And spcole83’s hair is so sleek!
“And spcole83’s hair is so sleek!”
Hmm that was 3 years ago and now I’m sporting the mad professor look. Maybe I need to update.
We’re just too nice to disagree, right? I agree that frustration is one of the big stumbling blocks for adult learners, for all the reasons you say. I also think that successful language learning comes with overcoming this frustration. If you’re not frustrated about talking like a child and only understanding 40% of something, you can get a lot of satisfaction in… being able to talk like a child in another language, and being able to understand AN ENTIRE 40% of what once just sounded like gibberish.
…“depends on our taste but also on our possibilities which of these aspects would be the main ones for us”…
That’s right and therefore I want to point out a bit the aspect of possibilities.
For example, talking to native speakers is not always as easy as listening, reading and writing. In my opinion, these aspects of studying a language can be practised much easier and you are much more flexible.
My personal ranking of these “big 4” is speaking, listening, reading and writing.
So if there is actually no one to speak with in my target language, I try to substitute speaking by listening and reading until I have again a good possibiliy to speak with natives.
Perhaps a positive overall effect!
Hi ! =))
It was all triggered by a rather incoherent video presentation of an expert from Poland, posted by the same topic starter in the neighbouring topic thread! 
The delivery is so mumbling, inconsistent and incoherent that I thought, “Er, when you have an idea, a view point, or a theory, why can’t you just explain it in a straigtforward way?”
But that’s exactly how I speak in life! There are apparently some aspects that I feel I need to emphasize, whereas other ones are worth only mentioning!
Otherwise, the speech turns into a monotonous monologue, which is very hard to follow, if at all possible!
Greetings jreidy!
Some of what say may not concern your case, so then just ignore! My writing is based on your question (hopefully) and your profile.
I think you are standing in your own way when declaring ‘I am terrified of reading’. I’am genuinely puzzled!
Having studied computer science, you must obviously be an intelligent person - perhaps a very emotional one? 
Terrified of reading what? Computer journals or even computer programming language in English? Probably not!
So why can’t you apply the reading skills you already have to Korean? (puzzeled…!)
No! You don’t need to be taught to do ‘readings’! You already know it! Or did you mean to become a palm reader as well? LOL :))))) Sorry, just a joke, I am not making fun of you at all! Otherwise I wouldn’t be writing this!
Judging by the language icon you seem to study Korean? If the Korean courses here on lingq is anything like their Russian, German or French versions, then the material is read out to you, cipher by cipher (no idea what Korean is made of LOL) and you repeat it in your mind synchronised with the lecturer - that’s already reading, is it not? ‘Terrified’ of reading? I AM truly puzzled!
But if you have so much trouble even recognising words or simple beginner sentences, then perhaps you need to go back a few steps and do alphabet drills!
I very strongly suspect you are ‘terrified’ by reading because you choose material WAY beyond your competence level!
You seem to put too much pressure on yourself!
Stick to what you master first and then slowly but continuously move on! If it scares you, go back to non-scary material!
Don’t care about the perhaps boring content! - Peaking through the basic fabric of a mysterious language like Korean should already be enough reward. The Korean science blogs and philosophers come later! What Steve says about immersion yourself in the language doesn’t mean you need to understand anything at all - it is for sound and rhythm purposes, and perhaps for your ears to pick up a morsel here and there!
Don’t expect to be able to read or understand C2 level Korean, if you are yourself A1/2 - in case my assumption is true, then I am TRULY puz…). Your profile says: I watch KDrama… to my ears and mind that statement means: I can watch with comprehension - so probably I am totally wrong with what I just said.
May I ask your motivation of choosing Korean? Is it out of professional or personal necessity or simply because it is cool and hyper challenging to learn one of the most dissimilar language to your mother tongue; or to show off with? ;))) Sorry for my Germanic blunt question! I mean well! :-))
Real question: what is your motivation for that language?
Your profile doesn’t mention any other languages, you may have learned before. If not then why don’t you start to learn a language with some more common ground to English? Just to get an easier feel for the process? E.g. Spanish is useful if you are US resident! You could build on similarities rather than being drowned in exotic sounds and scribbles!
I am only suggesting it because of your degree of anxiety (‘terror’), so you can make it easier on yourself.
And what is there to be ‘terrified’ about anyway??? It’s only words, not a wild animal that is going to attack you! Just stop it! Tell your mind who’s the boss!
I hope I was able to write stuff that speaks to you personally and helps you resolving your fear; your thread seems to have gotten a bit hijacked and I didn’t take the time to read all answers, but there seems to be a trend.
Purrr Purrr Meow!
Hi ! =)))
Because I’m also a bit in the Korean, I do understand what the topic starter is talking about!
The reading skills in Korean are really very specific, so as the sounds themselves - that’s exactly the reason why the Koreans advise to get rid of the Romanization as quick as you can as it only misleads and does not represent the actual Korean sounds - and the principles of the sound assmilation, that are rather specific in Korean and are not explained here by anybody, nor are they reflected in any way in the Korean writing, just exactly the same story as it is in Russian! =)))
But I can not even think of any feeling of being ‘terrified’ ! =))) Probably, it’s just peculiar to IT and computer experts only?
The reason may be, that in IT and computers the cause unambiguosly defines the effect obtained! =))))
But that’s never the case with the languages! =)))
As languages are something that is both produced and consumed solely by living human beings, not by senseless hardware equipment, reacting only when an input of zeroes and ones is provided at its input, though in the correct succession! =))))
I’m very much of a programmable hardware and digital electronics guy, that’s why I do know exactly what I’m talking about!
“The reading skills in Korean are really very specific”
pauler - exceptionalism of certain languages is something you seem to want to promote a lot. Whilst there is a lot of truth in this, the basics are the same, for any language (yes, even your treasured “grammar heavy” Russian).
Sure Korean (and Russian etc) are tough, for specific reasons, but I doubt this is really a Korean issue. Somewhat ironically, I recommend Steve’s 90-day Korean videos to any language learner - for precisely this point - the skills Steve demonstrates in those videos are instantly transferable to any language. Those videos are classic for language learning, imo, And I’ve always thought it a pity that because of the title many people will just skip them because they aren’t learning Korean etc.
“that’s why I do know exactly what I’m talking about!”
http://www.themarketingbit.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/mind-teh-gap.jpg
Hi ! =)))
Unfortunately, I have to really disappoint you in your best expectations, Russian is NOT treasured by me, as it is just a mere native language of mine and a language of my profession, but, true that, it’s extremely ‘grammar heavy’, just as Korean is!
Believe me, it’s exactly the basics that are NOT the same for each specific language (and it is such a unversal and obvious truth for any linguist that I do not even see any point in any discussion regarding this.) =)))
It really IS a purely Korean issue, as the language itself is absolutely unique, but again, it is normally known only for the linguists!
Skills are something that can be instantly transferable to any type of activities, why just language learning?
hey pauler!
I found an avatar for your account, you should use it!
And again, I have to disappoint you! =))))
I never use any avatars as I do not see no points in them! =)))
But still, thanks for your effort!
Being a highly educated person, feel free to share your view point here writing it in your own words, as I normally do not click the links here, this being too much waste of time and effort!
You may just as well deem the links you provided as a futile attempt!