I’ve taught over 200 students in 1:1 lessons, and while there are many ways to learn a language, private lessons are typically the most expensive and effective method. However, there’s one crucial truth: lessons alone aren’t enough to significantly improve your Korean skills. The students who made remarkable progress always had one thing in common—they practiced smartly outside of lessons. In this post, I’ll share the three most powerful habits they followed.
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Consistency, Even If It’s Just 5 Minutes a Day
Consistency is the secret to success in any skill, especially language learning. Studying for just five minutes a day is much more powerful than cramming for an hour once a week. One of my students, Elen, took 51 hours of lessons over 1 year and 3 months. Despite her busy work life, she made it a habit to review Korean for five minutes every morning. By consistently building on what she learned, she eventually became fluent.
Create Your Own Sentences
"이건 우리 할머니의 부채야." (This is my grandmother’s fan.)
Textbook sentences often feel irrelevant and are harder to remember. That’s why I always encourage students to create their own meaningful sentences. Personalized sentences are easier to memorize and are more likely to be used naturally in conversation.
When I was learning Thai, I asked my teacher to teach me a simple but personal sentence: "I have one Thai friend." The sentence structure in Thai is quite different—more like “I have friend Thai one.” Because it related directly to my life, I practiced it with care and found it incredibly useful when talking with native Thai speakers. Making personal connections to what you learn truly accelerates your language ability.
Use Flashcards for Repetition
Once you create your own sentences, it’s essential to practice them repeatedly. Flashcards are one of the best ways to do this. If possible, ask a native speaker or teacher to record the sentences for you. When I was learning, I would ask my teacher to record new sentences during the last five minutes of each lesson, and I built my own mini-library of real, usable expressions.
With flashcards, you can practice anytime—even in spare moments during the day. If you build a deck of 1,000 sentences connected to your life and review them consistently, your Korean skills will grow faster than you ever imagined.
Related Posts
- 5 Adorable Korean Words That Feel as Cozy as "소복소복"
- How Vowel Changes in Korean Transform the Meaning and Feel of Words
The "Podo Korean" app, designed for serious learners, includes thousands of frequently used sentences recorded by a native Korean teacher. You can easily save your favorite sentences as flashcards with just one tap, making it a powerful tool to help you stay consistent, create personalized expressions, and review effectively. Mastering Korean takes daily effort, but with the right system and mindset, it can be a truly joyful journey.
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