A Language Not For Programming

안녕하세요? Or in English that is "Hello". A language can be so much more than just a tool to communicate. It can also be a source of entertainment and culture. This is something I experienced first-hand through my experiences in learning Korean. I have many things to accredit towards my desire towards learning Korean. It gave me a chance to make connections with other professionals that are going into other fields, as well as giving me first-hand experience at what it is like to work at a Korean Software Company.

I began my journey by wanting to skip having to take any language courses. After I finished taking the language proficiency test at UH Manoa, I was contacted by the advisor for the Korean Language Flagship Program to introduce me to what it was about and to maybe convince me to try out some of the classes. It ended up becoming my second major and I ended up taking advanced courses in Korean, opening up other opportunities.

One of those opportunities was the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) which gave me a chance to jump-start my Korean knowledge, as well as to introduce me to Korean culture. The CLS is a program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, giving students studying critical languages (Korean among the few of them) an intensive course of that language in a country that speaks that language to give them a chance to become experts in both the culture and make connections with people who live there.

Living in Korea while interacting with co-workers and fellow students gave me a deeper appreciation for not only the language but also the culture and history behind it. From learning puns in Korean to learning about the heritage and how the written language was created in the 15th century, it has been a wild journey full of memories that I will cherish forever.