tinytinsparrow

I studied Spanish for the first 8 years of my schooling in a class with other students. However, I am someone who picks up things very quickly (my parents always referred to me as a sponge) and the rest of the students did not. I ended up doing some supplemental stuff on the side and on my own because of this. Once I became more fluent than my teachers, I began to lose interest in the language and didn't take classes for it after it wasn't required. When I started learning Korean, I decided to do everything on my own. I picked up things much quicker and my thirst for learning the language grew. As long as I have native speakers that I can get in contact with every now and then to practice with or ask a few questions, I won't ever participate in a classroom environment again.

I honestly don't know why, but I'd really like to learn Thai. I have no real reasoning behind the desire to learn, but it's a strong desire. A while ago, I decided I would make an endeavor in learning Thai, however, the tonal qualities of the language are very difficult to understand. Rising tone, falling tone, etc. I gave up fairly quickly and am slightly disappointed in myself for doing so.

It is definitely speaking for me. The Korean writing system (compared to most other Asian languages) is pretty simple and doesn't require a lot time to learn it. When someone is speaking to me, I can catch the different ways their vowels are rounded and the slight differences in certain consonants. However, I'm not super skilled in managing to get those across and sometimes and the creator of confusion. I guess it's just about accents and further acclimating myself to the language.

I really don't like google translate. While it gives you a ballpark idea (most of the time), it really doesn't do the nuances of certain words or phrases justice. Honestly, there have been times where before I post something in Korean on Facebook, I run it through a translator online. This isn't because I need it, but I'm curious to see what my non-Korean speaking friends would be seeing if they chose to do the same. Half the time, it's something completely off the wall and I worry about posting it for their reactions.

My absolute favorite quote is by Mary Anne Radmacher: "Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I'll try again tomorrow." I've struggled with abuse through over a decade of my life and live with PSTD and major anxiety issues because of it. It impacted all parts of my life. I plan on getting this tattooed somewhere on my body one day to remind me that sometimes baby steps are okay as well. Just because you didn't get far one day doesn't mean that you failed, just as long as you didn't give up.