Japanese or Korean?

Japanese for sure. Koreans are quite racist and it wouldnt matter how perfect your Korean is, they still wouldnt date you or be your friend.

Haha Koreans do blackface sketches on TV and are INCREDIBLY xenophobic even in Seoul. Why ask whether to study Korean or Japanese then if youre clearly on one side already. Pointless thread.

**** off. A lot of Koreans are actually quite welcoming to foreigners, especially white foreigners...


Stop generalising. Yes, there's a greater proportion of racists than you would have in other developed countries (remember - it used to be poorer than sub-Saharan Africa in the 1960s so it's 'still catching up') but this is improving and most people are welcoming.

Kanji are difficult to remember XD I have learned a few as well, it is rewarding once you get to grips with them. You are welcome. Yes, it was Taekwondo, which is a Korean martial art, so the instructor thought it would be good for us to learn a little Korean.

Do both, you can at SOAS and Sheffield without an A level in either.

JAPANESE! I STUDY IT AND IT'S AWESOME!

Posted from TSR Mobile

The fact you have to use obscenity to try and make a point highlights your stupidity.

Is this even a question? Japan has an entire history of cultural interflow with Europe and the rest of the world, is built on ancient traditions and a rich history and, if you're looking for something relevant in the job market, comes second in Asia only to the sizeable powerhouse of China. It wouldn't be too far off to suggest that what Britain is to Europe, Japan is to mainland Asia. To be fluent in the Japanese language and to have extensive knowledge of Japanese culture is something akin to Chinese or French languages and cultures in terms of the historical and linguistic depth you will likely discover and enjoy in your studies, whether formal or not. With all due respect for the Korean language as well as an acknowledgment of the huge strides the nation is making economically and in modernising, in my humble opinion this is hardly a point worth contemplating.

p.s. that said, the big Korean firms outplay their Japanese counterparts across the board in recent years, so if you're interested in something like that long-term then certainly bear that in mind!

so i have been interested in japanese for a long time and have basic knowledge of it from self-study and evening classes, but this year i've started to really get into korean as well. unfortunately the uni i'm interested in doesn't offer korean, nor am i aware of any joint courses for those two languages at beginner's level, so... what now? D:

i like korean but i'm afraid it may be too difficult. japanese is easy for me because in terms of pronunciation, it is just syllables, whereas korean always felt like aenubeauobuea to me and it is intimidating, haha.

are there any students of either language here with some experience of the other language as well? if so, which do you find easier or more fun to learn? and if not, what made you choose just one of these?

so i have been interested in japanese for a long time and have basic knowledge of it from self-study and evening classes, but this year i've started to really get into korean as well. unfortunately the uni i'm interested in doesn't offer korean, nor am i aware of any joint courses for those two languages at beginner's level, so... what now? D:

i like korean but i'm afraid it may be too difficult. japanese is easy for me because in terms of pronunciation, it is just syllables, whereas korean always felt like aenubeauobuea to me and it is intimidating, haha.

are there any students of either language here with some experience of the other language as well? if so, which do you find easier or more fun to learn? and if not, what made you choose just one of these?

I've studied both of these languages, and have an A-Level and N3 JLPT Level in Japanese, and have dabbled in learning Korean, due to interest, and studying Taekwondo (it comes in handy). Personally, I think they complement one another, as their grammar systems are quite similar, but Japanese has proven easier, although many people find the kanji difficult at first (I had an advantage already knowing kanji from their Chinese equivalents). There are actually plenty of resources for both, you just need to know where to look for them. I can suggest plenty of websites if you want

In terms of pronunciation, Japanese is slightly easier, but once you get the hang of Korean pronunciation, it's not so bad.

I've become aware that Sheffield, UCLan, and SOAS in London all allow students to study both languages from a Beginner level, but this might have changed since I last looked into it (I did a year of Japanese at university at UCLan, but left to pursue the course I really wanted to do elsewhere).

Take some time out to decide why you want to study these languages alone, and what you want to do with them. I study languages for my own personal enjoyment, and so far have at least 6 under my belt to varying levels. You can always seriously study one as your main language (I would personally suggest Japanese for you, as you already have a head-start), and study the other for fun in your own time?

Any questions, feel free to message me

I'm going to be rude/offensive and ask, have you tried Chinese?

Let me tell you why it might be a good introductory language:

- Korean has a very complex verb conjugation system
- Japanese Kanji are a pain compared to the modern simplified Chinese characters
- Chinese grammar is straightforward and mostly depends on a word order
- Chinese honorifics have been slimmed down to make them easier to learn
- Tones are a challenge in Chinese, but Korean has aspirated consonants and even Japanese has a hidden pitch tone system.
- Chinese vocabulary is seen in many Korean words.
- The Chinese learning curve is initially steep but gradually decreases, while Korean and Japanese start off easier then get harder.

So, I do think Chinese would be the best option for your first serious East Asian language. After you've reached a certain level of proficiency, you will be able to understand quite a bit of written Japanese and recognise quite a few Korean words, giving you a solid head start at both.

Linguists often recommend that you learn an 'easier' language first then move up a scale each time. There was once this study were they split a group of future Russian language students into 2 different groups. The first group were just taught Russian as their first foreign language. The second group were just taught French for the first year before moving onto Russian. The second group did a lot better and outperformed the pure Russian candidates.

So Chinese might be a good stepping for you to excel into Japanese or Korean? Just a thought though, don't do anything half-hearted.

Also, why are you learning Japanese or/and Korean? What is your motivation and reason for learning them. I think that would help you decide.

Personally, I tried to learn Korean first, then ended up switching to Japanese before choosing to study Chinese. I hope to revisit Korean at a later date and improve my Japanese too when I become proficient in Chinese.

studying one in uni and one in my free time is an option i'm very seriously considering thank you for your input. as mentioned i don't think i can get into SOAS but i'll be doing some reading on Sheffield tonight. i am myself a language nerd too and can currently speak 3 languages, and i'm stuck deciding on my next one. i'm also learning german right now so i definitely want a job related to languages somehow.

As I said, it's an option, and one well worth considering if you already have 3 languages! I chose Japanese because of already knowing Mandarin/Cantonese (lived in Hong Kong for 4 years), so the writing was easier for me to grasp than others.

I've also been studying French from around 6 years old, as my Year 2 teacher was French and taught us from scratch, and my family went to France on holiday every year, I've got an A-Level in it, too. I then moved on to Russian, Norwegian, Korean, Italian and German (I can also insult some of my Polish friends exactly as they taught me ).

In all honesty, it's what you feel comfortable with. Korean has an easy writing system, and it can be learned incredibly quickly, whereas I think Japanese can take a little longer to learn, due to it's two 'alphabets' and kanji system, but it definitely gets easier. Korean also has spaces between words, whereas Japanese doesn't, but kanji does break up sentences.

Korean's sound systems for pronunciation is harder, as it's the Japanese sounds, with additional ones that can be difficult to differentiate between when listening to natural-speed Korean natives.

Many people think Japanese is an easier system to start with, as once you've got the basics, the basics in Korean will come faster to you

I thought of this comparison just now.

writing systems luckily aren't a problem in either case! from japanese i already know the 2 basic ones, and i enjoy learning them as i am an artist so it kind of comes naturally

polish insults are rather infamous really if i meet someone and they find out i'm polish, it's the first thing they immediately say to me LOL.

you know lots of languages though, is it all from self-study?

it's really the sound im most worried about. listening to music and watching korean things with subtitles, i can't differentiate between words at all. it all sounds like mumble with lots of ae sounds haha.

thank you again

All of the languages I know, except French and some Japanese have been self-taught. I don't like learning languages in class settings, as you can only really work at the level of the lowest person (sounds mean, but it's true in most cases; it's fine but I'd rather work at my own pace).

I tend to download lots of resources and if I can, buy a second hand textbook on eBay to aid my learning. Also, watching TV shows or films with the subtitles on (not always English, sometimes in the film's language, or in a language I know enough of) is good practice, too. I also have penpals/online friends from the website interpals that I can exchange language with. I just enjoy it! Takes my mind off long days on radiography placement

Why didnt you go to soas? they offer every asian language there is...in terms of usefulness i'd say japanese, but with korean music, rv dramas and technology becoming more popular, who knows in the future korean might be really useful?

that's amazing you must be talented honestly! i like learning but i have too short an attention span. classes force me to do it regularly.

oh yes watching movies is a good idea! but i noticed that way i only pick up one word phrases. maybe i'm just not paying enough attention. and thank you! i'll look into interpals.