Learning Korean

One of the pit falls of moving to Korea is that I don’t speak a word of Korean. Yes, it’s crazy I know!

The teachers here are all lovely and have been trying their best through their broken English to help me learn as much as I can.

One teacher who speaks almost no English apart from ‘hello’, ‘yes’, ‘no’ and weirdly the word ‘stupid’ comes in every day, picks up an item and says its name.

To start off with these words, no matter how many times I repeated them went straight out of my mind. I’m not one for learning languages. I can’t spell and I have a terrible memory.

Then I stuck on an idea. I would draw them.

When he tells me a word, I do a little drawing to help me remember and by Jove it’s actually working.

Now I get stood up in front of the faculty at lunch and told to tell the two words I’ve learnt and I now finally remember them.

So I thought I would share them with you lovely people to see if they help (or maybe just amuse).

I have been laughed at by many people here for this idea but ironically my friends have remembered all of the examples I gave them..

There is method to my madness I swear. 

for example (and I apologise for the quick sketches):

Toothpaste –

치약

Chee – Yak

A smiling Yak saying ‘CHEESE’ while brushing his teeth.