Learning to Speak Korean
I started learning Korean because my favorite K-pop group sings in Korean. I want to understand their songs without subtitles. My online teacher, Kim-sunbae, is from Seoul. She teaches me new words every week. This week, I learned “annyeonghaseyo” (hello), “gamsahamnida” (thank you), and “banana ga joahaeyo” (I like bananas). I practice by singing K-pop songs and repeating the lyrics. I also use a Korean learning app that has fun games. My dad bought me a Korean-English dictionary. Last week, I wrote a short message to my Korean pen pal, Ji-hoon. He wrote back and said my Korean was “great.” He sent me a photo of his school. Learning Korean is challenging—some sounds are hard to make—but it’s fun. I can now sing two K-pop songs in Korean. I want to visit South Korea someday to meet Ji-hoon and watch my favorite K-pop group perform.