Steve says, “Learning another language is not difficult, but speaking is.” I am a novice Korean learner. I just started taking a class and have a mere 3 hours of speaking practice. I am glad that after 3 months of self-study, I am finally opening my mouth to try to speak. It is not easy.
I am still baffled on the mechanics of HOW to make some of the sounds. Yet I am also encouraged by your statement “Speaking is a challenge that is difficult, but achievable.”
Are there any LingQ members who speak Korean fluently that might be willing to speak with a complete novice?
I am looking for a tutor session with someone who would help me practice speaking a VERY simple few phrases to simulate a conversation. Something like the beginner conversations found on Fresh Korean’s site:
I hesitate to ask anyone without knowing first that they are willing to endure such torture. Yet as someone who has been assisting a Korean with his English pronunciation for months, I know the satisfaction I get in helping others. So perhaps there is someone out there who would like to help me.
I want someone who is a native speaker or extremely fluent, because it is the SOUND and CADENCE of the language I want to pay attention to. I can’t promise I will hear well. I need more practice at hearing Korean too. I want someone who is patient enough to have me repeat simple sentences until I get a little better at pronouncing them.
The time difference is a challenge. I sleep from 11 AM - 8 PM Seoul Time KST (10 PM - 7 AM Eastern Standard Time EST/New York City). I am busy Wednesday 8 - 10 PM KST and Friday 10 PM - 4 AM KST.
If you are willing to tutor me, send me your availability. We can try one 15 minute Skype session.