Free Online Graph Paper

Here's another resource link I've found very useful http://incompetech.com/graphpaper/lite/. You can start of with really big squares and then gradually make them smaller.  That way you can get your proportions right before you work on writing it in a smaller size. Just change the numbers and print out a couple of different ones until you find your match. Or try any of the A4 pdfs I'm using, Get-it-right-generous-size sheet (14x20) or Route-learning-size sheet (20x30).

Study group and mentoring

Later today I'm going to meet up with a couple of friends from class. We're going to study and hang out for a couple of hours. It'll be nice to be able to discuss and help each other out. I've been studying almost nonstop since the course started. So much new information. I guess I'm still in the process of orienting myself rather than starting to work towards any specific learning goal.

I forgot to mention that I've also signed up as a mentor for an exchange student. If you're a language student they try to match you with a native speaker of that language. It's a win win.

Learn Asian Language

While searching youtube for Korean lessons I found a user called Seemile and also a link to seemile.com. They have lessons on various aspects of the Korean language. I browsed some of the videos in English but when I wanted to watch part 2 of a video I had to go to their web page. There I found the Korean instructional videos in Japanese, and they are absolutely wonderful! It's step by step, systematic and a perfect audiovisual combination. If you know Japanese I recommend approaching Korean in a Japanese Language mode. Everything makes so much more sense instead of trying to think Korean in English. The URL for the videos in Japanese is http://www.seemile.com/renewal/package_list.jsp?pkg_no=142. By the way, the teacher in 文字と発音編 is absolutely adorable. She cleared out the whole bright vs dark vowel thing that made no sense in English but perfect sense in Japanese. Take a look and see what you think!

Korean Life and Institutions

I had my first class in Introduction to the study of Korean language and culture today. It was interesting and very robust. Almost hard to digest. 4 hours was spent on detailed accounts of all the war that has struck the Korean peninsula. I knew it was bad beforehand, but I had no idea it was this bad. I understand that history and geography are part of general education, also when it comes to specific language studies. Rather than history or geography I want to learn about everyday culture and tradition in contemporary Korea . I know I need to know my history and that it is important but I also have a need to know the fun stuff. Fun is the wrong word though. I guess a better word would be to learn facts that I am motivated to learn. A statement which doesn't really help my case either. I guess I would prefer it the other way around, to start with facts about contemporary Korea and then trace back in history. That's just me.