안녕하세요! My name is Bridget, and I am Year 12 at Cornerstone Chirstian School in Palmerston North, New Zealand. This year is my second year of taking the NetNZ Korean Language course

Ever since I was introduced to Korean media such as Kpop in 2015, I had always wanted to learn the Korean language. Since 2017, I started trying to self-learn the basics (such as learning to read and write, basic vocabulary and expressions). But the learning process was very slow. However, in 2021, my school enrolled me into NetNZ’s Level 1 Korean Language course, and there are absolutely no regrets.

When I first joined, I was greeted by the sweetest Korean woman, Sue Kim, who was going to be my Korean teacher. Although I totally made a fool of myself by accidentally saying I was 20 years old instead of 15, Mrs Kim’s welcoming and light hearted reaction reassured me that I was going to be in good hands.

Whenever I look at my work from the start of last year and compare it to my knowledge and Korean language skill I have now, I am taken aback at how far I have come. Even when I speak to some of my Korean friends, they are surprised too! And that is all thanks to Mrs Kim.

Mrs Kim teaches at a digestible pace, but one where we are constantly learning and improving our writing, reading, listening and speaking skills. I find myself now being able to be confident in different areas of grammar and vocabulary, so I can comprehend texts and conversations, as well as compose my own texts without feeling the need to rush to Papago (translators) as I used to.

Not only does Mrs Kim teach us the language and culture, she also provides us with heaps of opportunities to connect with Korean people such as the termly zoom call language exchanges with students living in Korea. Through this course I have made so many new friends I can practice conversing with in Korean, and learn about the differences between New Zealand and Korean culture. As well as allowing us to grow great friendships with our classmates through fun and engaging virtual activities.

However, this course is definitely for those who are really passionate and diligent about their learning, as there is a lot of homework and assignments to complete throughout the year. But rest assured, those guaranteed high marks are all very much worth it.

Last year, I was blessed enough to have received an NCEA Level 1 Excellence endorsement within this subject, and was even awarded a Korean Language award sent by the New Zealand Korean Education center. I also recently sat my first TOPIK test (Test of Proficiency in Korean) , and proudly achieved the highest level I could get for TOPIK 1!

선생님 가르쳐 주셔서 감사하고 너무 사랑해요!!

By Bridget Smart