A Comprehensive Weekly Study Routine for Intermediate Korean Students

Are you eager to enhance your Korean language skills but feeling unsure where to start? Establishing a structured weekly study routine can significantly aid your progress. In this guide, I'll walk you through my personal weekly Korean study routine, sharing insights into content, study tools, duration, and more. This routine is perfect for pre-intermediate students all the way through to upper-intermediate.

Weekly Korean Study Routine Overview

Before delving into the details of each study session, let's outline the structure of the weekly routine:

• Quantity: 6 study sessions per week

• Length: 30 minutes per session

  
  

Monday: Vocabulary

Kickstart your week with a focus on expanding your vocabulary. Dedicate this session to learning approximately 30 new words. For each word, ensure to note down its type (noun, verb, adjective, adverb) in Korean. For example, the word 공부하다 (study) is a verb, so write 동사 (verb). Craft a comprehensive vocabulary log that includes the word, word type, its definition in English, and an example in Korean. Looking for a great vocabulary log template? Try the Ultimate Language Student Digital Journal (80 pages of study tools carefully designed for language students).

Tuesday: Grammar

On Tuesdays, delve into grammar study by learning two new grammar points, or revising two grammar points that you need to brush up on. If you're following a textbook, online course or attending classes, just follow the schedule and study the next two grammar points outlined. If you're self-studying, check out this list of grammar points and see which ones you need to focus on. Make sure to write comprehensive grammar notes and organise them so they're easy to come back to later.

My best piece of advice when it comes to writing your grammar notes; write your notes entirely in Korean. This may seem daunting at first, but it will ensure your notes are clear and easy to understand. It's also a fantastic way to practice your Korean skills at this intermediate level. Feel free to use symbols, pictures, and numbers for clarity and simplicity. When writing notes in another language, synonyms are your best friend! Don't be afraid to use Naver Dictionary to find synonyms for your notes.

Wednesday: Writing

Put your newly acquired vocabulary and grammar knowledge into practice through writing exercises. First, find or create a writing prompt. If you are in need of some writing prompts, you can find prompts for each level in the Ultimate Language Student Digital Journal (80 pages of study tools carefully designed for language students). Secondly, write out a list of vocabulary and grammar that you've learnt over the past few weeks that you could use in your writing practice. Next, write a general plan for your writing exercise; how many paragraphs do you need? What ideas do you need to cover? Finally, write! Follow your plan and tick off the vocabulary and grammar as you go.

Thursday: Reading

Reading is crucial for language learning. On Thursday, complete the next reading activity in your textbook or course. Self-studying? Try reading a Korean novel! Every Thursday, just read a few pages for 30 minutes. Looking for something shorter to read? Try StoryKorean - short traditional Korean stories for different levels. This is a great option because it includes vocab lists for each story with the pronunciation, grammar explanations and an option for English translation when needed.

Friday: Listening

Hone your listening skills through dedicated practice sessions. If you are using a textbook or following a course, complete the next listening activity available. If you are a self-learner or looking for some extra practice, try Korean conversation podcasts on Spotify or YouTube. Simply search 'Korean conversation practice [level]', inserting your level as well e.g. beginner, intermediate, etc. Some great ones to start with the Talk To Me In Korean YouTube videos. Take notes on key points while listening to get the most out of your study session.

Saturday: Speaking

It's time to put everything in practice with some speaking practice! If studying with a classmate or another Korean learner, prepare some topics or questions beforehand to discuss during your speaking practice session. I recommend about 5 questions. Keep in mind what grammar or vocabulary you could use for each question. And most importantly, give full sentence answers and always explain your reasoning. Self-studying? There's absolutely nothing wrong with talking to yourself! In this situation, preparing some questions to ask yourself is vital.

Unstructured speaking practice with native speakers is also fantastic. When you can, call your Korean friends. If your thinking; 'Rach, I don't have any Korean friends!', you can meet native Korean speakers on HelloTalk - an app for language exchange. But of course, when talking to anyone online, be careful and cautious.

Sunday: Rest

Remember to prioritise self-care and relaxation. Take a break from structured study and engage in activities that rejuvenate your mind and body, ensuring you're refreshed for the week ahead. If you still want to practice your Korean, unwind with a Kdrama or by listening to some Kpop. I personally recommend My Love form the Star!

Conclusion

Studying can be daunting, but establishing a consistent weekly Korean study routine can really help. By allocating a day for each aspect of language learning - vocabulary, grammar, writing, reading, listening and speaking - and making sure to have breaks, you will be able to see steady progress towards your Korean language goals. Feel free to customise this routine to suit your learning style and preferences, and don't forget to celebrate your achievements along the way; big and small. What's an achievement you made in your Korean language studies recently? For me, it was establishing a consistent study routine ^^ Let me know in the comments ~

Happy studying!