Language Study Update (August 24, 2026)

 Korean

I have a teacher for Korean who is teaching me how to be more natural in my speech. However, I asked Chatgbt to help me get ready for TOPIK II test next year. It suggested I take a TOPIK I mock test to see if I am closer to TOPIK I Level 2 or TOPIK II Level 3. So during the weekend I took the TOPIK I mock test on Tammy Korean. I made sure to do it under the same conditions as a real TOPIK I test, i.e. in one sitting and timed. There are two sections to the test: Listening and Reading. For the listening section the time is 40 minutes, and for the reading section the time is 60 minutes. 

I have to say that I did much better in the listening section than the reading section. This is mainly because when I got to the reading section I was getting bored and finished it in 30 minutes instead of 60 minutes. I didn't take my time reading and figuring out what the passages where saying instead if I didn't understand something I just guessed. As a result I go 81/100 on my listening section and only 65/100 on my reading section. Together they make 146/200 which means I am at TOPIK I Level 2 rather than TOPIK II Level 3.

Next step is to start learning vocabulary and grammar for TOPIK I because my reading was not great. I found a vocabulary list on the same website as the TOPIK Test as well as a list for grammar. I'll be using them to study. I've already started to use Anki with the vocabulary words at 5 vocabulary words per day and I'm starting the grammar section today. I also decided to read a book in Korean (Secret Garden). 

Thai

For Thai I'll be using the book Complete Thai by David Smyth from the Teach Yourself series. So far I've only worked through the Introduction which familiarizes you with the sounds of the Thai language. 

Japanese

I had studied Japanese before with a teacher but I no longer have that option right now. So I decided to study on my own. I used Chatgbt to start relearning the Hiragana and Katakana until my book arrives. I'll be using Beginning Japanese Textbook: Revised Edition: An Integrated Approach to Language and Culture

As I said in my previous post I asked Chatgbt to make me a study plan for each of the languages above and to add that plan to my Google calendar. So now I just have to open my Google calendar each day to see what my study plan for the day is.