A world without Korean

2nd Blog: by Yeon Su Park - Sunday, 11 December 2022, 11:24 PM
Until I came to Liechtenstein, I communicated using Korean all my life. But after coming to Liechtenstein, I was able to live here in English. Also, many of my friends and teachers spoke German. Even in the dormitory, there were many friends from other countries, so many languages were using. It was surprising because in Korea, almost everyone speaks only Korean. One of the most important reasons why I decided to go to Liechtenstein for my semester abroad was to learn English. Even better, I can learn many languages in Liechtenstein. I am learning not only English but also German little by little through my friends in my daily life.

When I first came as an exchange student, it was very difficult to communicate in English. Also, the jokes in foreign languages were difficult to understand. I was afraid to talk in front of my friends, and I was spending more and more time alone in my room. However, now that time has passed, I am having a good time talking with my friends in English. I studied English in Korea for a long time, but it was difficult to communicate because it was just for a simple test. The actual conversation was much faster than the English listening test. Also, it was difficult because I did not speak English often. So at that time, I was a little bit lonely. However, after some time has passed, I was able to adapt with the consideration of my friends.

Friends and teachers were very friendly. Knowing that I am not good at English, my friends and teachers spoke slowly for me. Some of my friends even explained words I didn't understand. With the consideration of my friends and teachers, I was able to adopt well.

Also, there are three things that helped me improve my English. The first is movies and TV shows. We often watch movies and dramas in the dormitory. I was able to get a lot of help because they are using English in movies and TV dramas. Also, it helped me to improve my English even more because we didn't use subtitles. I am learning a lot of expressions used in everyday life through movies and dramas.

The second thing that helped was the party. We often have parties. And we drink the alcohol at the party. And alcohol makes me confident. Confidence helps me have more conversations with many friends. Also, I was able to make many friends at the party. The party gave me a chance to make more friends. It also gave me confidence in English.

The last thing is time. There is a saying in Korea that 'time is medicine'. As time passed, the conversations of my friends became more audible. Also, as I had more friends, I was able to talk more.

When I first came as an exchange student, it was more difficult and lonelier because my English was not good. Also, it was even more difficult because there were no Koreans. However, I think that my English skills have improved more rapidly because there are no Koreans. Also, I am very satisfied because I am living a very enjoyable life right now. In Korea, I do not have the opportunity to communicate in English with foreigners, so I think it will be a great help in improving my English.

What I would like to say to Korean students who are going on exchange students is not to be shy and speak with confidence. As time passes and you speak more, then finally you can improve your English skills. My English is not perfect yet, but I think that if I continue to live and study with my friends, I can improve my skills further. I will continue to work hard to improve my English skills. I will also study German in my daily life. The English conversation skill I learned in Liechtenstein will give me good grades and will help me find a job.