[K Village] [We asked 270 K Village service users! ] We investigated everyone’s Korean learning!
*K Village*
Press release: September 5, 2024
**
[We asked 270 K Village service users! ] We investigated everyone’s Korean learning!
K Village Co., Ltd. (Head office: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director and President: Kuwabara
Motonari) will present the results of a survey on “Korean language learning” targeted at users interested in Korea.
We investigated everyone’s Korean learning!
This time, we will learn about the learning status and weak points of users who are interested in Korean, such as their worries, weak areas, and future goals, and provide more useful teaching materials and learning support.
We conducted a survey to offer it as a Village.
Survey period: August 19, 2024 (Monday) to August 26, 2024 (Monday) Research organization (research subject) “K Village MODULY”
“K Village MODULY Web” (in-house research)
Survey target Men and women who like Korea, K-POP, and Korean dramas Number of valid answers: 270 votes
Survey method (aggregation method, calculation method) Internet questionnaire *In order to ensure a strict survey, the survey was conducted with only one vote per person.
-For use in articles, etc.-
When quoting survey results, please indicate “K Village Korean Survey – Research” as the source.
◆Question details◆
– How long have you studied Korean? Where did you first stumble while studying Korean?
– What is your weakest point?
– What is your goal in learning Korean?
Now let’s take a look at the survey results.
How long have you studied Korean?
* The most common study history of Korean was “less than 1 year” at approximately 41.1% (111 people). *
We found that many of you are new to Korean and are in the early stages of learning!
There were also 95 students in their 2nd to 4th year of study, accounting for approximately 35.2%* of the total! This is the time to solidify your basics and worry about grammar.
We found that there are many people who continue to learn Korean, and that there is continuity in learning.
*23 people* answered that they have been working for 5 years or more, or about 8.5% of the total.
Compared to second place, the number of people suddenly decreases, which shows that it is difficult to maintain motivation for a long period of time.
The popularity of learning Korean can be seen in the fact that many people start learning it as beginners and continue to do so at a certain rate.
What was the first thing you stumbled upon while studying?
What are the first difficulties many people face when learning Korean?
*The most popular choice was “Patchim” with 84 people responding (31.1%% of the total)*
Patchim is a consonant that is placed at the end of a Korean syllable, and it was the most frequently cited point that learners initially found difficult. Patchim has a great effect on pronunciation and changes in sound, but since it is a phoneme that does not exist in Japanese, it can be one of the difficult elements, especially for beginners.
*The second most popular choice was “Geki On/No On”, with 67 people (24.8% of the total) saying they found it difficult*.
Gekion (ㅋ, ㅌ, ㅍ, ㅊ) and deep sound (ㄲ, ㄸ, ㅃ, ㅆ, ㅉ) are also
particularly complex phonemes because, like patchim, they have pronunciations that are not found in Japanese.
It seems that there are many people who are not confident in their pronunciation of intense or deep sounds, or who have trouble understanding conversations because they cannot hear the sounds.
*The third category was “Grammar,” which was answered by 35 people (13% of the total). *
Korean has a similar word order to Japanese, but the structure of sentences and the use of particles can be confusing, and learning grammar can be a big hurdle after you have memorized the vocabulary.
Looking at these results, we can see that many people start having trouble learning Korean, such as patchim, intense sound, and deep sound, at the initial stage.
You can also use smartphone apps to help you learn pronunciations that are not found in Japanese, and how to make patchim.
By grasping the basics and studying steadily, you should have fun learning Korean.
What part do you currently dislike the most?
For those who are learning Korean, which part do you feel is currently the weakest?
* 57 people (21.1% of the total) answered that “conversation” was the weakest skill. *
I think the main reason why people are not good at conversation is that there are few opportunities for output.
Due to the differences and speed between written and spoken language, it is not easy to think in Japanese and communicate in Korean. It may be embarrassing at first, but practicing out loud is a shortcut.
*The second most popular answer was “Grammar” with 49 respondents (18.1% of the total)*
I think the reason why I feel like I’m not good at grammar is because the rules for conjugating verbs and adjectives seem complicated. First of all, it is important to understand the basic grammar rules by looking at practice questions and example sentences.
*The third one is “Gekon/Noon”*
39 people (14.4% of the total) answered that they were not good at it. By repeatedly listening to and pronouncing words you know or words that have similar pronunciations, your child will begin to notice the differences.
It is important to focus on pronunciation practice in parallel with patchim practice, and experience the differences in sounds by imitating sounds*.
What is your goal in learning Korean?
Everyone has different reasons for learning Korean, but what is the ultimate goal of each learner?
In this survey, “Watching Korean dramas and movies without
subtitles” was by far the highest with 111 votes, or 41.1% of the total.
If you watch Korean dramas and movies every day while studying, there will come a moment when you say, “Huh? I understand the meaning of that line!”
You can also increase your vocabulary by writing down words and phrases you don’t understand and looking them up after watching.
* 2nd place was “Understanding the content of K-POP lyrics without Japanese translation” with 10.7% of the total or 29 votes*!
This seems to reflect the need to learn the language through Oshi’s music and to feel the emotions and messages of the lyrics in Oshi’s native language.
Build your vocabulary by listening to your favorite songs over and over, analyzing the lyrics, and figuring out the meaning.
Understanding the expressions and phrasing in lyrics will also improve your language skills.
* 3rd place was “I want to work as a translator or interpreter”, which received 15 votes or 5.6% of the total. *
I started learning Korean because I wanted to understand the language I was talking about, and eventually I realized, “I want to work using Korean!” There were many people who said,
To get a job related to translation or interpretation, you need specialized skills, so attending a vocational school for translation or interpretation is one way!
We also recommend looking for projects and volunteer work to gain practical experience in translation and interpretation.
Each language has its own challenges that can be overcome little by little by taking appropriate measures. We are rooting for all learners to overcome these barriers and improve their Korean language skills! Learning Korean will not happen overnight, but with steady effort and finding an appropriate learning method, your Korean learning will be even more fulfilling.
Let’s continue to have fun learning!
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[K Village Co., Ltd. Company Profile]
Head Office: 7F Shinjuku NS Building, 2-4-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 163-0807
Representative Director: Motonari Kuwahara
Established: 2010
URL: https://kvillage.co.jp/
[Business details]
・Management of Korean language classes (https://kvillage.jp/) ・Study abroad procedures in Korea (https://kankokuryugakuguide.com/) ・Korean information media operation “K Village MODULY Web
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・Operation of monthly subscription service “K Village Prime