Scholarship / LANGUAGE STUDY PLAN FOR GKS-U (3 PAGES) [3]

STUDY PLAN (3 PAGES)

Language Study Plan

Study plans to improve foreign languages (Korean, English, etc) required for taking a degree course BEFORE and AFTER you come to Korea.

A. In Vietnam (nearly 2 months before departure)

- First 1 week: Find out the Korean language's history - Learn Hangeul by using flashcards - Know how to mix characters into words
- Next 1 week: Learn basic grammar and be able to introduce myself briefly - Listen to Korean songs or films to be acquainted with different dialects - Learn 10 new words everyday

- Next 2 weeks: Self-study online courses in Coursera: "A Bridge to the World: Korean Language" series from Sungkyunkwan University - Keep learning 10 new words daily
- Next 4 weeks: Have living routines 2 hours earlier to become accustomed to Korean standard time - Learn 20 new words every day - Revise vocabulary and grammar

B. In Korea

Big Targets:
- Goal 1: Reach TOPIK Level 5
- Goal 2: Reach IELTS 8.0 with 7.5 in Writing and 9.0 in Reading
Detailed Plan (11 months):
- First 1 month: get TOPIK Level 1
During the first days in Korea, I will hang out regularly to talk to the natives there and also find a Korean friend who could help me practice speaking skills. I will learn 20 new words every day and learn how to make simple sentences. I aim to have 1000 words and understand basically major word classes: noun, verb, adjective, adverb.

- Next 2 months: get TOPIK Level 2
I will keep learning 20 new words and more complex grammar per day, then practice with my Korean friend. To improve listening skills, the dictation method is a good way: I will listen to short recordings and write down every word. Then, I will use the shadowing technique to boost my speaking ability. I also do reading exercises in primary school books. At the same time, I intend to spend 2 hours a day learning IELTS online courses to hit an overall score of 7.5.

- Next 2 months: get TOPIK Level 3
Besides doing the same activities as in previous months, I start to write a daily diary to prepare for the writing tasks in TOPIK II. I will do at least 2 TOPIK and 1 IELTS practice tests every day and carefully check the wrong answers to learn from those mistakes.

- Next 3 months: get TOPIK Level 4 & IELTS 8.0
When having a wide vocabulary of 4000 words, I will read simple articles on the KBS World website about my favorite topics such as sports, entertainment, etc. to practice reading skills and update more information about Korea's status. I also plan to write essays about social issues and ask my teachers to give feedback. I will continue to do 1 IELTS test a day and take the official test in October and strive for band 8.0.

- Next 3 months: get TOPIK Level 5
In the last months, I will do 3 TOPIK sample papers a day. In addition, I also immerse myself in Korean by listening to "Talk to me in Korean" videos and reading scientific articles all day. I will ask for experience on test day from other students who already took the test to be best-prepared.