Learning Korean in Malaysia is certainly a unique experience.
After the hit of the tidal wave that is K-pop, more and more people are interested in Korean culture and language. To be fair, an average Malaysian is bound to know at least 2 languages.
Hence its only natural that our bilingual curiosity expands to languages outside of Malaysia.
1. Travelling
If you've noticed, Malaysians are getting into the practice of going overseas for their annual vacation.
With a reasonable currency rate and shorter flight duration, many people choose the convenience of visiting an Asian country like South Korea, Japan, Indonesia, etc compared to Europe or The States.
Travelling is a great excuse for you to learn a foreign language. If you are planning on visiting South Korea, by learning Korean not only will you understand the culture better , but you will also be able to adapt the lifestyle effortlessly.
Knowing the language will help you feel much more comfortable especially in a foreign place. Basic actions like ordering food in a restaurant or finding your way around the city will be a much more pleasant experience.
Did you know that Korean is the 17th most widely spoken language in the world.
With almost 80 million native speakers all over the world, you will surely encounter a Korean speaker in your travels and knowing the language will help you communicate effectively.
2. Improve business opportunities and career growth.
For almost a decade Korean companies like Samsung, LG and Hyundai have established their branch in Malaysia. From electronic parts to even cars, South Korea plays a big part in the Malaysian economy.
By learning Korean, not only will you be able to apply for positions in these companies, based on your performance, you will also be able to work your way up the corporate ladder and apply for the company's Korean branch as well.
Looking to start a new business venture? You can also consider South Korea to improve your business opportunities.
As the 13th largest economy in the world , South Korea is definitely a good stepping stone for a Malaysian organization to penetrate the global market.
If you have the added advantage of being a Korean speaker, you get to be at the forefront of a competitive and challenging market.
Also remember that by being able to speak Korean, even if it is the basics, you will be able to talk to new professional colleagues and even make friends in Korea.
3. Easy to pick up
Did you know that the Korean letters, Hangul, is recognised by UNESCO as one of the most scientific alphabets in the world?
Since it is based on logic, they also say that you would only require a couple of hours to master them! The Hangul mostly consists of vowels and consonants that can be picked up fairly quickly.
This is because the alphabets are mostly straight lines and circles, each with a very distinctive sound. As Malaysians, you are constantly exposed to many languages that have very unique pronunciation.
This is definitely an advantage as you are not just limited to one way of pronouncing things. You get to adjust your sound and pronunciation much more efficiently.
Once you have mastered the correct pronunciation of the vowels and consonants, you will be able to pick up reading fairly quickly.
This is why some people are able to even take the TOPIK examinations within 6 months of learning.
Learn more about TOPIK examination.
4. Uncomplicated concepts
Many languages like French, Spanish or Hindi have very gender-specific words that change the meaning of a sentence.
This is luckily not the case for Korean.
In Korean, there is no concept of gender in nouns.
More importantly, the gender of the nouns does not affect the other elements of the sentence making it much easier to learn and understand.
Lone words from English (Konglish) is also very widely used and understood in South Korea.
Hence, when you are short of proper vocabulary, you can easily substitute the word in English and you'll still be understood.
For Malaysians who are used to communicating in English, this will help you a lot as long as you have basic knowledge in Korean.
5. Immerse yourself in Korean pop culture
K-pop has been on the rage in Malaysia for the last decade and with good reason.
With great choreography and catchy tunes and lyrics, they have won most of us over with their youthful charm.
Learning Korea helps you better understand your favourite K-pop song lyrics as well as K-drama dialogues.
Getting to know the emotion behind each song and lyrics will help you enjoy the full experience of your chosen entertainment.
No longer will you need to settle for reading the subtitles, you can now enjoy your K-drama without any language barriers.
6. Boost Your Brainpower
Learning Korean not only helps you in work or enjoying entertainment, but it also helps you mentally as well.
Adopting a new language or just being bilingual can help stimulate your intellectual growth and enhance your mental development.
Especially for the mature age group, constant stimulation for your brain helps keep it active and healthy.
Learning Korean or any other language for that matter stimulates your brain constantly and helps you prevent diseases that deteriorate your mental performance.
7. Honorifics
Similar to what you are used to as Malaysians, Koreans also use honorifics. This mainly depends on age, status, context or even solidarity.
As in most languages, Korean also has formal honorifics and informal honorifics.
Generally, it is a good idea to use formal honorifics for everyone to show respect . Respecting the elders is a common theme in all Asian countries and Korea is no exception.
From speaking to dinning, the Koreans show particular care in respecting their elders and it reflects in the language.
Being Malaysian, this is definitely a common trait that we share with the Koreans which can help you relate to them better. Learning Korean in Malaysia is a great way to gain insight into global culture and realise that we are not so different from one another after all.
Under all the customs and language barriers, we share the same values and more or less the same traditions.
These are some of the reasons why learning Korean in Malaysia is an advantage.
We hope you now have better insight into Korean as a language.
Interested in learning Korean? Start your journey with us.
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