Hello!

Going through college, I realized that I have an affinity for languages. Currently I'm fluent in three languages, English (19 years), Korean (19 years), and Spanish (12 years). Learning languages has always been enjoyable, so I decided to pick up a fourth (and I'm hoping to learn a few more in the future!). I decided to start with Japanese because I've always been intrigued by the culture of Japan. The Japanese language is also particularly interesting to me, because both it and Korean are derived from the Chinese characters. As a result, the two languages are similar in structure, and they both share some words. Each time I come across a word in Japanese that is similar to a Korean word, I feel very intrigued. I also love to travel and explore new places; that being said, I enjoy learning about different cultures (food, clothing, fashion, interactions, scenery). I hope to someday be fluent to a degree that would let me visit Japan and converse with native speakers without issue.

Sakura flowers and paper lanterns. My favorite seasons are spring and autumn!

I can read some of this label now.

Coming into this class I found myself surprised by the complexity of the language and the pace of the course. True to what people say, the class does move quickly. Despite the fast pacing, however, I now find myself used to the dynamics of the class and I feel comfortable with the material. Initially, I felt nervous whenever I would be called on to speak, but I am gradually becoming more confident in my own speaking and knowledge of Japanese. One thing that particularly excites me these days is that I am now able to read hiragana. Therefore when I look at cosmetic labels, I can typically interpret the directions without confusion. Although my pacing is somewhat slow (and I can't read kanji or katakana right now), I notice that I am gradually reading faster with each experience.

わたしは。。。

はじめまして。
わたしのなまえはハナ・キムです。
かんこくじんです。
バーナードのにねんせいです。

１９さいです。
ニュージャージーのノーウッドからきました。
どうぞよろしくおねがいします。