We Walk the Walk... But Can We Talk the Talk?

Annyeong-haseyo! Just one of the many words and phrases we have been working so diligently to learn.  For those of you who aren't quite as fluent in the Korean language as the 20 of us, that means "hello!"

Well, maybe "fluent" wasn't the best description of our ability, but I would give each of us an "A" for effort!

Our 20 hours of Korean language began this morning and though it may seem surprising to some, it was a blast (for a language class, that is...)!  We got to work straight away in our Korean workbooks.

We dug right into the mechanics of the language, learning each vowel, consonant, both tensed and aspirated, and began putting words together in no time!  If you ever need to know the Korean word for tree, milk, professor, or baby, we've got your back!

Also, our instructors were great!  They had an awesome attitude and made everyone feel very comfortable, though I am sure we sounded quite silly at times!  It was very cool to see the ways that they could take such a daunting task of learning a new language and make it fun will all sorts of activities ranging from written work, to listening skills, to working in pairs with flash cards (well at least Kelli and I had fun!)

Despite feeling awkward at times and laughing at the silly noises we were making, each of us recognized the value of the opportunity being placed in front of us.

As a group we have identified four values that we carry with us throughout this trip; Preparedness, Positivity, Pensiveness, and Plexibility (really pliable, but isn't plexibility a fun word?).

Remembering over the course of the next week to be prepared with positive attitudes entering the classroom everyday will ensure an awesome experience that will serve us well during our stay in Korea, as well as create memories for us to take home and share with our families, peers, and most importantly, skills we can share with our students.