Korean Learning Lies DEBUNKED | A Glass with Billy

[@c64844]

I think a lot of people want to become fluent by putting in as little time and effort as possible. Hence, they want to believe that just doing passive activities, like watching dramas or listening to Korean while they sleep, will work. I am a teacher and I find the same thing with my students. I have to remind them that whilst learning CAN be passive, the majority of the time, it is an active task. It requires effort, focus and commitment. Even if you have a teacher, it still doesn't necessarily mean you will be able to learn Korean better. If you just sit there being distracted or hearing the teacher, but not actually listening, you won't learn very much, regardless of how good the teacher may be. You have to be an active participant in the learning process. Actually focus in class, listen to what the teacher is saying, ask questions, get feedback, practice and review. Learning is not always quick or easy. It takes time and effort, but if it's something you really want to learn, then it will be worth it.

[@vidfreak727]

Pronunciation is what I struggle with the most outside of memorizing vowels and consonants.

[@SherryOsborne]

Spinning off the "you only have to live in Korea to learn Korean" there's the flipside, where some people will insist the ONLY way to learn Korean is to move there, and that you can never achieve fluency or a high level anywhere else, which is not true.

[@zombie-bunny]

i dunno what you mean i totally trust those 7 hour learn korean in your sleep videos... >.> 😂

[@rajeshkhilari]

I agree

[@howareyou1999]

What! Really?

[@clarewillison9379]

Oh they totally work, but I can only speak fluent 한글 in my dreams… 😉

[@SherryOsborne]

Oh and also, for shadowing, I LOVE shadowing but it's just another tool and doesn't translate to quick fluency. I can shadow for hours but I may not be the best judge of whether I'm actually saying the phrase correctly. And even if I do, just because I can mimic what someone else said doesn't mean I know how to use it in conversation (and depending on the material, it may not be conversational at all - it's fun to shadow with Korean folk tales but I'm probably not going to get to use lines about using a goblin's magical millstone to make as much rice as I want lol)

[@lalaking7974]

Hum.... I wonder where you got the story about a magical millstone???! 😅😊 - I also feel like shadowing is just another tool to help me feel more confident speaking out loud. (As opposed to in my head, where I sound MUCH better!)

[@SherryOsborne]

@@lalaking7974 Heeeey, I know you! ;)

[@lalaking7974]

@@SherryOsborne 😄💜

[@kimincoree]

Yaay fellow Sogang Student! I agree with all of those, and especially that just being in Korea will get you to speak korean. If you don't make the effort, you can live there for years and not speak any korean! I have met loads of foreigners like that. I myself went weeks without speaking Korean there just because I was surrounded with other foreigners and was not in a situation that required me to speak korean (even in restaurants and cafes there are kiosks to order.) Now having a spouse or BF/GF who is a native speaker will help with having someone who cares enough about you to be patiently listening to you repetitively trying to communicate in slow-incorect-korean with them every day. But a good friend, a tandem partner, a teacher whom ones met with often can to some extent replace that. Good luck with your Korean studies everyone~

[@BoyBlueberry]

This is so true. When I was an exchange student in Korea some years ago I had intense Korean language classes everyday, but I always hung out with foreigners (who couldn't speak Korean) afterwards (and those in the class were of course not native speakers of Korean either). At the end of the semester, I realised that I hadn't really improved as much in my Korean speaking skills as I thought I would 😅

[@kimincoree]

@@BoyBlueberry Yes my experience exactly! I mean the intensive classes are super useful and progresses are made but the speaking part is a bit lacking. Some unis have tandem programs and that's super cool but when I was there and since covid the program was unfortunately not restarted.

[@bunnies8773]

I live in Korea, and I have an American coworker who has lived in Korea for over 10 years, but is unable to hold a basic conversation. Yes, you can learn the names of things such as foods and places, but that won't get you very far if you don't learn sentence structure. One time, while buying train tickets for him and a friend from the machine, he wanted me to change the language to English because it was less of a struggle. I wanted to learn how to use the machines in Korean. So, the part about living in Korea without learning Korean is definitely true.

[@billy44talent]

So true. I understand my wife’s Korean great but struggle to understand strangers. Normally she’s asking me to do some kind of 집안일 though 😅

[@PaulCHa]

I married a Taiwanese girl and thought she could help me learn Mandarin. 😅. I should have realized her being impatient would make her a terrible teacher.😂. I still love her though! She has other great qualities ❤

[@brananrodgers189]

I pretty much have done everything you talked about in an early video. Tried to consume as much vocabulary as possible. It has helped in attempting to form sentences but learning it from a korean teacher is 100 times better. I think i have achieved so much more from my teacher than the 3 years i tried to learn on my own. Listening and learning to form sentences from my teacher has been so beneficial.

[@seajames1690]

Met people living in Korea for 10, even 20 years who could not even make a sentence in Korean. Exposure alone is not going to get you anywhere.

[@craigiefconcert6493]

I agree with everything they say in this video, having not yet learned Korean 😂😂😂 I’ve been married to a Korean for ten years and I don’t speak it at all. Now I’ve finally decided to learn. I expect that she will not tutor me-it would turn out like when I tried to teach her to drive. Not good. 😂😂😂😂 The biggest thing is you only get out what you put in.

[@danielaschobesberger9814]

Great video, thanks! I think it´s funny that you were sitting in front of a text written in my mother tongue (German): "Zur Erinnerung an den Besuch..." 😅

[@user-po2il2eh2di]

Hi billy i just wanted to say that you can learn korean on your own everyone is different some people need teachers while others dont have the time or money to do it or its not acessible in their country. I have been speaking it for 6 years now, i learned korean from watching entertainment shows; variety shows and korean dramas on top of that i would take topik practice tests every week & a few self study courses by using kingsejeong institute, then once i got used to basic korean conversations with took only 6 months for me to be fluent, i would practice speaking korean with my teacher. a year from that i learned about korean grammar and sentence structure along with vocab and more about korean culture, it took me 3 years to be intermediate. also i do have some korean friends which made it easier and i learned korean without living in a korean environment, i live in ny and in my city there is a place called korea town i go there sometimes.

[@user-po2il2eh2di]

I also forgot to say i learned korean by using teuida, and patchim these are korean learning apps. and i interact with a lot koreans, also i read korean articles and watch korean news and podcasts sometimes

[@DlMl420]

very nice video ! I met forest in 신촌 로빈훗 glad to see him again !

[@derrillhutto1152]

I don't know but I have a Korean lady friend who has a podcast and recites the Holy Bible who puts me to sleep. Her speaking in Korean or English is soothing and comforting =sleep 😂😂😂. I think the whole world of her. I'm deep into mandarin right now but I'm trying to pick up some Korean too

[@sua0525]

I've dated 3 Korean guys and I can see how dating a Korean wouldn't be of any help if their English is better, but my first boyfriend, we were on the same level, and the other two barely speak/spoke English. All of these experiences were INCREDIBLY effective for my Korean learning -- my first boyfriend and I did 50-70% Korean and he was able to explain things to me effectively and also write example sentences (I did the same). The last two, well, it was 100% Korean so how could that not help? Sure, they were absolutely awful at explaining grammar, but they corrected my pronunciation and I learned tons of new words just through talking to them. I also learned how to fight and break up in Korean. Highly recommend. Just need to avoid the shitty sexist guys.

[@christianepieper9481]

To learn while sleeping sounds perfect 😂

[@fransmith3255]

Too good to be true...literally...

[@ashwalker1]

선생님, you said that you can't learn Korean by yourself but the thing is that I don't have anyone to speak I live in a place where nobody even speaks English. I can only study and practice with KZbin and Duolingo. But now that you mentioned you can't learn by yourself does that mean should quit learning Korean 'cause I won't be able learn anyways.

[@GoBillyKorean]

Are you able to try any of the many language apps to find friends? Even an online friend is still a friend :)

[@ashwalker1]

I'm an introvert, 선생님 but I will try those apps. Thank you 감사합니다 ​@GoBillyKorean

[@GoBillyKorean]

@@ashwalker1 It's fine. I'm also an introvert :) You just kind of get used to not being introverted when it's for your studies.

[@fransmith3255]

That there isn't called uptalk. That's Australian talk. Australians have been talking like that for decades.

[@kelliethequeen]

I’m a newbie and have a question for Billy or anyone really who has been on this learning journey. I read various books and watch many videos and study at least an hour every to two every day but I think I’m over saturated with too much content from various sources. If I were to hypothetically go to school in Korea, how would their curriculum be structured? I think I need a more organized approach but don’t know what that would look like. I enjoy Billy’s beginner video series and rely on that as well. Is that in line with how a school would teach. I’m in my early 40s with a FT job so I want to give myself structure since this is mostly self study. Thank you in advance !!!

[@aryakm2474]

thank you

[@leo9597]

as a linguistics student... uptalk is definitely fine lol

[@SesamemeStreet]

What does forest say at 10:14? 왜 이산 이보 ? Or something

[@SesamemeStreet]

Oh my god he’s say “we sound evil” LMAO. Never mind 😂

[@dylanthekoreanteacher]

너무 유익했습니다! So helpful :)

[@Nirknet]

Although learning Korean in your sleep is a joke, please remember to sleep. As quality sleep is important for language learning. (^^,)

[@CT-jp2ep]

Very good video. Sadly, people just want to believe these things so badly that they'll twist their brain into knots trying to justify them.

[@emilyhollier9128]

I have unmedicated ADHD so I can only study 15-20 min at a time because that’s as long as my attention span lasts. I have to leave a lot of room for my mental whims because that’s how us neurodivergents roll 😂😂😂

[@GoBillyKorean]

I tend to do that too. It helps me when I switch up the type of studying I'm doing - going from grammar to vocabulary, or watching a show and taking notes, conversation, etc.

[@jakehewitt2697]

How many of those shirts do you own?

[@GoBillyKorean]

Enough :)

[@jakehewitt2697]

@@GoBillyKorean you are consistent, I’ll give you that 😂

[@moana_nui]

In primary school, we had a new teacher from the USA. She used to get really pissed off at us because she thought we were constantly asking questions cause we used uptalk; nah we were just speaking like kiwis do lmao

[@Entropic_Alloy]

The Comprehensible Input is more for the acquisition and mental pattern recognition of the language. The idea of why people delay output is to prevent bad habits being formed before understanding the language. You can definitely acquire language by just input. It is how everyone acquires a language. But there is a difference in learning and acquiring a language. Input gives you tons and tons and tons of vocabulary, which is the most important part about learning and understanding a language. Reading and listening provides a fountain of vocabulary. Studying grammar intensely is a "school-like" way of learning language, but it isn't an effective way of acquiring and understanding a language. It does help in clarification when you don't understand why some verbs are changing about, but it isn't an effective way of making things stick. Especially because it isn't enjoyable. The most important thing is outside from the input being comprehensible, is that it is enjoyable. So I think it is totally fine to use Korean cartoons, drama, and teen and young adult books to learn, if it is enjoyable to you.

[@CT-jp2ep]

I met a few people who did the input only approach. They could ace their TOPIK exams but not hold even a basic conversation in Korean. Also, learning from textbooks definitely does stick. Look no further than the people in the video that you're commenting on. The idea that it has to be fun all the time sounds like the same thinking that leads people to nonsense like 'learn Korean while you sleep.'

[@rajeshkhilari]

10:01 I am completely willing to accept that one may not learn while you are sleeping and not in conscious state. The Brain consciously needs constant exposure & hammering to develop the linguistic memory. However, the science of Hypnosis says that it is possible and has methods for it. Here let me quote an actual incident that has occured in the recent past. - In July 2023, I landed at Incheon. I placed my luggage in a bus, which someone misguided me that it was heading for Muju. The communication between me & the driver was Zero as neither of us could understand or speak eachother's language. The translator was of no help. He pointed me at other bus and gestured me to board that bus. I just couldn't figure out why my luggage has to go in one bus & me in another bus. He said something and rushed to his bus. I thought he was going to remove my luggage or ask me to board his bus. But he started his bus and departed. I saw that the bus had left for Gwangju. I froze in anguish, fear & uncertainty. I couldn't yell or cry. I felt some sort of current running down my spine and I approached a gentleman standing nearby and watching. In a very miserable condition I said to him, "영어를 아세요 ?" He replied, "아니요". I continued, "저에게 도와주실가요 ?" I suddenly released that I had spoken Korean lines. Then I was part consciously, part unknowingly trying to recollect whatever Korean vocabulary I could think of and constructed sentences out of it. The good samaritan understood the entire situation. He used all his resources, made phone calls to numerous people. Spoke something to the other bus driver meant for Muju and boarded that bus with me. I had no choice but to trust him. I was answering his questions in broken Korean. The Gwangju bus had stopped on the road 10 kms from the airport. He rushed to that driver, spoke something. The Gwangju driver recognized me and handed over the luggage. As our bus enroute to Muju passed through Gangnam, he got down and wished me safe stay in Korea. As a gratitude, although he refused, I handed him a brand new shirt that I was carrying and US$100. He was my saviour on that day. Now the thing that I want to mention here is that, until then I had not taken any formal Korean language education. It was just KDramas, my Taekwondo and Daily 'Learn Korean while you sleep'. This is something to be thought about than just swiped away as impossible. Now I am at an intermediate Korean level, again through self-study since I do not have any Korean sources close to me.

[@hopegate9620]

The science is actually really interesting on that point. You can actually remember things from your sleep, like smells, sounds or vocab, only implicitly and never explicitly. Problem is, say you're listening to vocab while sleeping, doing that during the wrong sleep phase will make remembering those words even harder! Learning During Sleep: A Dream Comes True? Is a very interesting article on that topic (published by the scientific journal cell).

[@CT-jp2ep]

TL;DR

[@ZobiWanKenobi96]

I don't agree with using korean childrens books or shows to learn korean becuase the way they speak is sooooooo different and unnatural actually! Also I am an adult and I don't want to read something aimed at a child because it's BORING hahaha. As for living in korea, there are plenty of people who live in another country and NEVER learn the langague! I know people who have never been to korea and speak great korean! As for dating someone, I think it only helps you if you're already interested in learning the language BUT I don't think you should try and date someone just to practice speaking hahaha! Just get a friend instead lol!

[@auricia201]

8:12 I thought this one was the same as "learning through exposure" and not studying the language and the grammar, only listen and speak, as children do, and not about using children content. I actually thought children content could be helpful, since they are supposedly easier to understand, but the points made here make sense 👍🏻

[@GoBillyKorean]

The common misconception is that content made for children is easier to understand, but often while it uses simpler grammar it will use a large amount of words specific to children's materials as well. So you'll end up learning words like "bouncy bouncy" (depending on the level of the book), or goofy ways of speaking (such as an old character using outdated grammar forms) before you'd learn how people actually speak.

[@auricia201]

@@GoBillyKorean yeah, that makes sense, I don't indeed need to know bouncy bouncy 😆 I heard a recommendation in one of the Korean learning channels I follow (not sure if it was here) that there were these articles written by children for newspapers, which were a good study material for beginners. I suppose that one mighty be okay to use? I don't know where to find those though ..

[@GoBillyKorean]

@@auricia201Donga Kids is articles written for kids/teenagers, but using completely real Korean. It's just the real news but in simpler words, but still natural. However because it's real Korean, it's not going to be easy for someone to use for studying. It's more for intermediates+.

[@auricia201]

@@GoBillyKorean ok, I see. Thanks for the tips!

[@MadeleineMedia16]

4est 👏👏👏

[@justNGC604]

Is this "learning Korean takes X amount of time" really just a myth? For most people self-studying it certainly is. But then you have diplomats and other professionals who are required to reach a certain level after a fixed period of time (the FSI says 2200 hours of dedicated, structured learning) and then you either do or don't pass. Not everyone does. But it's "measurable" to a degree. 🤔

[@Vitis-n2v]

You might've not realized but those are 2 different things. Specifying certain amount of hours of actual studying such as the 2200 is more reasonable but still won't work 100% but if you say you get fluent in 6 months(a certain time period), everyone spends vastly different amount of hours studying for those 6 months which is why it's not really measurable or comparable.

[@justNGC604]

@@Vitis-n2v Yes, but then the actual problem are vague and unrealistic claims. It's like saying: "Everyone can reach the moon in three days." Which is true. With a known amount of fuel (or: learning hours) strapped to your ass. Without that... Yes, most people won't get there. Doesn't mean nobody really knows and could be this or that or something. It's kind of debunking the wrong myth.

[@CT-jp2ep]

But those diplomats have translators with them whenever they go.

[@justNGC604]

@@CT-jp2ep Not really. But even in the case of translators: It takes a certain amount of training to prepare them for their job. That's not voodoo.

[@andrewdhaenens9931]

About the living in Korea thing… I don’t think it’s possible to know Korean without at least GOING to Korea. It’s sort of an unfortunate truth. You just can’t get exposed to everything you need to know without doing so.

[@GoBillyKorean]

Korea is absolutely the best place to get exposure to Korean. With that said, I have run into people who became fairly fluent at Korean without ever having traveled to Korea. For example, people who studied Korean and live close to a large community of Korean speakers. But eventually you're going to want to go anyway - at least to experience it.

[@WARnTEA]

Yea thats kind of where I’m at. I’ve been watching almost exclusively kcontent for like 6years and I’ve got a decent base but I’m at a point where I will need to live in Korea to motivate me to actually learn. Moving countries is not an easy thing to do, so it feels like I’m wasting my time when I do active learning, as there is no guarantee that I’ll ever be able to use korean in my daily life. I need to have that sink or swim moment.

[@GoBillyKorean]

@@WARnTEAYou might not need to be in Korea to motivate yourself, but at least you'll want to have some direct connection to the language. One good way of doing that is by making Korean friends wherever you're living, or at least making Korean friends online who you can interact with often.

[@Rezo_x]

You do not have to travel to a country to learn a language and traveling there wont magically make you better than someone who hasn't gone there. Point blank period.

[@user-po2il2eh2di]

Rezah_x i agree with you! you need to know @a few basic words inorder to do that