20 In Korean learning journey (:

Language learning makes me hard of hearing

It rhymes.

This post has just a modicum of truth, and you probably shouldn’t take me too seriously.

A few days ago, I took a simple hearing test and found that I had worse hearing than my other friends. And I blame that on excessive blasting of GET YOUR CRAYON~~~ WHY SO SERIOUS and all that WOW FANTASTIC BABY.

I blame my hearing, or the lack of, on language learning.

I realized that I used to rely on speakers more often when I was young and I don’t always listen to something when I’m on the comp. And I’m not always on the comp.

Nowadays?

I’m always listening to something when I’m on the comp. And I’m always on the comp. Kinda?

In language learning, input is so important. Lacking the natural environment of living in Korea, many of us resort to creating our own immersion environment. That means dramas, music, films, podcasts, videos etc etc. Whatever we can find.

I’m always listening to something Korean. (resting my ears now). I’d play a podcast while surfing the web and put on my big bang playlist when I’m working on my thesis.

Another reason why language learners may go deaf?

We tend to turn on the volume louder -.- Not sure if everyone does it, but when I first started learning Korean, I had the tendency to turn the volume on louder, under the illusion(?) that I’ll be able to understand better and catch more phrases.

Kinda psychological effect? I feel more at ease when the volume is louder.

And we love to put things on repeat. Well, I do.

I listen to conversations / dialogues on repeat, trying to get used to the intonation, catch the phrases and practice.

Repeat. And repeat.

Instead of speakers, earphones / earbuds are preferred. Again, the illusion of loudness and clarity and listening proficiency.

ㅠㅠㅠㅠ

Did I just come to the conclusion that language learning is hazardous to the health? 😛

Something must have went wrong in the argument. XD

————

What are your language listening habits?

 

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20 Comments

  • Reply
    Archana
    13 November, 2012 at 10:27 AM

    HAHAHAHAHAHA. Oh man. I basically do/have done the exact things you described in this post.

    I need to go check my hearing. D;

    • Reply
      hangukdrama
      13 November, 2012 at 2:12 PM

      hahaha!! hopefully your hearing is still fine 😛

  • Reply
    Bio
    13 November, 2012 at 1:52 PM

    The title doesn’t make sense.

    • Reply
      hangukdrama
      13 November, 2012 at 2:13 PM

      (:

  • Reply
    Abbath
    13 November, 2012 at 4:46 PM

    Ah.. ㅠㅠ I am using earphones too much and I think my hearing is a bit worse than it should be :/ We should use speakers instead.

    • Reply
      hangukdrama
      14 November, 2012 at 11:48 AM

      ㅎㅎㅎ yeah >< Maybe I should get one

  • Reply
    Angie
    13 November, 2012 at 7:45 PM

    Ah.. I guess all language learners are similar? I tend to use earphones rather than listening through my laptop speaker and yes I always turn the volume louder whenever I feel like I couldnt catch some phrases clearly T^T

    • Reply
      hangukdrama
      14 November, 2012 at 11:48 AM

      yeah all of us are probably similar 😛

  • Reply
    c
    13 November, 2012 at 9:55 PM

    I would say speakers is better as they are not in your ears. Of course it also depends on the volume. when using earbuds in the city you probably raise the sound when the sound around you gets louder? Think about that and what its doing to you ears.

    Clubbing etc is bad too. Google dB-levels and human hearing.

    • Reply
      hangukdrama
      14 November, 2012 at 11:48 AM

      yeah agreed. That’s why I don’t listen to anything when I’m outside. ><

  • Reply
    Dusky
    13 November, 2012 at 11:46 PM

    Oh, goodness. Yes, yes, yes, just a thousand yeses. Especially that repeating one. I do that all the time. I don’t use earbuds though. I like to repeat out loud when I catch a phrase that I recognize and try to see (or is hear?) if I can say it.

    • Reply
      hangukdrama
      14 November, 2012 at 11:49 AM

      ㅋㅋㅋㅋ Repeat out loud is definitely less harmful to your ears 😛

  • Reply
    alodia
    14 November, 2012 at 9:19 AM

    LOL!!! My mom told me, “You’ve gone deaf because you keep studying Korean”, a number of times. Because I am always on headphones, and when she starts talking (or ordering me to do something) and I FINALLY realized she’s talking, I’ll take my headsets off, ask her “What’d you say?”. Then she’ll repeat it and me, having just left my own little Korean world is still adjusting won’t get what she’s saying and I have to ask her one more time… two more times… thrice?

    As I’ve said I’ve created my own little ‘Korea’ on my computer. Whenever I’m in front of my computer (which is almost all the time – except when I was in Korea) I always have something to listen to. Either religiously listening to podcasts/lessons. Or when I have to do something else (school work or leisure) I listen to Korean songs or my Korean drama audios – on loop. I also tend to make the volume louder because I really (thought I) can’t understand / catch the words quickly on a lower volume / on bad headphones. But eventually, just recently, even with just my netbook’s built-in speakers, I can not understand / recognized Korean words (but still I can’t let go of the loud headphones). And with Japanese, I (feel like I) MUST use a good headphone! If not, (I feel like) all I hear were mumbles.

    • Reply
      hangukdrama
      14 November, 2012 at 11:50 AM

      hahaha!!! Own little Korea! 😛 I agree! I’m listening to a big bang playlist as I’m typing this. >< Keeps me motivated to do my school stuff~~ 😀

  • Reply
    Keisha
    17 November, 2012 at 11:37 AM

    I don’t know if anyone else has done this, but when I was learning Spanish, I’d watch things in Spanish on TV at night when I’m about to sleep and it kinda trained my ear for the language a bit too well. I woke up the next morning thinking in Spanish and answering my family members in it as well. XD

    I did the same thing with Japanese as a child because I was always watching anime, listening to the opening and ending songs at night and fell asleep to them (I also tried to sing them even though I only knew some words as in maybe 10). I’m guessing that because of that exposure or ear training, it helped me with grasping pronunciation and grammar because I’m catching on to Japanese so quickly right now. Like… it’s scaring me a bit. I feel that Japanese is more difficult than Korean, but I’m catching on to Japanese so fast. o.O

    After noticing the pattern of sleeping and listening to shows in another language, when I had KBS for a while, I’d watch it at night and leave the TV on so that my ears were still kinda picking up the Korean and it would float around in my brain as I sleep. I don’t have the channels right now, but I’m determined and will let podcasts play from my iPod speaker or shows play from my tablet until I get those channels back! 😀

    • Reply
      hangukdrama
      17 November, 2012 at 10:18 PM

      hahahaha! I tried it before, I think ear training does work. But at the expense of my hearing 😛 I used to leave Korean radio shows playing in the background while I do my work and I like hearing the sounds and at that time, I couldn’t really understand much. But now, I find myself listening to the content instead and get so immersed that my work is now the background and the distractor LOL

  • Reply
    mishmash
    17 November, 2012 at 9:56 PM

    I think my only input lately comes from mostly music and the variety shows like 1d2n, Hello, Win Win, Shinhwa Broadcast and Healing Camp. I don’t even listen to podcasts anymore though I still download TTMIK’s Iyagi series.

    Unfortunately I still prefer eng subs because I feel it’s too much work to concentrate when I just want to relax. Still, when eng subs are unavailable I make do without and I’m surprised at how much I still understand.

    Psst : Joo Won came out on Win Win recently and Park Ki Woong was the surprise guest ^O^

    • Reply
      hangukdrama
      17 November, 2012 at 10:15 PM

      OMG I MUST GO WATCH 😀 😀

      Win Win and Come to Play is like the only two talkshows I’ll watch. XD Haven’t been watching dramas or korean films recently too.. ㅠ I think my input these days come from … big bang lol

      p.s. I was thinking of replying to the comments later but when I saw this one I was like OMG OMG OMG 😛 주원~~~

  • Reply
    mishmash
    18 November, 2012 at 9:16 PM

    Watching him on 2d1n and win win, the only thought I have is that he really is not the manly man type despite the roles he takes on. I suddenly have the desire to rewatch Ojakyo Bros.

    Despite his age he’s really a baby~~~~For some reason i was really amused by his story and his tears….because I kept thinking of the stories of past guests’ on the show. some of which really made me cry. His story was touching nevertheless, he would make a good husband some day.

    • Reply
      hangukdrama
      20 November, 2012 at 12:25 PM

      ㅋㅋㅋ yes he’s totally a baby. I wish he will have more screen time on 2D1N!

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