Hello 한글숍-ers!
Thought I'd take a quick second to explain what I hope my 한글숍 podcast/website will, in time, mean for you. Let's jump right in.
한글숍...
1) Is an integrative approach to language learning
2) Incorporates practical situations and everyday usage
3) Is scholarly in subject but fun in nature~win!
4) Is in flux. That is to say, just like your favorite 숍's, there is a fresh rotation of items offered. After all, nobody wants stale, boring anything.
5) Is, while purposefully thought out, non-formulaic
Formulas have their place (i.e. language textbooks), but less rigidity and uniformity helps keep you on your feet. With language learning, it's important to learn with an active mind so approaching a particular topic without expectations can help engage that part of your mind and lead to longer-term storage if meaningful associations are made.
So there we have it. Five reasons 한글숍 is different from the herd of other learn-a-language podcasts. I suppose this kind of equates to giving myself one of those highly coveted gold star stickers, à la kindergarten, when the teacher thought you did something meritable, like coloring inside half-inch thick lines (way to go). However, I also wrote this post to tack up my own expectations for this continuing learning project. Something I can look back on to remind me why I started this in the first place.
And, you know – accountability and whatnot. I read somewhere that publicly announcing your goals, such as the ones you make (or don't make) on New Year's, is a great motivator for keeping yourself in check on them. Whenever someone (hopefully a good, caring friend) asks how such-and-such is coming along, it's like your own little progress report, something to keep yourself in check and on task.
And at any rate, 한글숍 wasn't meant to be a furtive dream I kept to myself. Unless it fails miserably in which case, yes, I would like to keep all massive failures to myself. *Almost like they never even happened*...
Just kidding. Because we know sometimes well-intentioned experiments fail, too, but it's quite important for me to learn from the successes and the not-quite-there's of 한글숍, tweak what needs tweaking and keep you all posted as it evolves into something a little more there. So if the situation calls for it, feel free to nab my cherished gold star away and let me know what else I need to include, anything I could be doing better, corrections, questions, etc. I want to make this better and worthwhile for you, dear 한글숍 podcast listener and blog follower! You are my gold stars!
Thanks for reading my babble, and don't forget to check back to 한글숍 soon! I'm working on organizing and synthesizing my first 한글숍 podcast episode!!! Should be interesting in the several connotations of the word. =)
