TOPIK to Finally Include Speaking Test from 2023

Happy New Year~!

I’ve been neglecting this blog for longer than I like. Sometimes life happens and sometimes… well, I get lazy. I also haven’t really been doing much studying in the last couple of years due to doing a full-time double degree so there was not much to update about. But! I’m finally done with that now and have a bit more free time.

So… I will get back to updating this blog as often as I can as well as my other SNS channels (hello Instagram account that is still stuck in Korea, lol). I’m also thinking of starting YouTube again to really make myself practice. I always want to do a lot of things but, lol.

TOPIK Speaking Test

Anyway! I saw an interesting news article today, which was why I wanted to blog. After hearing about it so many years ago, it’s finally happening – TOPIK will be including a speaking test from 2023! It’s also interesting because the article mentioned NIIED‘s plans to change the current TOPIK physical paper format to Internet-based testing. I wonder how that’s going to work out. The article gives no information on how it will be held at overseas test locations yet. I guess we will have to wait and find out once they have figured it all out.

When People Downplay Others’ Efforts

Today, I just want to rant a little about something. Maybe I’m being a little sensitive, but I’ve heard it enough to not want to continue tolerating it.

It’s when some Koreans compliment my Korean skills and other Korean learners respond with:

She studied in Korea before.

Like it explains how and why I became good enough to be complimented.

Also, sometimes Koreans ask me how I studied Korean or how I became good at Korean, and when I say I’ve self-studied and also studied for a while in Korea, majority of them automatically respond to the first half of my answer with “You must be really smart!” and the second half of my answer with “So that’s why you’re so good!”.

Whether they do it consciously, subconsciously or unconsciously, I feel like it really disrespects and downplays all of the efforts I put in before I went there to study as well as the effort I put in to maintain my language skills since coming home. Mind you, it was 4 years ago and I barely remember all the advanced vocabulary and grammar I learned there since they’re not used in daily life.

I’m not bragging about my skills or efforts, but I just want people to know that I didn’t get this far just because I studied for 9 months in Korea before.

[EDIT 21 December 2017]

Saw this comic and thought it so apt for this post.

Discovering New Music #9

용준형 (YONG JUN HYUNG) – 지나친 사랑은 해로워 (Too Much Love Kills Me)

Junhyung!! The MV for this isn’t out yet on HIGHLIGHT‘s channel, but I’m glad I found this version. All that eye contact! 심쿵 ㅠㅠ

Discovering New Music #8

젝스키스 (Sechskies) – 커플 (Couple)

Sechskies again! Haha. I’m so glad that Sechskies is back. 😭💕 And they’ve just released a 10 year anniversary album too! This song is one of my most played.

Discovering New Music #7

태연 (Taeyeon) – 11:11 (Acoustic Version)

Taeyeon is the only SNSD girl I completely adore. :’) This song is beautifully sad. The original is nice, but this acoustic version is even better. T_T

49th TOPIK Results – Level 5 Again

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Results of the 49th TOPIK were released at 3PM (KST) on Thursday, 22 Dec, but I was down for a whole week with a bad cold and wasn’t able to blog then.

Anyhow, here are my results! I’m revealing it in full again, because even though I didn’t get to study as much as I’d like (partly due to applying late and working at home on weekends) and wasn’t expecting much, I’m glad that I not only managed to maintain my standards without actively studying in the past two years, I also improved slightly, especially in the written section. I did put in a little more effort into writing, so I’m hoping that’s what did the trick. :p

I seriously thought I screwed it up after the exam ended, but phew! Though I’ve missed my Level 6 yet again, I’m okay because I know that I’m almost there!

I hope everyone got the results you were hoping for! And if you didn’t, it’s okay, don’t give up! Let’s work hard towards our goals together. :)

Monthly Language Report Special: 특별한 MLR

Marsha’s Monthly Language Report: A Special MLR
Join in the language learning fun!

A special MLR collaboration with Constance for Instagram!
I mentioned in an earlier Instagram post that I might start an Instagram MLR thing going and here is the first one! :D It sure was hard fitting two people into the 1 minute limit, but we did it! Though at a cost of cutting out a lot of things we wanted to say, lol.

Subtitles are available in Korean and English.

마르샤의 언어 월보: 특별한 언어 월보
같이 재미있게 언어 공부를 합시다!

콘스턴스 언니랑 같이 녹음했던 특별한 인스타그램용 언어 월보!
이전에 인스타그램 포스팅에서 인스타그램 언어 월보를 시작하고 싶다고 했는데 첫번째꺼 완성! 두 사람의 얘기를 제한한 1분 안에 하려고 하니 힘들었지만 해냈어요! 하고 싶은 얘기들 다 못 했지만요. ㅎㅎ

한글과 영문 자막이 있습니다.

한국 사투리 Korean Dialects

Oops, this was in my drafts for a month, lol. But yes, I love Korean dialects. I showed this to my Busan friends and one said it was pretty legit. xD

Fellow Korean learners who like dialects too would enjoy this! It’s really interesting to see how they differ, especially Jeju’s. Most Koreans can’t even understand Jeju dialect!

Discovering New Music #6

브로맨스 (Vromance) – 여자 사람 친구 (She)

I’ve been obsessed with Vromance’s vocals lately. They are SO good live.

한글날 Hangeul Day 2016

오늘은 한글날이다! 다 알다시피 내가 한글을 얼마나 좋아한다는 것. ^^

View this post on Instagram

20161009; 한글날에는 역시 한국어 공부지 ㅎ . #한글 #한글날 #역시 #한국어 #공부 #독학 #공부스타그램 #한국어능력시험 #토픽 #언어 #외국어 #글씨 #hangeul #hangeulday #korean #study #selfstudy #studygram #testofproficiencyinkorean #topik #language #foreignlanguage #handwriting #dailybap #한국어중독자

A post shared by 마르샤 Marsha 🇸🇬 (@hangeulove) on Oct 9, 2016 at 5:32am PDT

그래서 오늘은 한국어 능력 시험 공부했다. 듣기 기출 문제 풀었는데 84점이 나왔다. 헤헷! 시험 때 경솔한 실수만 안 하면… 이대로~

근데 듣기는 항상 제일 높은 점수를 받기 때문에 그렇게 걱정하지 않은데 쓰기 제일 큰 문제이다. ㅠㅠ 매번도 똑같이 제일 낮은 점수를 받은 부분이라 매번도 똑같은 걱정… ㅠㅠ

40일 남았으니까 시험 날까지 기 죽지 말자. 한국어 능력 시험 볼 친구들도 힘냅시다! 아자 아자!