After a long week, I officially finished Yonsei University’s International Student Orientation. The events were fun and engaging, especially the one-night excursion to Yeongju in the North Gyeongsang Province. I met people from all over the United States and became close to several students who are in the same program as me. They are kind, funny, and passionate people. I feel lucky to have surrounded myself with them during the first week of my study abroad experience. At first, I felt a little nervous about going to South Korea without knowing anyone on the program, but I was fortunate enough to find a good group of friends and to adjust well to this new environment.
There are times, however, when I struggle. I find myself unable to speak quickly and confidently during conversations with Korean adults and students. I feel insecure about my Korean language abilities, making me either stutter or mumble during these interactions. The idea that I may make a mistake keeps me from speaking freely and comfortably. As a result, I notice myself avoiding the challenge rather than welcoming it with open arms. The feeling is hard to explain—it’s a mixture of inadequacy and disappointment. I came to South Korea to get better at Korean. It was the sole purpose of my visit, but I’ve been shying away from it.
This is the exact opposite of my experience last year when I visited my family in South Korea during summer vacation. I felt confident and capable in my Korean speaking abilities back then. I took advantage of every opportunity to speak the language. I did not care about making mistakes; I just wanted to practice and learn. After only three weeks, I noticed a dramatic increase in my language proficiency. Why was that not the case now?
This is the question that I ask myself every day. Of course, it is too early to make any definitive conclusions. I’ve only been in South Korea for a short period of time after all. I plan to use this question as motivation rather than a deterrent. Every time I think about it, I will push myself outside of my comfort zone. I will make every effort to accept the challenge and practice Korean with those around me. By doing so, I expect to become more comfortable with the language over the course of the semester.
Jacob's Study Abroad Blog 