Happy Hangul Day! 한글날

I won't bore you with too much history, but basically this day is celebrated as the one King Sejong proclaimed (after inventing :)) hangul as the native Korean alphabet.  Until 1443 Koreans used hanja or Chinese characters.  I want to give King Sejong a big old hug for switching things out because I have a feeling reading Hangul is 100x's easier to pick up on than reading Hanja!  

September marked one year into my learning process.  I can't tell you how intermittently proud I am and also discouraged.  KOREAN IS HARD TO LEARN!!  My 30-year-old brain is truly learning a language for the first time and it is difficult.  One day I think I'm really starting to get it and the next I'm wondering why there have to be so many words in the world!  

I'm currently using a series called Talk to Me In Korean (.com) and absolutely love it.  Most of their lessons are free to download and so I'm always listening to lessons in my car and while biking.  I'm currently on their Level 3 lessons and am considered a beginner.  Level 4, which I think is a good three months away at this point, is considered intermediate.

To give you an idea of a few things that I can do:

I can read Hangul!  Even if I can't understand what I'm reading I can read the alphabet and sound most things out.

I can introduce myself and give basic info on myself.

I understand and can create basic sentences in present, past, and future tenses. (and present, past, future progressive)

I can count using both number systems--yes, there are two!!!  

I know my days of the week, names of months--basically how to tell you the date :)

I can tell the time in Korean--it uses both number systems.  (I definitely pouted after finding that out!)

I know how to order food or drinks-so we won't starve come travel time ;)

I can tell you what I can or can't do, as well as am good or bad at.

I still have a really long way to go when it comes to being anywhere near comfortable with Korean, but I feel the biggest battle has already been won because I've made it a year without giving up!  Here's to the coming months of learning--I pray my kiddos are home and speaking toddler Korean with me before I hit my next year anniversary so that we can continue this journey of the Korean language together.  Maybe Wayne will at least  be able to pronounce hello (안녕하세요) by then!!! ;)