TOPIK has 6 levels, with 6 being fluent and almost like a native speaker and level 1 is described thusly:
"1st Grade Use of basic commands of Korean for survival, such as greeting, purchasing, ordering, etc. Expressing and understanding oneself in simple everyday conversation by making simple sentences from 800 basic words."
Sounds totally within my range, right? But when I saw a sample test for Level 1, it was harder than I could manage. But me and Tutor both think I can nail a solid Level-1 by July. And who knows? The test is also administered in October and November, so it's not unthinkable that by fall I could try to land a Level-2:
"2nd Grade Discussion of familiar topics employing a vocabulary of about 1,500∼2,000 words. Distinguishing correctly between formal and informal situations."
Best of all, the test is all reading and listening at my level--no speaking component and no essay writing just yet. I want to do well at this and I've got 5 months to prepare. :-)
Went downtown after tutoring, to buy some socks and some more glittery headbands. As I passed one dark alley, a boy yelled "Leigh!" and came dashing out. It was the 3rd-grade boy who steadfastly refuses to tell me his name, but who can be referred to as C-Ban-Good-At-Soccer. He ran and ran until he caught up to me, wearing a huge smile on his face. "오랜만!"(oraeman) he said brightly, meaning "It's been awhile!"
In reality, it hasn't even been two weeks since I complimented his haircut at graduation, but it's hard to correct such angelic-ness. I said "high-five!" and when we high-fived, he held my hand and repeated, "오 랜 만" because he didn't know if I had understood. I said, "Yeah, it's been a while. Long time no see," using the English phrase he'd be most likely to know. I gave his hand one last squeeze and said bye while he trotted back to the alley.
I missed C-Ban-Good-At-Soccer. It's hard not to appreciate someone who is that happy to see you, even if they are using banmal (informal speech). If he'd been trying to be respectful, he'd have said "오랜만이에요" (oraeman-iyeyo). Judging by the amount of smiles and banmal I get from my former 3rd-graders, I feel like I have very little of their respect but entire continents of their love. I suppose I'm cool with that.
A toddler came over to me during my tutoring session at the coffeeshop, and I held him for a while (his mom was watching). Tutor said I must be his first blonde acquaintance. I think maybe he had seen "Frozen" and the princess magic was still lingering in his mind. I can't make snowstorms, little baby. But I can hold you and tell you you're cute in two languages.
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Oh, and here's the paragraph I wrote in my Korean diary, with corrections from Tutor. It's on the self-chosen nonsensical topic, "If I bought a unicorn..."
2-22-14: 유니콘 갖고 싶어요. 이 세상에, 애완동물이 많아요. 강아지, 고양이, 거북이는 특별한 동물들이 아니에요. 유니콘들 아주 특별해요. 만약 내가 유니콘 갖으면, 내 생활 개선해요 . 내 생활은 나아질 거에요. 왜요? 지금 설명해요. 그 이유는 유니콘이 자동차보다 더 빨라서, 매일 학교에 일찍 도착할 거예요. 유니콘 때문에, 도착하자마자 다른 선생님들 나를 존중할거예요. 유니콘을 사게되면, 파란색을 고를거예요.
파란색 피부, 분홍색 뿔과, 큰 날개가 있어요/큰 날개가 좋을 거에요. 만약 내 친구 배키가 나를 카페에서 초대하면, 난 “지금 못 만나요. 요즘 바빠서, 유니콘 가꾸해요”/
요즘 유니콘을 돌보느라 바빠요 라고 말할 거예요. 이 번 토요일, 한국에 유니콘들 있으면, 유니콘 찾을 거예요. 비싼것 같아요.
She liked it lots, especially the fact that I'm writing longer sentences.
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