My Journey in Korea: Overcoming Language Barriers and Culture Shock
I’ve been visiting family in the States for about four months now. As I sit at the desk in my nephew’s room, I can’t help but think about how 2 years ago, during my first year in Korea, I was ready to come home about this time. I flew to Korea on February 9, 2022, determined to live there for at least two years. I just knew that with the help of the language program I joined, I would quickly reach fluency and build a thriving life. As you can guess, that is not even close to what happened. I had built a life, but as the seasons changed, friends returned home, and the language still escaped me- I was ready to phone it in.
After eight months in Korea, I found an apartment in a wonderful area, graduated from level 1 to level 3 in my Korean studies, and made lifelong friends. I also struggled to keep up in class, found it difficult to order at restaurants, had no Korean friends, and ran low on funds.
The short of it is - I was struggling and ready to return to a life I knew. A life where I would likely still struggle, but day-to-day tasks wouldn’t send me into a frenzy. Living abroad can be exhausting. Not knowing how to use the coin laundry machines, having to talk to someone to get Tylenol, and needing teachers to answer the phone for me are all hits to the ego of an independent woman. The hardest part is needing help but not knowing where to get it. (Unfortunately, my school counselor spoke English…..but didn’t speak English iykyk).
The hardest part was the language barrier. I felt as if, after the first semester, I was experiencing less teaching and more expecting. We should know the information before going over the information. If something was explained to us once, then we should understand it the first time. On paper, I was a level 3, but, in reality, I was barely ordering at cafes for my friends and me. After my first experience at a hospital, a story for another post, I refused to go back. I didn’t even want to go to the pharmacy if I had the flu. I was ‘failing,’ and ‘I didn’t come to Korea to fail’ was my mindset.
Naturally, this mindset only made me feel worse. I started skipping class, and barring a few adventures with my friends; I was staying home in my apartment alone and ordering food online. Now, I won’t tell you what my sister said to get me to stay, but I will tell you that my family operates on tough love. Her words, while harsh, were highly effective. A month later, I had a job, a Korean Oppa, and a renewed determination to find a way to make this new life work. One of the main ways I achieved this was by switching from a student mindset to that of a tourist.
I struggled with wanting to leave from around October 2022 to February 2023 (when I changed my visa). However, every day, I made tiny adjustments to give myself the experience I wanted. Life can be a challenge no matter where you live or what circumstances. It is always up to us to reassess and form new strategies for our own success. Having stuck it out and lived such a beautiful experience, I know that I can make a life for myself no matter where I choose to live.
If you would like more specifics on what kinds of changes I made, let me know in the comments.
“Graduation” Day
This was graduation day for level 3, in which I had to pose for a photo even though I would have to retake the class. As you can tell I didn’t want to be there.
