I’ve been learning Korean for about a year and a half but I’m not doing classes at the moment. I learn the most being forced to study in a class and through homework. Now I’m on my own until I start classes again either later this year or next year. I aim to be somewhat fluent eventually but at the moment still at a beginner level as taking it slowly.

If my husband speaks slowly to me I can often understand but when he is chatting away I really only understand a few words. Of course he is speaking at a native speaker pace and it’s much harder to understand that and dialect. I listen a lot though and can recognise some words.

If we are with a group of people and everyone is speaking Korean he will translate things but often I don’t need him to because I understand enough words, look at expression and body language and fill in the blanks myself. There is always the risk of completely misunderstanding though.