Annyeong haseyo!
I have a goal of studying in South Korea. If you would ask me why, there are many reasons. Not just that the country is extremely beautiful, it is also one of the best countries when it comes to the quality of education.
Earning a master's degree in Korea is a very useful thing to have in the future. First, many undergrads like to have their own master's degree! Second, it's an added bonus if you acquired your master's degree abroad.
Not only that it will help you in becoming successful in life, you will also gain an advantage in your career.
But is it easy to study in Korea? The answer is NO. Big no!
This blog will focus on one of the requirements in getting a Korean school.
You may have the money, the time and the achievements BUT if you lack the knowledge in this then you still cannot make it in. It is..
...the Korean Language.
Let's talk about a little about my background. I have been working with Koreans since 2008.
And I can say that Koreans are very close to my heart. Out of 13 years of working, I spent around 9 years with the Korean people -- bosses, coworkers, and clients.
I am comfortable being with them. In fact, I am even closer to some Korean co-workers than my Filipino co-workers. They are just the nicest and sweetest people you will ever meet.
Out of these experiences, I never actually had formal Korean language lessons. You see, Koreans come here to study English. And as an English teacher, it is important to speak English all the time. So I never had conversations in Korean with them unless it's as basic as "빨리빨리" or "짜증나"!
BUT for some reason, I can read and write hangeul.. I can understand the very basic words. In short, I know some Korean words and phrases just by mingling with them. And that is something that I am proud of.
According to the guide I showed you before, Korean universities request a certain level of Korean language to admit students for degree programs. You must pass TOPIK (Test of Proficiency in Korean) level 3 or higher for undergraduate programs, and TOPIK level 4 or higher for graduate programs.
If I were to check my level, I am probably at Level 1. It's a long, long way to get to 4!
So see, even if I have everything I need, if my Korean level is low then it is almost impossible to get it.
Unless, like me, you can do these things:
You can find Korean universities that are accepting students without requiring Korean knowledge since the school will deliver everything in English. An example is a Master's Degree in Global Korean Studies. People from the Philippines are exempted from taking an English test as the country is an English speaking country.
You can start enrolling in a Korean class so you can learn the basics of Korean. Here, you will the learn vocabulary and grammar and practice speaking with a native speaker.
If there's a will, there's a way. This is cliche. But it works if you really want to.
You see. Korean language is very hard to learn, especially for someone like me who is fluent in two languages already. Korean will be my third language as I study and become knowledgeable more.
I suggest learning how to read and write hangeul first.
I learned how to read and write it in when I was 18 years old. There were Koreans in my university and we made friends with them. So, I kinda got interested to their writing system. And my best friend and I used it to talk secretly in school. We say "Kamusta ka?" by writing "카무스따 카?" Nobody knows what we were talking about.
But after this, there's really nothing more that I did to add to my knowledge. But I think watching and listening to Korean language movies, TV shows and songs might have helped.
Koreans make the best entertainment content ever.
Koreans make the best movies you'll ever watch. Some of my favorites are Parasite, Space Sweeper and My Sassy Girl.
I am very interested in the history of Korean so my favorite Korean dramas are Dae Jang Geum (2005), Kingdom (NETFLIX) and 간택 - 여인들의 전쟁. All of which are historical dramas.
I used to be a big fan of BIGBANG. I know and memorized 90% of their songs. Now, I am listening to BLACKPINK. They have a really good sense of music style.
You see, Korean dramas are everywhere. They make interesting content so you can immerse yourself in what they do.
Learning the language takes a lot of time and effort. I wish I had taken more time learning the language in the past. Maybe my Korean skills are better than what it is today. But despite that, my knowledge is still not zero. I am above false beginner according to my Korean teacher.
So, if you really have a plan of studying in Korea. Prepare now by learning the language today. You will thank yourself later.
To close this off, I am posting a photo of my co-workers, Koreans and Filipinos. Together, we work in making Korean children have better education.
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