My Experience Learning 2 Languages at NUS

Thinking of picking up a new language? Considering whether or not you should use your UEs to take language courses at NUS? Well, you have come to the right place! In this article, you can expect to get a glimpse of what it is like learning foreign languages at NUS. If you are curious to find out more, get ready for a deep dive and enjoy reading!

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For some context, I am currently in my second year, taking both Korean 4 (LAK3202) and Japanese 2 (LAJ2201) at the same time. Yes, you read that right. So when I tell people this, they will usually go like, “2 languages at the same time?!”, “Wah you’re crazy man!” and whatnot. I totally get where they are coming from because even I think it is an overkill. Ironic to say when I am doing exactly that, but just why did I choose to do this?

Reasons for Learning Korean and Japanese

1. Interest in the Korean and Japanese cultures

Having watched many dramas, movies and anime growing up, I have slowly but strongly developed an interest in the Korean and Japanese cultures. I may not watch them as much as I used to now, but I still find myself drawn to aspects relating to their cultures, more so than those relating to Singapore (nervously laughs). Even till today, I am continually fascinated by both cultures and am still learning something new about them every day.

Me being continually fascinated by the Korean and Japanese culture (Source)

If not for my interest in the Korean and Japanese cultures, I would honestly not have considered learning Korean and Japanese in the first place. Nonetheless, I have more or less picked up various words, phrases, slangs, and abbreviations from the shows I have watched over time. That being said though, I tend to listen passively and hardly went the extra mile to really understand the purpose and usage of things like grammar from watching with subtitles only. In short, I did not have the fundamental basics down, so I could not write and speak in full, proper sentences even if I wanted to. With that in mind, I decided it was best to start from scratch and officially started my language learning journey at NUS.

2. Opportunities from learning at NUS

It all started when I received an email to apply for the Language Preparation Programme (LPP) back when I was a freshman. After realising that Korean is offered under the programme, I immediately jumped on the opportunity to apply and successfully got into the Korean LPP. Thanks to that, I got priority to register for Korean classes from Levels 1 all the way up to Level 4 before everyone else. Considering that most language courses are very popular and high in demand amongst NUS students (especially Korean and Japanese!), I thought this was a huge privilege because that meant that I did not have to compete with others to get my desired timeslots on CourseReg! Hearing this, you may also feel pressured and hesitant to continue on for 4 consecutive semesters but rest assured that you are free to drop out anytime without any penalties by simply not registering.

Me when I learnt what I could get out of learning languages at NUS (Source)

Since LPP primarily aims to prepare students for the Student Exchange Programme (SEP), I also believed that it could help me gain a competitive edge when applying for SEP, even more so because I am considering going for exchange in South Korea in the future (hopefully!). Not to mention, taking language courses here is included in our school fees. Since I am also minoring in Japanese Studies, I could fulfil my minor requirements by learning Japanese as well, so it works well for me! Do also note that you can only apply for LPP in your first year though. So, to any prospective NUS freshmen reading this, make sure to keep a lookout for the application in your email inbox if you are interested! The specifics of LPP can also be found here if you are keen to find out more.

3. Desire to ease my workload in Years 3 and 4

Now, you may be thinking, why learn Korean and Japanese at the same time then? Well, the thing is, I wanted to take things easier once I reach my third and final year because I foresee myself taking mostly level-3000 and level-4000 courses by then. Knowing how undisciplined I am when it comes to studying, I honestly do not think that I would have taken learning Korean and Japanese seriously anytime soon if not for coming to NUS.

Me to school honestly (Source)

Not to mention, all CNM first majors (myself included) are required to complete the Compulsory Internship Programme by our third year, making it almost inevitable for us to overload in the earlier semesters (smiles in pain). Well, I guess some sacrifices have to be made for the sake of graduating on time, especially if you are planning to go for semester internship and SEP like I do. So, now comes the part that many of you are most likely waiting for: what is it like learning Korean and Japanese here at NUS?

Overview of the NUS Korean and Japanese Language Curriculums

While I cannot speak for what it is like for other language courses at NUS, I will try my best to share and compare based on known facts and personal experiences with taking up till LAK3202 and LAJ2201 from AY23/24 to AY24/25! Although both curriculums generally have not changed much throughout the years, the assessments have slightly differed here and there due to different course coordinators in charge across each semester. Do keep this in mind if you decide to take Korean or Japanese in future semesters!

Course Materials

Korean: ‘Yonsei Korean in 3 Weeks’ Textbook

Japanese: ‘Minna no Nihongo’ Textbook

Even though you do not need to pay extra course fees as an NUS student, it is compulsory to buy textbooks because you will be using them extensively. And if you are wondering whether you can use the softcopy versions, the answer is sadly no. Now, based on official prices, the cost of the Korean textbooks ranges from $40 to $52 on NUS Coop, and this is already considered the more “affordable” option when you compare it with other stores like Kinokuniya. As for the Japanese textbooks, the vendor will come down during the first few weeks of lecture, and they are sold in a set of 4 at a discounted rate of $100.

Me when I first saw the textbook prices (Source)

Looking at the numbers alone, Japanese textbooks seem a lot more expensive than Korean textbooks. But actually, you can use them up till the first half of Japanese 3 (LAJ2202). On the other hand, you will have to buy new Korean textbooks each time you advance to a higher level at NUS. In a way, the Japanese textbooks are more value for money in the long run. These textbooks are undeniably expensive, but you can for sure get them at a lower price on secondhand platforms like Carousell. Trust me when I say you can because I have managed to get Korean textbooks at more than half of the official price and copped the entire set of Japanese textbooks for only $5 because the seller was moving away and no longer needed it anymore. And the best part? They were as good as new (and some were even brand new!) with writings which can be useful for your learning!

Teaching Style and Classroom Experience

Korean: 2x 30-minute weekly e-lectures with 2x 2-hour face-to-face classes weekly

Japanese: 1x 2-hour in-person lecture with 2x 2-hour face-to-face classes weekly

Korean classes are officially listed as lectures on NUSMods, but similar to how it is done in Japanese tutorials, you do in-class activities and practise speaking in pairs or groups. Based on my experience, watching e-lectures was counted as part of your grades up till Korean 2 (LAK2201), so the teachers actually can and do track whether you have watched them. Unlike the e-lecture style done for Korean, you will attend an in-person lecture for Japanese during your allocated timeslot. Besides the usual listening and taking down of notes, the lecturer will also occasionally ask you to pair up with someone for conversation practice. The lectures may be recorded, but attendance, or participation as they call it, is tracked through submitting answers to questions relating to what has just been taught at the end of the lecture. Because of this, many people (myself included) still attend them.

Me suddenly forgetting or losing the ability to speak Korean and Japanese at times (Source)

Since Korean classes are held at the same timings twice a week, your classmates and teacher will be the same throughout. This is unlike in Japanese tutorials, where you do not meet the same classmates and teacher as you bid for 2 different tutorial slots at different timings. In addition, no one actually fights for class participation (this is graded!) because of how intimidating it can be to speak up in an unfamiliar language. Still, the teachers will usually call on you to answer questions or roleplay conversations, so you are bound to speak up most of the time either way. With numerous opportunities to practice speaking with your classmates, language classes are actually one of the best places to make new friends as well! If it also helps hearing this, all the teachers I have met so far are really friendly and encouraging. They genuinely want to help you improve on your language skills, so just go in with an open mind to learn and embrace your mistakes!

Workload and Assessments

Korean: Ungraded homework with various assessments

Japanese: Graded homework with various assessments

Surely this is the part that most of you are curious about and most worried about, so here goes! For homework, Korean ones are usually not graded and are given during e-lectures to be done before class. There are, however, many different types of graded homework for Japanese. For example, workbook exercises and shadowing, to name a few. Again, since these are graded, you get penalised for late submission (but not a lot actually). There is quite a lot of homework to be done every week before each Japanese tutorial, so it is important to manage your time properly and try to submit before the due deadlines (usually before the 1st tutorial A and B classes start each week). There is also after-class homework that the teachers encourage you to do but are technically not compulsory. For Korean, it is usually doing the workbook exercises, and for Japanese, it is usually short typing exercises done on Padlet.

Me questioning why I am torturing myself (Source)

Assessment-wise, they come in many forms, typically consisting of quizzes, written assignments and tests, and oral. For both Korean and Japanese, quizzes and tests mainly test your ability to understand, listen, and construct sentences coherently with the grammar, vocabulary and particles taught in class. Two things that differ are that there are essay writing test components for Korean but not for Japanese. Oral is also done differently in the two language classes. Korean oral is usually done through a 1-on-1 interview with your teacher, while in Japanese oral, you pair up with a classmate to carry out a short conversation selected from the textbook and continue on by improvising based on the given context. You may also be required to converse on a topic to be revealed on the day itself (possible topics were shared in advance to allow us to prepare beforehand). While the mentioned assessments are pretty standardised throughout all levels, there are also more demanding ones like presentations and skits in the intermediate and advanced levels. If you wish to know the specific weightage and components of the assessments in each level, reading past NUSMods reviews or searching for the course syllabus on Canvas will be the way to go.

Honest Thoughts

Perceived Level of Difficulty: Korean ↔ Japanese

Course Workload: Japanese > Korean

If you were to ask me which is more difficult, I would tell you that both Korean and Japanese are difficult in their own ways. For one thing, intonation matters in Japanese but not so in Korean. Both languages also have very flexible sentence structures, unlike English, but depending on the subject focus and usage of particles, the emphasis and meanings can change drastically. Even then, I feel that Japanese is way more intense and content-heavy than Korean because of the nature of both languages and how the classes are structured here at NUS.

Me towards the Japanese writing systems and assessments in general (Source)

Firstly, Korean only has the Hangul writing system, whereas Japanese has 3 writing systems: Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji, and you will be exposed to all of them right in Japanese 1 (LAJ1201). If you ever decide to take up Japanese, be prepared to learn how to read and write in 3 different ways (I warned you okay!). Learning languages definitely can get demoralising at times, but your efforts will pay off if you put in the effort to practise. This goes for not just languages but also anything in life honestly. And so, thanks to much practice, I have reached the point where my Korean and Japanese handwritings no longer look awkward at all!

Secondly, you learn 15 chapters worth of content in Korean and 20 chapters for Japanese in one semester. Despite being only at LAJ2201, I actually felt that I learnt a lot more than I did until LAK3202 because of how much more grammar, vocabulary and particles were taught in each chapter. But yes, that also means having more to remember too (smiles in pain again). Unless you continue taking higher levels of language classes or self-study towards higher levels of proficiency, I feel that it is not enough to stop at Levels 1 or 2 (at least in NUS) because you can only learn that much in one semester. From my perspective, it does get a lot more fun (but also much more difficult!) as you go up to higher, advanced levels because you get to learn much more grammar, vocabulary, particles and also casual speech for Korean and Japanese!

Finally, with how well-structured both curriculums are, there is no lesson that is boring! Well, the traditional way of learning in school with textbooks may not be for everyone because it can take away the fun of learning languages. But, if you are like me, it can also ‘force’ you to be more disciplined (for real). If it were not for coming to NUS, I honestly do not think that I would start learning Korean and Japanese seriously anytime soon. Having a teacher can also really make a difference in your language learning because you can clarify any doubts you have on the spot, and you get to know where you are right or wrong. Similarly, because they are native speakers of the language you are learning, they can advise on how you can better pronounce phrases and construct sentences more naturally as natives do. You will also get to hear first-hand cultural insights and stories, so you are not just simply learning the language alone!

Words of Advice

Regardless of whether or not you are planning to learn Korean or Japanese, I hope my experiences have helped you to make a more informed decision in some way. If you think that the traditional way of learning is not for you, do what suits you instead. If you are only in to clear your UEs with the mentality to S/U, you will struggle a lot with that half-hearted mindset because learning a new language requires a lot of time, dedication and consistent practice. But, if you really have a keen interest in the culture of the language you plan to learn and are willing to put in the time and effort to hone your language skills, by all means go for it!