Learning a Foreign Language in a Foreign Land: January 2012

Monday 30 January 2012

Learning in the Philippines

Year 2007. My mom wanted me to have a stable job by working overseas. She heard from her colleagues that Filipinos can now be deployed to work in South Korea. A year ago, our government signed an agreement with South Korea to deploy Filipino migrant workers there.

Trying to be an obedient son, with my mom's financial support, I enrolled in the only language center in our hometown that offers Korean language learning. FYI, one of the prerequisites to land a job in Korea is to learn their language. The duration of the course is 3 months and in order to get a certificate, one must complete the 120-hour class.

Honestly, I did not learn much because I did not focus well during class. I tend to feel sleepy during sessions. Maybe due to the fact that I wasn't interested then compared today. I did get the certificate eventually but I am not confident to take the Korean Language Proficiency Test (KLPT). Anyways, I reviewed our textbook in class, Korean Language for Good Job, while waiting for the next KLPT. I also watched Korean dramas like "Full House" and "Lovers in Paris" with English close caption. This entertained me while learning the language.

Although Koreans are migrating and putting up businesses in our hometown, engaging in a conversation with them is very minimal. Moreover, I am not the type of person who will approach a Korean stranger and initiate a conversation.

Sadly, a lot of applicants who passed the KLPT in 2006-2007 are still on the waiting list for deployment to South Korea. To cut the story short, the proficiency test was never again administered. Click here for more information.

Thus, what I've learned so far with regards to this foreign language lies dormant in my head for many years.

Continue reading here.