Dear Yereum

The Story of You, Part 2.

Jay K.

[This is the building of the School of Government where I took polisci classes at PKU for year]

Ep.42 Dear Yereum

Dear my beloved tutee

Hello, how are you doing there? I hope you did well on your final exams. It has been a year since I met you for the first time and it’s been a semester since I started tutoring you English. Throughout this semester, there was no one whom I met as regularly and as often as I met you. I guess this is my first as well as the last letter for you. I have so many things to tell you that I don’t know how long this letter will be. It is also our last class for us, so please listen carefully.

I’m writing this letter to tell you something that I think is very important for one who’s learning English or learning anything in general, but haven’t been able to emphasize enough during our class time. However, I know that a lot of things that I’m going to tell you right now are something I already told you many times before. It might be that I’m just repeating myself, but there is a reason why I’m doing this and hope you know of that. I apologize in advance if you expected something more touching rather than this boring one.

[my tutee on the right]

Firstly, and most importantly, please don’t stop memorizing words. I cannot overemphasize the importance of widening one’s vocabulary. As you know too, vocabulary is the cornerstone of all. Conversational English or grammar, you can learn them fast once you start to live in Australia. There are so much English grammar structures that people use in daily life. In other words, it is very limited. If you read a lot and listen carefully how native people speak, you won’t need to worry about your grammar. It’s same with conversational English. Of course, it takes a time for one to speak freely with natives, but after a year and so, you will eventually get that level. You just need to go out and meet many people and your conversational English will be naturally improved.

But, it’s a whole different story for vocabulary. There is no definite end for the journey of memorizing vocabs in English. Of course, there are some limited numbers of words that we usually use on daily basis, but even that limited numbers are not small. So you really need to put efforts to reach the level, in which you won’t have any difficulty expressing your feeling with appropriate words. As for me, when I read books I still have many words that I don’t know. To be honest, or you might already know that, there were some words I didn’t know very well when I was tutoring you. My grandma who worked her whole life as an editor of Korean English newspaper still memorize words and idioms as she reads books in English.

[me and my tutee]

Secondly, I hope you keep in mind that the best way to improve your conversational English is just talking to more people. As I compare you with Soogeun, your weakest point seems like your oral English. To be honest with you, you speak relatively slow; I think it’s because you are not confident enough. I know that someone is just naturally good at speaking in foreign language and someone isn’t. I belong to the latter like you, but don’t worry; you can change it if you try hard enough. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes when you speak. Your grammar is perfect, and even if it’s not, they will understand what you are saying as long as you speak it clearly. Just try your best to express your feelings through words that you know, that’s all. Also, just try to listen to other people talking and you will soon pick up some useful expressions. Learning a language is just a process of being passive to active. First, you need to be passive which means you just need to listen and read a lot and remember them. Establishing that first, then you can make things you read and heard your own, and try to copy them through speaking and writing; that means you are becoming more and more active.

You might already know this stuff because you already went through the painful experience of learning Chinese. Please excuse myself if I’m just reiterating things that you know, but hey learning a language is also a process of repetition! What I mean by that is you cannot master English just studying it once. You should do it over and over again. Unfortunately, you will soon forget the words you memorized with me, but don’t be despaired because you forgot them all; it’s very natural. If you memorize them for the second time or the third time for that matter, you will eventually make these words yours completely. Given that, I think you need to be exposed to many words as possible first. It doesn’t matter whether you memorize them all, it matter you are just exposed to them, so when you see them for the second time it benefits you to memorize them.

[random statues at my school]

I think it’s enough of me telling you what is important in learning a language, but there are few more words I need to tell you about studying abroad. I’m sure you know also well about what you need to do when you study abroad because you already have lived and studied in China for many years. The biggest thing I want to tell you is this: go out! You are not just going to Australia to learn English, but also experience the world, that’s far different from China or Korea. I’m sure you will come to realize how immense the world is and how different people think at the opposite side of the world you have lived. Nonetheless, if you don’t go out and are not willing to go on an adventure, you will never fully understand it. Meet as many people as possible. Go to as many places as possible. Experience as many things as possible. It might be boring to hang out with people when you first get there because you hardly understand what they are saying, but don’t just lock up yourself in the room. Just go out with them and listen to them and see what they are doing. It is also very helpful for your English to be improved. If your friend asks you to go somewhere you are not very interested, don’t hesitate to go with him/her. Please cherish your opportunity being able to study abroad and face the world.

One more thing is that you need to prioritize your goals. You need to set your goals that you want to achieve while you are there and think which goal is more important and which one is less. For example, if you think learning English well is your foremost goal of studying abroad, I recommend you to meet as less Korean friends as possible. Less Koreans you meet, better your English will be. However, your most important goal isn’t learning English, but experiencing the world, making Korean friends in Australia and hanging out with them wouldn’t be a bad idea. You might think it is not that important setting your goals and prioritizing, but you will regret after a year if you don’t. Don’t start too late. Start planning right now.

[The School of Government at PKU]

[My tutee with my gift for her "adult day" in my room]

Tutoring you for how many weeks, I know it for sure that you are a smart and industrious girl. I believe you will do well in Australia or wherever you go. You will succeed, so don’t worry about it too much. You will have some ups and downs and surely will have hard times that you might want to run away. Whenever you feel like running away or giving up, remember that you are enjoying a privilege that others are dying to have and you shouldn’t waste that opportunity. If you try hard enough, it will pay off.

Now, it’s really time to say goodbye. I had some difficult times writing this letter, I don’t know why though. Maybe it was because I had so many worries for you and didn’t know where to start and what to tell you. I hope it wasn’t a waste writing this long letter for you—please look up all words that you don’t know. I hope when you come back, you can point out all grammatical errors of this letter and speak better English than I.



Someone said, “Man is born to live, not to prepare for life”. Don’t worry too much about the future and just enjoy now. Live in the present! Whether you are in China, Australia or Korea, whether you are studying or working, be genuine to yourself and the time you are in right now. That’s all I want to tell you. Hope I didn’t bore you too much and wish best of luck for your study abroad in Australia. Of course, we will keep in touch and we will see each other again.

Sincerely,

Your tutor, brother, and friend

Jay K.

ps. actually she never got this letter personally, because I was too busy during the finals. I hope she reads this through this blog and know that I really love you as my student!