Learning Korean

For the great majority of situations, immersion is something you have to activilely seek. Simply going to a foreign country does not mean you will be 'immersed' in any way; just look at all of the foreigners who are married to a Korean and have been here for 7 years but don't speak any Korean. The same is true for many immigrants to the US who do not speak English or have any friends other than people who speak their native tongue.

Simply being in Korea does not 'immerse' you so to speak, even if you are the only foreigner in your town or on your island. However, by taking the plunge and relocating to a foreign land one has the opportunity to dive into the local language and culture, something that cannot as readily be accomplished back home. In order for immersion to be possible one must make great effort to reach out to the local language and culture, to constantly and actively seek the uncomfortable feeling of being in a room where you understand nothing, of taking people up on their offers to bring you to dinner or to their home, of asking local people for their phone numbers and e-mail addresses and contacting them to get together.

I spent over a year in Japan before I could understand anything. I would go to play tennis with a group of people every Tuesday and, when we were finished, we would go out to an izakaya for some food and drinks, and I would sit there for 2 or 3 hours and listen to people say things that I couldn't comprehend. I made a great effort to go out and meet people, to take advantage of the hospitality of the people around me and, by the end of my second year there, I was fluent in Japanese. I also knew a fair amount about the local Okinawan culture and knew enough of the local dialect to make people laugh.

I don't think you were exactly referring to this about when you mentioned 'immersion' but these are my thoughts on the matter.

As for studying with a textbook, I normally would avoid it, but Korean is exceptionally difficult. When I lived in France, I could pick up the language just by speaking and listening, though I had studied the grammar a bit in college. I know for a fact that with Korean I would be completely lost without having studied my textbook. Between the word order, all the different verb endings, and vocabulary itself, Korean requires a more structured approach.

But with that said, I wouldn't rely entirely on the textbook. The textbook should be like your class hour, while Korea can be your "lab" where you practice speaking and listening, which is where you will learn to really speak. You can review the grammar structures briefly in the book, and then try and practice them when you go out and socialize as 'I' said. You will spend hours with Koreans not understanding a single word, and your head will hurt after trying to form sentences. It's part of the learning process. I did so in France, and by the end of my stay it had finally paid off. Though with Korean, I think it will take a little longer.

Lastly, some advice I give my students is to study every day, even if it's only for 15 minutes. I have also told them to try and find the learning method(s) that work for them. I'm still on the hunt, but I have found a few and I realize that I learn best by first writing, and then speaking. I would also recommend listening to the radio, even though you may only understand a little.