Korean classes

[baja0204]

Korean classes vs. Languange exchange partner.  What do you think?

[nmonette]

I have no idea BUT I am a Korean adoptee and I am using a group called G.O.A.L. for a one-on-one tutor.
I think it said if you become a member or donor that you can do the same. its like $30 US

[gigimorgan]

it depends if you like the one-on-one action that you get from a lang exchange partner or the class environment.

[SpaceRook]

Korean classes vs. Languange exchange partner.  What do you think?

It depends on your level, the class, and the exchange partner.

Good Korean language exchange partners are VERY rare.  I've outlined the problems before, but I'll go over it again:

- Most Koreans cannot reduce their speech to a beginner's level
- Most are not able to consistently speak slowly and clearly for a beginner
- Most don't have the patience to do what is truly needed: practice canned dialogue, listen and correct your reading, play simple language games, repeat patterns in speech.  Basically, they don't have the patience to teach a child, which is what a beginner needs. 
- Many are looking for something more than language exchange.

I'm not attacking Koreans specifically....my points go for 99% of all people in the world. 

The best language exchange partner I had was the 50-year-old woman who owned my first apartment.  She lived 2 floors down from me and was great.  She had patience.  We'd go over my Korean textbook together, we'd watch Korean TV and she'd answer my random questions, she'd always have some food for me.  I didn't know how rare that was at the time. 

[bb]

Fot me also, language exchange can be a good supplement but my primary learning source was always a class.

Here are three things I found helpful for getting the most out of language exchange:

1. Have a strict "English only" hour and a strict "Korean" hour. Failure to set up this kind of guideline you end up listening to a lot of explanations about Korean (done in English) but...at the end of the session have practiced very little Korean yourself. If there is no way you can get through on Korean alone yet, then at least try and keep the focus on you speaking in Korean as much as possible.

2. Come with material you want to work on. Dialogues to practice or that kind of thing...it's infinitiely more efficient that way. Even if you are at a "free talking" level, have topics prepared. The odds of your language exchange partner having a lot of Korean lang. teaching experience are slim. You have to kind of guide the person on teaching you.

3. There are a lot of Koreans out there wanting to work on their Englsih so, if a language partner isn't working out for you, don't be afraid to cut it off. I had a hard time with that at first, feeling guilty like I was breaking up with em: "It's not you Mr. Kim, it's me..." Exercising a healthy selfishness on this front will serve you well.

Good luck!