Billy Go's Blog

People have told me they’re too nervous to speak Korean, and wonder what they should do. Well I used to have this same problem when I was a beginner, and even later on after I started improving. In this new episode of my podcast “Into Korean” I share my own experiences with feeling anxious to speak Korean, as well as chat with a guest (Sami from Australia) who shares her experiences with language anxiety.

What actually happens when you take a long break from studying Korean? I met Ashemon -who once took a 3 year break and then came back to become fluent in Korean – why he stopped, what he did to get going again, and what advice he has for other people who’ve done the same.

Korean has 7 diphthongs and they are ㅢ, ㅘ, ㅝ, ㅟ, ㅙ, ㅚ, ㅞ. All of these can be practiced and mastered in an easier way. In this video I simplify how to pronounce each of them, as well as talk about some of their common quirks.

Cafe culture has completely changed over the past two decades. When I first went to Korea 20+ years ago, cafes weren’t the default way of meeting someone like they are now. In my newest episode of “Into Korean” I share what changed, talk about Korean cafe culture with a cafe owner in Seoul, as well as how to order from a cafe like a native speaker.

Shadowing is where you listen to a native Korean speaker say something and you try repeating it exactly as you heard it – with the same intonation, tone, speed, volume, and everything. But that’s easier said than done. Here are some tips for how to more effectively do shadowing to improve your Korean speaking.

I want to know about your experiences – have any of you ever tried learning Korean through Japanese, or vice versa? What was it like, and what advice would you give to someone else attempting the same thing?

I used to do this when I was first learning Korean and had some difficulties with it, so I wanted to make this video to summarize what you should expect, what you should avoid, and how you can make the process more effective.

Do you know the difference between 당황하다 and 황당하다, as well as other versions like 당황스럽다? I break down how they’re different, how it’s not simply the syllables switched (they’re different meanings), and how you can use them with examples.

How come you can understand what other people are saying, but you can’t speak yourself. Sometimes I’ve met people who say they can understand more than half of a conversation, but aren’t able to reply when they’re asked a question. We talked about what’s going on, as well as more importantly what we can do to fix this.

What are some ways you can start a conversation with a Korean, without it sounding too forced or without making them feel uncomfortable? Mallo Academy helped me out, and we shared several ways that you can practice speaking by starting conversations with strangers and with friends. We also talked about how you can then keep the conversation going.

How much Korean do you really need in order to live in Korea? I asked people in Seoul what they think during my fan meetup this summer at the Han River. I also asked how much Korean someone needs to feel comfortable in Korea, and what someone might miss out on if they don’t know any Korean but live in Korea.