. Sure, it wasn’t amazing and we were still surely making grammar mistakes, but we figured out the flow and the ability to speak in a way to make others understand.
it's easy to learn a foreign language if you're living in a country or surrounded by people that is using that language. reading and learning the grammar is just the first step, you needed someone to communicate and practice with them
definitely immersion and the inability of choice/no slacking off really. you're in the country surrounded by the language. people are speaking it, it is on the signs, you need to take the bus, order food. you HAVE to speak it to get by truly. plus for many of them it really is part of their job and they have dedicated time to study on top of all that. it would be awesome to be there taking it all in from every angle!
These explanations are all part of how they tend to learn Korean so fast, but there is a lot of biology behind it too. And the biology of language learning is what will keep older language learners frustrated even if they are able to apply most or all of the things you highlight in this video There are two primary scientific/biologic factors at play here: Age and their native language's proximity to Korean Studies have shown that children and teens/young adults learn foreign languages significantly faster than adults even after other factors are accounted for. For one, most of these idols start training in middle-school or younger, and their young brains are still developing new neural pathways at a staggering rate. The more a person ages, the harder it is to do that. Plain and simple. An additional age-based factor is related to the fact that as our brains age, we actually lose the ability to hear and process many of the phonemes used in spoken foreign language IF we haven't been using them ourselves or frequently exposed to them (in general - there's always going to be exceptions). So a native English-only speaker will generally lose most of their ability to hear many of the subtle differences in certain pronunciations that are absolutely vital to learning to understand and speak another language. Of course, the more different a language is from the native speakers', the more profound the effect Which brings us to how similar your native language is to the language you're trying to learn. If you are born in China, Japan, or even Southeast Asia as many K-Pop Idols are, chances are pretty good that you can distinguish the different subtleties in sounds/pronunciations/phonemes used in the Korean language more easily than a native English speaker. Hell, many Korean words are derived from Chinese. If you couple that with the fact that these idols are literally moving to Korea (immersion) at a young age (brain still forming, tons of new neural pathways available), then it's no wonder some of them pick up on it "so easily". Combine that with some of the grammatical similarities between many Asian languages and they have a *massively* significant advantage over your typical, average, adult Korean learner (especially those of us used to Latin-based/Germanic language sentence structures) Basically, even without the huge investment by their entertainment agencies for round-the-clock tutors and such, they would STILL have an easier time than the vast majority of us. It's certainly not impossible, just saying that if you are an adult language learner, you just simply cannot compare yourself to a child/teen language learner. If all other factors are equal, you'll still have a harder time, sadly 😭😭😭 Thank you for coming to my TED talk
It's not a mystery. They learn it so fast the same way babies learn English so fast. They are immersed in it, they hear it all day, and everyone around them speaks it. If you are constantly having to speak it to be understood and people are constantly talking to you in that language, you will learn it a lot faster. On the opposite end of the spectrum, I am a native English speaker and no one I know speaks Korean. Other than language apps or apps where I can connect with a native speaker, I have zero opportunities to speak Korean. I don't hear it all day long either so I don't use it all day nor do I have to think in that language. We can make use of some of their techniques, but we shouldn't compare ourselves to them.
Korean would be my 4th language I’m learning. Hmong is my first, English is second and Spanish is my third. My current and main output is speaking back to my screen in Korean when I watch my kdramas. Whether it’s a personal response or predicting what the other character will say, it’s a natural thing that I do now. ☺️🤓
It's an important distinction to make, as well, that the example idols listed are all still Asian in origin; Which means their own native languages are not grammatically Latin, like English and other Western learners are used to, so there is a relatively smaller learning curve experienced. It would be comparable to one of us learning another Latin-based language, like Spanish, or French.
I was just thinking about this lately... I have been learning korean by myself at home since 2020 already and I am intermediate (I think) I already know lots of words I can use, enough grammar to comunicate, but still find it difficult to understand everything I hear in korean and I can't express myself that fluently either, I really felt stuck in my learning progress; but yesterday thanks to another video and now this one as well I got a bit motivated again, it's true that even if I consume a lot of korean content it's still not the same as being always sorrounded by korean and having to speak it, so in the other video the girl said she just listened to a podcast in the language she's learning and just understand what she did and just "ignore" what she didn't, kinda learning as natural as babies do when they start speaking! So I thought "if I already know enough things, why stressing that much?" I'll just keep speaking the best I can and listening when I consume korean content and don't stress or get anxious with the things I don't understand, it is OK!! Thanks to this video now, I can see that it is true, I have NO korean people to talk with, I am as far from Korea as many of us and I am not HAVING to speak it to comunicate in daily life, so guys, let's not give up!! 화이팅!! 그리고 TTMIK의 선생님들 이 영상을 주셔서 너무 감사합니다💞
When I learn as well, my 쌤 only speak in Korean and I have no way to interact with her other than trying to speak in Korean. Within 2 months I can speak basic expression, within 9 months I can already order food for myself in the restaurant. This is 5hrs daily 5 days a week for 2 years straight and I finished learning from Level 1 all the way to Level 6. My TOPIK score was Level 5 at that time. So I do agree being forced to speak and live in and around the language helps a lot.
This is my first time ever seeing you, but I'm subscribing. Your way of presenting information is very smooth and appealing. Also, the quality of information itself is very valuable, because it's authentic, practical, and relatable. As an English teacher to ESL/EFL learners, but also a student of korean, I commend you for this.
I started to learn korean three years ago, I realized that Korean Idols also would need to learn, but no one just ever told me how they learned until I saw this video. GOOD, NEO MU JO A HE YO.
From experience working as a sound engineer, I feel like the best practice they have is the intense recording sessions they do where they have to get the perfect take over and over with meticulous attention to every syllable. They often end up with a conscious understanding of the subtle details of the language that even native speakers only understand subconsciously. Meaning, their approach to language is closer to how most people would approach learning a new musical style/instrument than learning a language.
안녕하세요! ...맞아요! 리사처럼 저도 영어를 그렇게 배웠어요!! 😉ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ ..because of my parents work as a teenager I suddenly had to move abroad and found myself attending an only english speaking school ....and oh boy! ...I was fluent after 6 month!! ...😅😅 Without a doubt "instrumental Motivation" is key for fast learning.. For example, in my experience, even having studied Korean for over 7 years now (simply on internal motivation), it was only after my brief visit to Seoul that I was able to "brake" that barrier/fear where I HAD to make myself understood in korean whilst trying to understand korean natives speaking back at me .....if only I had an extra 5 month there!!!😉😅😅
I think motivation is the key😊 Imagine working in a foreign country without knowing much of their language, you will too do all you can to acquire that language😂
A good friend of mine majored in Spanish in college in the early 2000’s and spoke it fluently for years. She said staying for just a summer in Spain helped her a ton. I guess when you’re surrounded by the language and native speakers, there really isn’t much choice but to learn if you want to communicate effectively.
Prop to the foreigner idol. Not only they had to compete on the standard level of dancing and singing, but they also have to study a new language and be good at it just to survive in idol world. Those who has strong internal motivation tend to strive and success.
That's probably the benefits of what we called in Linguistics: "language contact," wherein, there should be a conversation between a language learner and a native speaker (e.g. Korean). This is somehow useful if a person wants to learn foreign languages quickly. If someone is being exposed to a foreign language, with no chance of speaking his/her native tongue, that's when a motivation comes, wherein, a person will force himself/herself to use that foreign language for a better communication, so that there will be no language barrier. It is also a some kind of survival in another country, honestly speaking.
Watching this type of video gives me hope in future that I can understand Korean in future & speak fluently on it. I can write Korean but I have a hard time when reading it (I can understand some words tho) but when creating a sentences, I quickly lose it...
my friend and i speak random korean at work and it’s sooo helpful. he’s a bit better with grammar and i’m better at conversational. man, finding a language partner is so useful
Well 1. As soon as they go to Korea, everything is Korean, you have no choice but to be immersed or fail. 2. Trainee schedules are tight with language, especially with the foreigners, you have intensive Korean lessons everyday of training. You can become conversational within 3 months of intense learning. Some of the methods (like Lisa only being allowed to speak Korean in lessons) cause stress and you don’t learn (like this video says), this happened to me in university and the teachers didn’t understand that making students like me feel super uncomfortable and scared to mess up even a tiny bit made me and others so anxious that we just didn’t and couldn’t speak. Being a foreign trainee is brutal because you really have to train but also being alert 24/7 to actively understand Korean so you’re studying 24/7, whether that be Korean or your practical skills in the arts.
I learnt words and certain small phrases but I always forget but I learned from watching a lot of Korean tv , kdramas and kpop I don’t think it’s a hard language you can listen to what they say for maybe 2 weeks and know certain words fast but I do think learning it professionally can help with the informal and formal and some weirds have double meanings and you can say the same sentence in a different way so it’s easy to learn the basics really fast but the korean language is definitely a little complex and considering the way you speak to people in Korean is a big thing the best way to get it right is by learning professionally
immersion is key. i had a friend who moved to portugal and within not even a year she could pretty much understand portuguese perfectly (not fully speak it though) just because she was surrounded by it 24/7
I learned basic Japanese first during high school, which have similar sentence structures as Korean. Both languages also use the concepts of name honorifics, formal & casual forms of verbs, etc. So when I took Korean in college (as a Kpop fan during the Gen 1 era), its first semester course was not that hard for me. But I struggled with pronunciation, since some consonant sounds are similar to each other, and some vowel sounds could have more than one possible spelling, etc. I also didn't have anyone to practice with outside of class. For the past few years I've been relearning Japanese with apps and videos, mainly because I have "instrumental motivation" for it. Some day I might relearn Korean too, due to getting back into Kpop since last year. 🎉
Good video! These days I don't really know where i stand in korean learning,its like I'm not making any progress. I feel like my mind has been put on halt.
Immersion is key. It helps to accelerate the “input” for sure. I hope to visit Korea in the next couple of years, but in the meantime, I would like to do a language exchange with a native speaker. I try to expose myself by listening to and reading Korean out loud every day; even if I don’t know every word, I sound it out words and look them up to see how accurate my pronunciation was after all.
I would imagine that when it is your job, it is pretty easy to learn it quickly. Best example I can think of is the Mormons(LDS). They focus hard on the specific stuff they need to know for their mission, and live it day in and out. Other end of the spectrum : Defense Language Institute is more realistic for heavy focus, 64 weeks basic course, 7 hours a day, 5 days a week. Then two 19 week course for intermediate and advanced. Myself, I find it very easy to consume content, but very difficult to remain motivated to study solo. italki is too expensive for me to use as much as I think I would need to get that output based stuff down.
Im mexican but i started to study english since i was very young, i went for about 3 years to a school that teaches both english and spanish everyday, the english teachers were strict, two of my cousins are fluent in english and i used to practice with them, my mom also signed me in extra classes every weekend to study english while i was studying english for like 2 years i guess? And in my nornal school they used to teach me english two days every week, my mom also told me to consume media in english and all of this helped me to keep a conversation in english, how to write it, read it, and even think in english, like last year my mom and me went to Canada and i was the one who talked to the people in there and that gave me confidence to talk english with people from other country! With all of that it helped me a lot to think everyday in english, even my phone's setting is in english, im even taking a marketing course in english online! There are some things that i still need to learn about the language but since it was easy for me to learn it i decided to challenge myself to practice another language, i was between french or korean but i think korean fits a bit more to me? Im going to make my own study plan with my experience learning english, maybe ill use some methods that worked for me to make it easier to learn korean, im aware that its going to take me a few years since i experienced it with english but i wont give up so while im still practicing english ill study korean and this video was helpful so ill take some tips from here with the knowledge i already have from all of these years that i studied english, this took me so long to write and im pretty sure nobody will read this but if you do please tell me if i made some mistakes like im still learning❤
this is so true, I only knew a few phrases because of kdramas, but when I went to study abroad for a semster, I took a korean class, i learned the alphabet in ONE NIGHT because I signed up late for the class. I would jokingly try speaking korean to friends when we went out in korea. And being in korea not being able speak korean really made me so frustrated with myself so that was a great motivator. While I havent practiced since, I learned sm in 5 months.
I think a big factor for them that most people can’t imitate is time. It’s their job basically to learn so they can dedicate hours a day and are surrounded by the language. Meanwhile, the average person has to learn around their life. So we can never be as fast and and it’s good to remember that.
Hey, Talk-Talk's! Thank you for watching this video 💖
In our next video, we're going to compare and analyze the Korean of two foreign K-pop idols! Who would you like us to look into? Leave their names in the comments 🤗
Yuqi from Idle
Mark and Ten from NCT
Lisa from Blackpink, Felix from Stray Kids and Ningning from AESPA!!🫶🏽🇰🇷
U from ONF!
Hi my loves. Hope y’all are doing well dear friends ^^ well, you can analyse anyone’s talking skills, team. I will look forward to it.
I always wondered how did they learn but they are surrounded by the language, so that's also helpful...
This i think really is the biggest reason. Like when we were a baby and learned our mother language by hearing from them
I have been in a Javanese speaking city for 5 years because of studying, but I can't speak Javanese cause I don't learn it, of course i am familiar with certain words and expressions, but that's it. So I think the main thing that made people fluent in a foreign language is the learning, the environment that speaks the target language is just a supporting part of it.
Not only that. Tons of foreigners live in Korea but never really learn the language well at all. I think the difference is that they are also *pushed* to learn it. Like when we are children, we are also pushed to say words and make sentences by our parents. It can be a similar method for training KPOP idols. Idols have to be pushed because it's part of their job and time is of the essence to get them to a competent level for public speaking and PR. To a lot of us, it's a hobby, and as a result we don't nearly have the same amount of immersion, environment, and routine for things to stick as quickly.
I spent a year in korea with all my classes in korean and friend groups speaking in korean. I wish that was enough to learn
They take a lot of classes too and that is the foundation of it all.
I think immersion learning makes the difference. A foreign idol who lives in Korea, surrounded by native Koreans, will learn faster than the (many) foreign learners who are living in another country, with no 24h contact with Korean speakers. Even if you study 2 hours a day, which is already a tremendous amount of time, it is not as much as immersion learning.
Exactly. At the end of the day the best way to predict how good someone will be at their target language is how many hours they spend practicing it. All but the most dedicated learners will spend no more than an hour a day on average learning their target language. And we know that 3 years is sufficient to acquire a good language ability with that level of dedication. That means 365 hours per year, which in turn is a bit more than 1000 hours over the course of 3 years.
However if you are living in Korea, constantly being spoken to in Korean. Even if you talk/listen very little you will have 5+ hours of practice each day. That means it will take 6-7 months to learn the same basics most people take 3+ years to learn.
So true. I'm french and i've been sudying kr for 5 months at least 1h a day (sometimes 5). Still not fluent.
That's true!!!
@@LordKeramso true!! Reminds me of the 10 thousand rule
@@growingdying YES! Exactly.
I would say that Japanese people, like Momo, Sana, Mina, and many more, have a little advantage because Japanese grammar is very similar to Korean. Obviously what Lisa said it's key, but they already have the grammar structure, and sometimes similar words. What I have heard from Sana in an interview is that for them pronunciation was the hardest part.
True. Japanese and Korean have almost similar sentence construction
I am hungarian and i have been told by a person who knows both korean and japanese that i should start with korean (the only problem is we don't say the H letter when its combined with another consonant, ex: TH, we just say T. Also it might be a me thing but i don't really hear the difference between hard and soft letters)
@@bubliiekqiiopeople have told me it's better to start with japanese
@bubliiekqiio The Korean "h" sound isn't that hard. Normally you a light puff of air from the back of your throat. It's a soft H. The only other h is pounced with a ch that is like saying a thick J sound.
@@tsuyuasui7297 for me personally I’m having a slightly easier time with Korean than I did with Japanese. I love anime so that’s why I wanted to learn it, I just couldn’t figure out the alphabet as easily as Korean.
As a "foreigner" who's been fluent in Korean for several years now, I partially agree with most of these points. The evidence suggests that when you start learning a language, especially one as complex as Korean, it's absolutely fine, if not recommended, that you begin with lots of comprehensible input with little to no output. The concept of "start speaking from day one" is partly a myth and partly language-dependent. If you were learning French as a native English speaker, this might be possible, but for Korean, you are far better off learning and listening to as much Korean as you possibly can because if you can't understand what other people are saying, it's pretty pointless to be able produce a few random phrases or sentences. Only once you start understanding the language can you truly participate in conversation and it's waaaay easier to learn how to speak once you have a decent grasp of basic grammar and can understand 1000+ words. I basically got fluent through the TTMIK's 이야기 series and 수다 타임. I literally memorised and mimicked everything from those series and produced it as often as I could with my Korean friends and 1.5 years later, I was essentially high B2, closing in on C1. Don't get it misconstrued though, speaking was ultimately the thing that led me to become fluent of course BUT it was because I developed my listening and vocab first and then got into speaking later on. Good luck guys.
But remember the testing effect can help you to learn by priming your brain too. So output is good early IF you can deal with being bad at it and struggling and not give up. If it’s more likely to make someone quit, then I’d definitely agree with you.
Babies are exposed to many words before they understand them. I guess we should mimic how languages are naturally learned.
Where i can found those series that you mentioned it?
How many years did it take you to get fluent in korean??
@@iamFOvie 1.5 years with about 3 hours of study a day
Native Korean speaker here! We can often understand each other even if our grammar isn't spot-on. Why? Korean has a very flexible word order, allowing us to rearrange sentences without changing the meaning. Sounds strange, right? But I've been doing it all along, and other native Korean speakers have understood me perfectly! It's true!
The biggest thing for me learning Korean was that already knowing Japanese makes it SOOOOOOOO easy.
Yep. I have a niece who's been learning Japanese for over 10 years and I told her that learning Korean will be way easier for her than it is for me.
@@misspriss2482 I was amazed when I started learning Korean. The grammar, sentence structure, and even a lot of words are almost the exact same. Was just so much easier than when I first learned Japanese.
I'm doing the opposite right now haha! Having already studied Korean is making learning Japanese a million times easier. All you really have to focus on are the Kanji since everything else is so similar!
Yup!! That’s where I’m at now, highly recommend haha Korean is the easiest language to learn for Japanese speakers.
True of the opposite too!
@@Adam-vx6to I started learning Korean before learning Japanese, and I was also amazed at the similarities. Whenever I try to understand Japanese grammar, the best way for me to learn was to compare it with Korean grammar. I also started making a list of all the words that (almost) sound and mean exactly the same lol. Though I feel like polite/formal language is a lot harder in Japanese.
If you think about it, immersion makes perfect sense. That’s how we all learned our language as babies.
We also read, were read to, wrote, etc... it's never any one thing and they're all very important
Thats literally what they said@@destroyermaker
I like how Felix's part is the "Most Replayed"
It's important to remember that idols are also doing very intensive learning compared to the average person. Their companies hire teachers for them, and some of them spend hours a day every day doing their Korean lessons on top of their own study and practice outside of class. That's not reasonable for most people, unless you're a full time language student. So people shouldn't compare themselves to idols and get down on themselves about not getting the language as fast, because these idols should be learning much faster than you just based on how much time they're spending studying the language every day with a teacher at their disposal on top of being in a fully immersive environment. Their circumstances are completely different from most people's.
That's such a nice thing to say! We can very easily compare ourselves to them in ways that are simply not fair. Thank you for point that out!
There's also one more aspect that no one mentioned and that is that idols appearing in variety shows and doing interviews have quite limited set of topics they know they will be required to talk about. There are things that they can with 100% certainty know they won't be asked about. That narrow scope helps them appear more fluent in the beginning.
Yeah idols have to learn the language and since they live in Korea or Japan, it makes it easier, even though I can type a bit of Japanese and speak a bit of Japanese, it's all thanks to watching anime and listening to Japanese songs and they have to learn to it because they will need to be able to sing it to their fans etc, but there are other ways to learn Korean such as language exchange apps
I would second your point about reading out loud. It is incredibly helpful.
When I moved to France 20+ years ago and really started learning the language I was given a very helpful tip (much like what you said) "French is learned with the mouth"
I think we concentrate so much on the internal cognitive aspects of learning that we forget that language is expressed through the body, mouth and gesture/body language. Muscles used in each language are different. My mouth used to actually ache a bit after speaking French all day because I was using new muscles. The connections between what you want to say and actually saying it (connecting language centre to motor skills) need to be practiced over and over again to build them. It really helped me to read out loud and ever since I try to do that when I study another language.
OMG i had never realised my mouth muscles ache too when I practice speaking any language I'm learning... I think I had kinda thought about it but never trust myself and just ignore the thought hahah thanks for your advice and motivation 8) So interesting you moved to France!🇫🇷
My mouth also hurts after speaking in French 😂 didn’t make the connection about using new muscles !
Its so fascinating that minnie and yuqi improved their korean so much by talking to each other even tho theyre both foreigners but they probably made each other very comfortable so they improved really fast
idk about minnie, but yuqi already learned korean in china
Really? How much did she learn before she came to korea? @@andij605
I think the US Government calls quick language learning tactics "immersion methods." I worked a truck driver for 30 years and worked my way inside and was transportation managing behind a desk too. At one place I worked, one of my peers was offered a transportation management position at a trucking firm in a small city in France. He took the job despite not knowing ANY French. I saw him three years later when he returned for some family event and he spoke French like a native, at least to my untrained ear. I saw him at a store, and he said the best way he learned is the motivation method described here. He HAD to learn as very few people around him spoke English.
Great video and well presented TTMIK people.
1. Output (talking to speakers):
0.1 - watch/listen Korean speech
0.2 - read out loud, so it's good for your speaking also
2. Motivation
1.1 - internal, when you learn it for your own goals.
1.2 - instrumental, when you need Korean in practice, job.
3. Systematic & consistent learning opportunities. Mostly needed in professionals' help to continue "consistence".
Felix is such an angel and always gives his honest advice which I greatly appreciate.
Thank you for this video! I'm hoping to really take my Korean language learning more seriously this year! Fighting everyone!
@@NetrunnerOne because I don't know how .. lol wtf
A lot of comments here are about immersion, and while that definitely helps just being immersed doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll learn the language. I’ve met so many people who live in countries with very low English levels but who never get proficient in the local language even after years because they’ve found the few people who speak English and get by without it, or don’t challenge themselves etc. Even if you are immersed you still need to put in effort to improve, and at the same time you don’t need to be living in Korea to create an immersive environment!
Well-said! I especially love your last sentence ☺️ Can't agree more
Its also selfish, native speakers are NOT your language teacher and will let you make all those bad grammer mistakes without correcting you, letting your mind form bad habits that you have to unlearn later down the road. A sinking man cannot swim, and found that the people who say you have to go to the country to learn it are just to lazy in there own country and blame there lack of progress on the fact there not in the country.
i dont live in america and i’m not surrounded around english native speaking people that much just by consuming the language to my everyday life, like online friends, music, media, series, singing, for years just made me more fluent than my actual native language 😭
I don't know how anyone can think immersion is enough when so many immigrants who have lived in a country 20-30 years have only rudimentary language skills. Whether it's English in America or Korean in Korea immersion without focused studying does very little.
Exacty! i definetly agree with you, youd have to take a few classes or courses to learn a language while learning from natives
The summarizing is so effective. My friend and I watch a Kdrama and we summarize each episode in Korean and explain it to each other. Also talking about interesting stories about your life or your concerns to yourself helps a lot with finding words that you don't know and learning them.
Aw, Felix is one of the reasons why I’m learning Korean! ♥️ This clip of him always reminds me of that and helps me a lot to motivate myself! Thank you for this interesting video!
I live in NY and started dating a korean girl 2 months ago who is studying here. I have been using duolingo and deerlingo to learn, but having her teach me the casual informal way to speak to her and her friends has really been the break through for me
Than you probably have a lot of motivation to learn the language! I’ve met my korean boyfriend through tandem learning. And over 5 years later still don’t speak korean and his german improved a bit but we never practiced again together 😅
My streak on Duolingo is like 2000 something and I just don't think it's helpful for fluency. You can learn bits and bobs and some phrases but I don't think it's a good tool for actually conversing and speaking a foreign language well
It worked for mee! 저는 요즘 한국어를 다시 연습해요 ㅎㅎ
I really like the idea of learning languages. Lately, i started with Korean. And while improving with the basics, im worrying constantly about my motivation. For now, i think i have the motivation i need. But im not a person who can think on the future and being in peace with me. Depression, anxiety... This type of video helps a lot. Thanks.
Now, apart of that. What video or playlist u can recommend from ur channel to start with basic sentenses? Or... How to start, basicly? I got hangul already... some general vocabulary... But not that much other than that.
Thank you for your comment! We'd recommend the following playlist. This series is one of the most popular series of our channel and is targeted to Korean beginners. As you already learned Hangeul, these videos will come in handy! 파이팅!
th-cam.com/video/Jzep8XeOvwY/w-d-xo.html
@@talktomeinkorean Thanks for ur quick response :) gonna check it for sure. Have a nice day/night! :)
Lisa is just naturally gifted at learning languages. She speaks Thai, english, japanese and Korean.
And she speaks alittle bit of Chinese too😮
Same as Minnie.
She doesn’t speak Japanese anywhere near fluently.
@@badiahe yeah about as much as anyone could with a few hours of google translate lol. You all honestly overestimate most idols’ language abilities. Other than Korean and their own native language(s), most foreign idols can’t really speak more languages that well.
@scholarssolutions6735 well her English is pretty fantastic so you're wrong there. I speak Japanese and she's fluent. Yoohyeon from Dreamcatcher speaks English glish very very well and Cantonese quite profeciantly and a bit of German. So sorry you're just wrong.
It's simple: 1) They have excellent teachers. 2) They have a full immersion environment. 3) They have enormous financial incentive to learn.
A foreign English teacher in Korea has none of these things, so it should be no surprise that most of them never achieve fluency in Korean.
It's worth keeping in mind that many K-pop idols undergo years of training prior to their debut, so it's not uncommon for some of them to take a while to become fluent in Korean. However, this might not be apparent to fans since they are usually only exposed to the idols after their debut. For instance, Shuhua from (G)-Idle had only trained for 2 years before her debut, and her Korean proficiency wasn't very good at first. Even now, her Korean skills are not very strong. In contrast, some idols have trained for 5, 6, or even 10 years while simultaneously learning Korean.
I think what a lot of people tend to miss is, aside from factors such as motivation and exposure, languages that have been heavily influenced by Middle Chinese will share a working vocabulary that will often be as similar between each other as European languages'. It's a big reason why East Asian students tend to progress much faster in Korean. With Japanese in particular, both the vocab and the grammar are very similar, so naturally they are likely to learn Korean the fastest.
I’m learning French which is easier for me since I also speak Portuguese and Spanish but I definitely could relate to Felix’s words when I first started learning Portuguese.
Once you accept where you are you can then make the changes necessary to learn well. So don’t stress yourself out comparing yourself to others’ progress. ❤
yaaaaa
The clip from Felix really helped me motivate myself when I found learning Korean difficult😭thanks for putting it in
I also recently heard a great metaphor about learning a language. Learning a language can be like climbing a mountain while climbing it will be a long and hard journey but reaching the top and seeing the breathtaking view is totally worth it.
I'll be 40 this year and I've just started learning Korean like a month ago. As a German, who has lived abroad, I'm already fluent in english and a bit of Dutch, but korean is a whole different level. The structure of a sentence is so different and as I get older it's a bit harder to remember everything😅. But I put in a couple hours every day and talk out loud, I'm also trying to make Korean friends here in Germany so I can practice what I've learned. One thing you should never do is give up. You can only improve, no matter how slow of a learner you are.
The difference your mother tongue has with your target language effects everything so much. As a Turk, i learned English by myself and it was hard to understand some parts of structure but since i was like 13 while learning, i just keep on going cuz i didnt have another thing to do. Now im learning Korean which is really similar to Turkish in many ways, i can feel the fun of learning a language. But when its harder, you will feel even more proud after learning it and i bet it will become easier&funnier as you keep going. Never give up!
@syeaahhhh not funnier, more fun**
Yes! This motivated me so much! We got this! 화이팅!!
I've realized hat immersion is really the only way to learn a language successfully, just like how we learn our mother tongue. Without immersion, for me, only about half the information gets retained. I learned how to read and write Spanish in class but to speak it, fluently or not, I had to learn with a native Spanish speaker and only then was I able to pick up on conversation and engage in conversation. I'm learning Korean now which is much more challenging since it uses a Non-Roman alphabet and has many sounds English. doesn't have, like the r/l sound sounds closer in both Spanish and Korean than it does in English. Thanks for the learning tips and I appreciate your channel. 🤍
So many immigrants in America live there 20-30 years without becoming fluent in English, while so many Europeans learn English really well without ever meeting a native speaker. Immersion is just one of many things that lead to successful language learning.
@@ProteaAurea Those immigrants live decades avoiding native speakers, surrounding themselves with other immigrants and using their children as translators, while the Europeans spend decades consuming countless English movies, shows, songs, video games and social media content. Living in the country doesn't mean you immerse yourself in the language, and immersion doesn't require you to live in the country.
Thank you for this video. It has given me some more motivation to keep studying Korean and not be so upset that I am not learning quickly. I’m a slow language learner but I know when it clicks i will be so happy I didn’t give up!!
Btw. I live in Korea. Have a tutor. I have opportunities to speak Korean but often don’t listen to Korean much. I’m trying to increase my intake.
i almost cried with the message of yeji, im starting korean lessons next week and im so excited but nervous at the same time! thanks for the motivation
i often watch language learning videos and most of the time they recommend the same tips and tricks to improve. this video though is totally mind blowing!! practical tips mixed with psychological facts is just my cup of tea. i will try to implement every recommendation into my daily life, 선생님!
~ big thank you from italy 💕
😭😭😭😭 I’ve been trying to learn for 7 years OMG I hadn’t even noticed it was that long!!! But I always feel like I’m still basic and beginner that I can never advance, but Yeji is right when I was reading out loud it was advancing faster and I need to continue that. As someone who doesn’t have friends here to talk to all the time I need to find ways for output. I need to talk more to my friends in Korea in Korean more often as well. One day I will visit Korea again and actually be fluent understanding everything! Goals! 여러분 할 수 있어요! 화이팅! 성생님들 감사합니다!
P.S. it was also 7 yrs ago after wanting and trying to learn Korean on my own that I found TTMIK! Watching its progress is amazing!
focus on input, read, read, read, audio, podcast! you got this!
Thank you for including Felix, he really studied korean hard and with help from members, books etc... I am a proud stay having him as inspiration to keep going
Clearly Lisa, Minnie, and Yuqi are not only more motivated but intrinsically far smarter than the typical foreign language learner. Sorry if it's hard for you to internalise that they're not only more beautiful, talented, and intelligent, but also more motivated and dedicated than the rest of us!
when you have a private teacher, who you can ask at any time, and you are forced to study several hours a a day, you learn pretty quick i'd imagine.
This was so helpful. For some reason, so many people on youtube say stuff like, "I just took a week and learned all the grammar, then picked up all the vocab in the next month. After that, I was just fluent." It's just pointless and depressing. But this helped a ton. Thank you!
1 - Their native language share similar roots
2 - They need to speak the language for their own survival
3 - They're surrounded by native speaker
Bonus: If they're speaking a tonal language, like Minnie or Jackson, they have a higher chance of having perfect pitch and be good at recognizing intonation patterns regardless.
Edit ( after watching the video ): Yup close enough guesses. Money is indeed a thing too, these entertainment companies invest a lot in their artists.
I completely agree with everything that was mentioned. What helped me the two times I lived in Korea was going downtown and surrounding myself with Koreans interacting so I could study body language, tone, etc which helped me with my confidence and accent. I would then purposely put myself into situations where I needed to use my Korean in order to buy something, ask a question, etc. Don't worry about making mistakes...it's going to happen..just be sure to learn from those mistakes. Even now my Korean is not what it once was since I have been away 7 years, but I am starting courses next week in order to be fluent by the time I move back in 2025 and I can't wait!
I think immersion helps a lot, I feel my Korean has increased a lot than before after I started working as an Kor-Eng interpreter/translator, even tho I still have a lotttttt to learn but yea I am better than before~
Outro music is Henry Young & Ashley Alisha - Play no games. In case anyone was curious.
This was more helpful than any video I’ve seen thus far for studying
Very well said! I enjoyed this video and it inspired me to continue pushing to learn Korean. I have a Korean partner but we default to English so much. I want to make a more conscious effort and properly make the best of the fact that I have someone who I can comfortably learn from
Hi! Great content!!
All of these pieces of advice are very useful! I tried most of them except the first one about speaking with people in Korean. Although I do have Korean acquaintances I'm never sure how to approach them. Especially regarding using social media, one downside is that it's easier for me to write my message in Korean rather than speaking it directly because I have time to think.
I would love to know how to approach Koreans in the future. That would be a great tip for me if you would like to teach it.
Also, I have to say that speaking Korean out loud or any other language is a tip that saved me so much! I tend to think that it's a pretty underrated method that should get more attention from learners. It doesn't only help you improve your pronunciation and speaking abilities but also helps you get over the anxieties of speaking Korean or any other language you learn. I know it's a bit cringe at first to hear yourself but you'll come to like it when you get results from this kind of practice.
Have a good day and keep up the great work!
In terms of language acquisition living in an environment where people only speak your target language is crucial to improving quickly, also the urge to improve to survive and live a more social live plays a role too I think. Personally I think listening to comprehensible listening content is very useful to fake the first thing I mentioned, in some way :)
native speakers are not your parents or teachers. native speakers will not correct your mistakes, letting you form bad habits which you will have to unlearn later down the road making your job twice as hard. focus on input, both reading and audio get to above intermid and then immersion will be a benefit
The truth is that some people are just not skilled in learning languages, and others get a lot of help(like the idols), not to mention that they don't really deal with that many things as a normal human because they have people to do things for them. It's not the same for everyone. Talking in the video for only 3 people is not enough proof to make it like "the same" for all. I teach kids Korean English, and every kid learns in a different way. So my advice is to find the best way for you, it's not a guarantee that you will learn like those people did. :)
i am always trying to revise my learned vocabulary with imagining speaking with idols in korean. It helps alot
How K-pop Idols Learn Korean Quickly (Summed up)
Focus on Output: Prioritize speaking and writing actively, not just passive input (listening/reading).
Practice Methods:
Summarize videos in Korean
Explain experiences to imaginary Korean friends
Read aloud in Korean to improve fluency
Strong Motivation: Both internal (liking K-pop) and instrumental (career advancement) motivations boost learning
Consistent, Structured Support: Their labels provide systematic training and resources.
What We Can Learn
Increase Your Speaking Practice: Find ways to actively use Korean, even if you don't have many Korean-speaking people around.
Build Stronger Motivations: Look for practical applications of Korean beyond K-pop and dramas to stay motivated.
Utilize Established Resources: Use well-designed curricula and services like Talk To Me In Korean for a structured learning experience.
Important Reminders
Learning Pace is Individual: Don't compare yourself unfairly to idols. They have unique advantages and still work hard over time.
Be Kind to Yourself: Language learning takes time and effort. Celebrate your progress!
HORI7ON (호라이즌)'s Marcus can now carry basic conversations with their Korean fans. So impressive! Korean is now his third language after Filipino and English.
It really helps if you practice with native speakers especially in the day-to-day setting like at the grocery
Immersion is key to learning foreign languages
Immersian learning is so difficult for me here....I've lived in S. Korea for 2 years, and still cant even have a conversation...now mind you, i live in what would be considered the "countryside." So whenever i have the chance to talk to Native Koreans, it's only at the supermarket or at my job. And it's only basic conversation, like "do you need a bag? Would you like your receipt?" I once tried small talk with the cashier and she didnt even acknowledge it. 😂 And whenever i go to Seoul and try to speak Korean, they either speak English back to me, or the Korean is so advanced that im completely lost and all conversation just stops. 😂 I've joined language exchange apps but very quickly learned that that is NOT what they are for here. I wish Koreans (in my towm) loved small talk!!! That would be so helpful!!!
It took me around 2 years alone to get adjusted to the language. I'm not much of an active learner, I just practice by making new friends, but after living in Korea for 6 years, I'm pretty confident with my abilities. Give yourself some more time and it will come to you naturally! Also, I know those apps like HelloTalk can be difficult. I tried many times too. Your better chance is to become a "regular" at a local bar or Cafe and make friends there. That's what I did!
well said, i learned chinese in university in my country but i went to China to study and i saw the difference, learn much more in China, my teacher spoke just chinese, i have to speak chinese to make people understand myself, i made chinese friends, some speak english but i have some who don't speak english and i have to speak chinese with her. I spend 6 month in China, i didn't become fully fluent but after 6 month i could make a conversation just in chinese
Your videos have become an essential part of my study routine. They help me prepare and understand better than any textbook!
Thank you so much, TTMIK ❤
Don’t underestimate the power of speaking with friends in Korean! It’s so right that being able to speak in a stress free environment helps soooo much. In my second semester of Korean language school (I was legit only in level 2!) one of my classmates and friends spoke no English at all. So even though we couldn’t speak Korean well, we only used Korean with each other. By the end of the semester we were speaking super easily with each other. Sure, it wasn’t amazing and we were still surely making grammar mistakes, but we figured out the flow and the ability to speak in a way to make others understand.
OMG the reading aloud tip is gold. It's so obvious but I never actually thought of it.
it's easy to learn a foreign language if you're living in a country or surrounded by people that is using that language. reading and learning the grammar is just the first step, you needed someone to communicate and practice with them
definitely immersion and the inability of choice/no slacking off really. you're in the country surrounded by the language. people are speaking it, it is on the signs, you need to take the bus, order food. you HAVE to speak it to get by truly. plus for many of them it really is part of their job and they have dedicated time to study on top of all that. it would be awesome to be there taking it all in from every angle!
its helpful when they are surrounded by other people that are speaking korean
2:34 minnie and yuqi just set the bar too high for every foreign idol
These explanations are all part of how they tend to learn Korean so fast, but there is a lot of biology behind it too. And the biology of language learning is what will keep older language learners frustrated even if they are able to apply most or all of the things you highlight in this video
There are two primary scientific/biologic factors at play here: Age and their native language's proximity to Korean
Studies have shown that children and teens/young adults learn foreign languages significantly faster than adults even after other factors are accounted for. For one, most of these idols start training in middle-school or younger, and their young brains are still developing new neural pathways at a staggering rate. The more a person ages, the harder it is to do that. Plain and simple. An additional age-based factor is related to the fact that as our brains age, we actually lose the ability to hear and process many of the phonemes used in spoken foreign language IF we haven't been using them ourselves or frequently exposed to them (in general - there's always going to be exceptions). So a native English-only speaker will generally lose most of their ability to hear many of the subtle differences in certain pronunciations that are absolutely vital to learning to understand and speak another language. Of course, the more different a language is from the native speakers', the more profound the effect
Which brings us to how similar your native language is to the language you're trying to learn. If you are born in China, Japan, or even Southeast Asia as many K-Pop Idols are, chances are pretty good that you can distinguish the different subtleties in sounds/pronunciations/phonemes used in the Korean language more easily than a native English speaker. Hell, many Korean words are derived from Chinese. If you couple that with the fact that these idols are literally moving to Korea (immersion) at a young age (brain still forming, tons of new neural pathways available), then it's no wonder some of them pick up on it "so easily". Combine that with some of the grammatical similarities between many Asian languages and they have a *massively* significant advantage over your typical, average, adult Korean learner (especially those of us used to Latin-based/Germanic language sentence structures)
Basically, even without the huge investment by their entertainment agencies for round-the-clock tutors and such, they would STILL have an easier time than the vast majority of us. It's certainly not impossible, just saying that if you are an adult language learner, you just simply cannot compare yourself to a child/teen language learner. If all other factors are equal, you'll still have a harder time, sadly 😭😭😭
Thank you for coming to my TED talk
It's not a mystery. They learn it so fast the same way babies learn English so fast. They are immersed in it, they hear it all day, and everyone around them speaks it. If you are constantly having to speak it to be understood and people are constantly talking to you in that language, you will learn it a lot faster. On the opposite end of the spectrum, I am a native English speaker and no one I know speaks Korean. Other than language apps or apps where I can connect with a native speaker, I have zero opportunities to speak Korean. I don't hear it all day long either so I don't use it all day nor do I have to think in that language. We can make use of some of their techniques, but we shouldn't compare ourselves to them.
Korean would be my 4th language I’m learning. Hmong is my first, English is second and Spanish is my third. My current and main output is speaking back to my screen in Korean when I watch my kdramas. Whether it’s a personal response or predicting what the other character will say, it’s a natural thing that I do now. ☺️🤓
Thank you, this was motivational & very appreciated ❤
Thank you sharing this encouraging video @Talktomeinkorean. :)
You are so welcome!
I bought 5 books of Talk to me in korean and its very good! I still have my 9th level to finish and the 10th to start 💪
It's an important distinction to make, as well, that the example idols listed are all still Asian in origin; Which means their own native languages are not grammatically Latin, like English and other Western learners are used to, so there is a relatively smaller learning curve experienced.
It would be comparable to one of us learning another Latin-based language, like Spanish, or French.
I was just thinking about this lately... I have been learning korean by myself at home since 2020 already and I am intermediate (I think) I already know lots of words I can use, enough grammar to comunicate, but still find it difficult to understand everything I hear in korean and I can't express myself that fluently either, I really felt stuck in my learning progress; but yesterday thanks to another video and now this one as well I got a bit motivated again, it's true that even if I consume a lot of korean content it's still not the same as being always sorrounded by korean and having to speak it, so in the other video the girl said she just listened to a podcast in the language she's learning and just understand what she did and just "ignore" what she didn't, kinda learning as natural as babies do when they start speaking! So I thought "if I already know enough things, why stressing that much?" I'll just keep speaking the best I can and listening when I consume korean content and don't stress or get anxious with the things I don't understand, it is OK!! Thanks to this video now, I can see that it is true, I have NO korean people to talk with, I am as far from Korea as many of us and I am not HAVING to speak it to comunicate in daily life, so guys, let's not give up!! 화이팅!! 그리고 TTMIK의 선생님들 이 영상을 주셔서 너무 감사합니다💞
저도요! 화이팅 ㅎㅎㅎ
When I learn as well, my 쌤 only speak in Korean and I have no way to interact with her other than trying to speak in Korean. Within 2 months I can speak basic expression, within 9 months I can already order food for myself in the restaurant. This is 5hrs daily 5 days a week for 2 years straight and I finished learning from Level 1 all the way to Level 6. My TOPIK score was Level 5 at that time. So I do agree being forced to speak and live in and around the language helps a lot.
This is my first time ever seeing you, but I'm subscribing. Your way of presenting information is very smooth and appealing. Also, the quality of information itself is very valuable, because it's authentic, practical, and relatable. As an English teacher to ESL/EFL learners, but also a student of korean, I commend you for this.
i always wondered this. impressive how they learn so fast
I started to learn korean three years ago, I realized that Korean Idols also would need to learn, but no one just ever told me how they learned until I saw this video. GOOD, NEO MU JO A HE YO.
From experience working as a sound engineer, I feel like the best practice they have is the intense recording sessions they do where they have to get the perfect take over and over with meticulous attention to every syllable.
They often end up with a conscious understanding of the subtle details of the language that even native speakers only understand subconsciously.
Meaning, their approach to language is closer to how most people would approach learning a new musical style/instrument than learning a language.
Yess!!! That’s amazing ❤
안녕하세요! ...맞아요! 리사처럼 저도 영어를 그렇게 배웠어요!! 😉ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ ..because of my parents work as a teenager I suddenly had to move abroad and found myself attending an only english speaking school ....and oh boy! ...I was fluent after 6 month!! ...😅😅
Without a doubt "instrumental Motivation" is key for fast learning.. For example, in my experience, even having studied Korean for over 7 years now (simply on internal motivation), it was only after my brief visit to Seoul that I was able to "brake" that barrier/fear where I HAD to make myself understood in korean whilst trying to understand korean natives speaking back at me .....if only I had an extra 5 month there!!!😉😅😅
I love watching all your videos it helps so much.❤
I think motivation is the key😊 Imagine working in a foreign country without knowing much of their language, you will too do all you can to acquire that language😂
HOW DID I KNOW THEY WERE GONNA CALL FELIX OUT😭
I WAS LOOKING FOR THIS COMMENT HAHAH💕❤️
A good friend of mine majored in Spanish in college in the early 2000’s and spoke it fluently for years. She said staying for just a summer in Spain helped her a ton. I guess when you’re surrounded by the language and native speakers, there really isn’t much choice but to learn if you want to communicate effectively.
Prop to the foreigner idol. Not only they had to compete on the standard level of dancing and singing, but they also have to study a new language and be good at it just to survive in idol world. Those who has strong internal motivation tend to strive and success.
thank you for this well-explained video - this helped me a lot! :)
That's probably the benefits of what we called in Linguistics: "language contact," wherein, there should be a conversation between a language learner and a native speaker (e.g. Korean). This is somehow useful if a person wants to learn foreign languages quickly. If someone is being exposed to a foreign language, with no chance of speaking his/her native tongue, that's when a motivation comes, wherein, a person will force himself/herself to use that foreign language for a better communication, so that there will be no language barrier. It is also a some kind of survival in another country, honestly speaking.
Thank you so much🧡
Watching this type of video gives me hope in future that I can understand Korean in future & speak fluently on it. I can write Korean but I have a hard time when reading it (I can understand some words tho) but when creating a sentences, I quickly lose it...
my friend and i speak random korean at work and it’s sooo helpful. he’s a bit better with grammar and i’m better at conversational. man, finding a language partner is so useful
Well 1. As soon as they go to Korea, everything is Korean, you have no choice but to be immersed or fail. 2. Trainee schedules are tight with language, especially with the foreigners, you have intensive Korean lessons everyday of training. You can become conversational within 3 months of intense learning. Some of the methods (like Lisa only being allowed to speak Korean in lessons) cause stress and you don’t learn (like this video says), this happened to me in university and the teachers didn’t understand that making students like me feel super uncomfortable and scared to mess up even a tiny bit made me and others so anxious that we just didn’t and couldn’t speak. Being a foreign trainee is brutal because you really have to train but also being alert 24/7 to actively understand Korean so you’re studying 24/7, whether that be Korean or your practical skills in the arts.
Depends what kind of curriculum and if you enjoy following it 7:35
its easy. you study 25 hours a day, 8 days per week, 59 weeks per year. and you will master it in no time.
I learnt words and certain small phrases but I always forget but I learned from watching a lot of Korean tv , kdramas and kpop I don’t think it’s a hard language you can listen to what they say for maybe 2 weeks and know certain words fast but I do think learning it professionally can help with the informal and formal and some weirds have double meanings and you can say the same sentence in a different way so it’s easy to learn the basics really fast but the korean language is definitely a little complex and considering the way you speak to people in Korean is a big thing the best way to get it right is by learning professionally
thank you, i believe this will be helpful, even for other languages :)
immersion is key. i had a friend who moved to portugal and within not even a year she could pretty much understand portuguese perfectly (not fully speak it though) just because she was surrounded by it 24/7
I learned basic Japanese first during high school, which have similar sentence structures as Korean. Both languages also use the concepts of name honorifics, formal & casual forms of verbs, etc. So when I took Korean in college (as a Kpop fan during the Gen 1 era), its first semester course was not that hard for me. But I struggled with pronunciation, since some consonant sounds are similar to each other, and some vowel sounds could have more than one possible spelling, etc. I also didn't have anyone to practice with outside of class. For the past few years I've been relearning Japanese with apps and videos, mainly because I have "instrumental motivation" for it. Some day I might relearn Korean too, due to getting back into Kpop since last year. 🎉
Just saw this at my recommendations. Korean isn't really my target language but I'm sure to use your advice on other languages i do want to learn!
Good video! These days I don't really know where i stand in korean learning,its like I'm not making any progress. I feel like my mind has been put on halt.
Immersion is key. It helps to accelerate the “input” for sure. I hope to visit Korea in the next couple of years, but in the meantime, I would like to do a language exchange with a native speaker. I try to expose myself by listening to and reading Korean out loud every day; even if I don’t know every word, I sound it out words and look them up to see how accurate my pronunciation was after all.
I would imagine that when it is your job, it is pretty easy to learn it quickly. Best example I can think of is the Mormons(LDS). They focus hard on the specific stuff they need to know for their mission, and live it day in and out.
Other end of the spectrum : Defense Language Institute is more realistic for heavy focus, 64 weeks basic course, 7 hours a day, 5 days a week. Then two 19 week course for intermediate and advanced.
Myself, I find it very easy to consume content, but very difficult to remain motivated to study solo. italki is too expensive for me to use as much as I think I would need to get that output based stuff down.
Im mexican but i started to study english since i was very young, i went for about 3 years to a school that teaches both english and spanish everyday, the english teachers were strict, two of my cousins are fluent in english and i used to practice with them, my mom also signed me in extra classes every weekend to study english while i was studying english for like 2 years i guess? And in my nornal school they used to teach me english two days every week, my mom also told me to consume media in english and all of this helped me to keep a conversation in english, how to write it, read it, and even think in english, like last year my mom and me went to Canada and i was the one who talked to the people in there and that gave me confidence to talk english with people from other country! With all of that it helped me a lot to think everyday in english, even my phone's setting is in english, im even taking a marketing course in english online! There are some things that i still need to learn about the language but since it was easy for me to learn it i decided to challenge myself to practice another language, i was between french or korean but i think korean fits a bit more to me? Im going to make my own study plan with my experience learning english, maybe ill use some methods that worked for me to make it easier to learn korean, im aware that its going to take me a few years since i experienced it with english but i wont give up so while im still practicing english ill study korean and this video was helpful so ill take some tips from here with the knowledge i already have from all of these years that i studied english, this took me so long to write and im pretty sure nobody will read this but if you do please tell me if i made some mistakes like im still learning❤
this is so true, I only knew a few phrases because of kdramas, but when I went to study abroad for a semster, I took a korean class, i learned the alphabet in ONE NIGHT because I signed up late for the class. I would jokingly try speaking korean to friends when we went out in korea. And being in korea not being able speak korean really made me so frustrated with myself so that was a great motivator. While I havent practiced since, I learned sm in 5 months.
Lisa once said she watch a lot of Korean movies. I think that's one of the reason to improve learning language.
Minnie ! ❤The reason I'm learning Korean
I think a big factor for them that most people can’t imitate is time. It’s their job basically to learn so they can dedicate hours a day and are surrounded by the language. Meanwhile, the average person has to learn around their life. So we can never be as fast and and it’s good to remember that.