I am a native Korean speaker who can speak English. So I don’t have any experience studying Korean from scratch because Korean is a language that I naturally absorbed and internalized since birth. So I cannot give specific tips on studying Korean. However, as a person who is an expert, in a way, in Korean because Korean is my mother tongue, and as a person who has studied foreign languages from scratch, I believe my advice would be quite helpful throughout your learning journey. And you can always come back to my advice whenever you feel frustrated or bad about yourself for not improving fast enough.

I know these are general tips but I hope they serve as a good reminder for you to keep going whatever phase or level you are at. Just like English or any other languages, Korean no longer belongs to Korean people alone. It is a tool shared by so many learners and speakers, not just in Korea but outside Korea as well. So there’s no one fixed rule in how you learn and use the language. Nor is there a finish line in your learning journey. So take it easy and have fun, and always be open to learning more (:

Here’s the summary (or sneak peek!)
1. You cannot be completely like a native Korean speaker (and that’s only very natural!)
2. Regardless, strive to speak like native speakers (aim high!) and learn from (use) them.
3. Don’t let the generosity of Koreans fool you (we have a very low standard haha)
4. It’s a life-long journey, not a one-off achievement. So focus on consistency, not speed.
5. Learning a new language, or anything that’s new for that matter will broaden your perspective about the world, and most importantly, humble you.