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Dixon Groupie Canada Joined 6061 days ago 54 posts - 74 votes Speaks: English*
| Message 1 of 18 19 January 2011 at 6:19am | IP Logged |
I have a goal to get to TOPIK level 5 in 1 or 1.5 years. I don't know my current level
right now, but I couldn't write this post in Korean. Most of my ability is passive. I
just arrived in Korea, but I studied Korean somewhat slowly in Canada for months.
Basically I learned about 1000 sentences from a book, but I have more vocabulary from
chatting with my girlfriend and other random stuff. The sentences have a minimum of 1
new vocabulary word per sentence, but often 2-3. In the beginning a sentence of 6 or 7
words was almost all new words, but that slowed down.
My goal is specifically related to the test, for immigration reasons. Therefore, I
could even skip out on more practical, useful skills that might not be relevant to the
test. However, I'm kind of worried that I should build a more natural base in the
language because spending a year studying for a test might harm my ability down the
road. Is that something to worry about?
I think I probably need to do the test 1 year from now and wait for the results, then
submit it to immigration before 1.5 years. I assume it takes a while to get the results
of the test. If the test is four times per year, then I could possibly do it 1.25 years
from now and submit it to immigration at the end of the 1.5 year mark.
So my questions are:
How can I gauge my level? Are there any sample tests online?
Is my goal realistic? (After I gauge what level I'm at I can report back here).
What are the best methods and resources designed specifically for the TOPIK tests?
With your help I'd like to design a plan for beating the test in time. I will create
daily minimums and then adhere to them with a website called stickk.com. With stickk,
you put in your credit card number when you initially make the goal, and pick a charity
you hate (for example, a pro-abortion charity when you are anti-abortion). If you fail
to meet the weeks goals as reported by you and your referee, the money is automatically
deducted from your card.
1 person has voted this message useful
| noriyuki_nomura Bilingual Octoglot Senior Member Switzerland Joined 5350 days ago 304 posts - 465 votes Speaks: English*, Mandarin*, Japanese, FrenchC2, GermanC2, ItalianC1, SpanishB2, DutchB1 Studies: TurkishA1, Korean
| Message 2 of 18 19 January 2011 at 8:33am | IP Logged |
Hi Dixon,
Wow, 1 - 1.5 years' time period to reach the TOPIK 5 level! I hope you will make it, and I will definitely be following your log! :)
Here's a book that might help you to prepare the exam better:
http://www.hanbooks.com/cogutotoadwc.html
And here's a blog, where the author did the TOPIK level 5 exam, perhaps you could get some tips too :)
http://ezcorean.com/index.php?q=node/10&upcd=1
2 persons have voted this message useful
| Dixon Groupie Canada Joined 6061 days ago 54 posts - 74 votes Speaks: English*
| Message 3 of 18 19 January 2011 at 1:30pm | IP Logged |
Thanks for the books! I'm gonna pick up the intermediate and advanced ones when I head
to Seoul this weekend.
It turns out that I have to do this in less than a year maybe. I want to make it a goal
of passing the last TOPIK 5 test of 2011. That's because I will have to wait for the
results, and then will have to provide the proof to immigration.
I just listened to level 1-2 listening test material and it was super easy (two word
sentences). I'm going to listen to level 3-4 stuff later tonight, but I'm going to
guess that I'm at level 3.
Does anyone know if there are word lists for the TOPIK test like the Japanese test?
Noriyuki, do you know if those books contain word lists?
1 person has voted this message useful
| ericspinelli Diglot Senior Member Japan Joined 5793 days ago 249 posts - 493 votes Speaks: English*, Japanese Studies: Korean, Italian
| Message 4 of 18 19 January 2011 at 3:43pm | IP Logged |
Dixon wrote:
How can I gauge my level? Are there any sample tests online? |
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Dixon wrote:
Does anyone know if there are word lists for the TOPIK test like the
Japanese test? |
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The TOPIK website used to have a number of sample/back-tests but they seemed to have
revamped the site. If they still have them available, my Korean is too rusty to find
them.
EDIT: I found them immediately after posting this. Click 기훌문제 on the bottom left
box. It seems it only goes back as far as 2005 so you still might want to check out
the site below.
That said, this Japanese
site has all the tests and their answers from test #7 (2003) to test #20 (2010).
As for vocab lists, they have lists for the Lvl.1-2 S-TOPIK and B-TOPIK. Click the
links in the second blue box from the top with the Excel and PDF. Despite being in
Japanese, everything should be easy enough to navigate.
Dixon wrote:
I think I probably need to do the test 1 year from now and wait for the
results, then submit it to immigration before 1.5 years. |
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I'm really curious as to what is prompting this timeline.
Edited by ericspinelli on 19 January 2011 at 3:51pm
2 persons have voted this message useful
| Dixon Groupie Canada Joined 6061 days ago 54 posts - 74 votes Speaks: English*
| Message 5 of 18 20 January 2011 at 1:05pm | IP Logged |
Thank you!!!
Also for anyone else interested I found a blog with the papers updated and organized in
English yesterday. http://www.topikguide.in/search/label/Previous%20Papers
My reason for having a strict timeline is that I wish to immigrate to Korea. I want to
apply for the new points based residence visa. I have only 1.5 more years on the
current visa that I am on, and then I will not be eligible. Before the end of that time
period I have to get TOPIK Level 5 and pass a 6 month Korean cultural course taught in
Korean at a government facility. Another thing I'm doing is volunteering at a local
kids centre for some safety points.
I've been in Korea for about a half year so far, and I didn't study as hard as I had
hoped. Now it's time to change that.
Right now my study method is just learning 10-15 sentences per day on mp3. Typing them,
writing them, and saying them memorized to my girlfriend in a quiz every night. She
says the new vocabulary word used in the sentence and then I recite the entire sentence
to her, as memorized. I then tell her an English translation.
I'm adding in some stuff now. After this weekend I'll begin directed study on the TOPIK
when I pick up a study book in Seoul. Also I will be doing a lot of listening with
audio blogs by Hyunwoo Sun. I think I want to learn one complete audio blog every two
days, but I haven't defined what it will mean to "learn" them yet.
Yesterday I started a new habit with stickk.com which requires me to turn off my
internet and router except between 8-10pm (I also go to Muay Thai practice in the
middle of this time period). I just write all the computer stuff I want to do on a
peice of paper and get it done all at once. This should help me clear up time for
Korean.
1 person has voted this message useful
| noriyuki_nomura Bilingual Octoglot Senior Member Switzerland Joined 5350 days ago 304 posts - 465 votes Speaks: English*, Mandarin*, Japanese, FrenchC2, GermanC2, ItalianC1, SpanishB2, DutchB1 Studies: TurkishA1, Korean
| Message 6 of 18 20 January 2011 at 1:08pm | IP Logged |
Thanks Dixon for the link! :)
Hopefully you can make it soon!!!
ps: on a side note, does one need to pass a language exam in order to obtain a visa for South Korea?
1 person has voted this message useful
| Dixon Groupie Canada Joined 6061 days ago 54 posts - 74 votes Speaks: English*
| Message 7 of 18 21 January 2011 at 9:50am | IP Logged |
If you want to spend time in Korea as a tourist on a tourist visa, as an educator or
professional on an E visa, or as a student on a D visa, no.
For a specific type of visa, the F2 visa, points are awarded for demonstrated Korean
ability. The F2 visa is a residence visa, granting permission to work in any qualified
field like a Korean. You can obtain points for low, intermediate, or high Korean ability.
If I had TOPIK level 5, 20 points (out of 80 needed) would be awarded to me.
1 person has voted this message useful
| aerielle Newbie Korea, South korea.calliston Joined 5342 days ago 36 posts - 42 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Korean
| Message 8 of 18 22 January 2011 at 11:24am | IP Logged |
The official TOPIK website has its past tests here:
http://www.topik.go.kr/jsp/hp/sub/subLocation.do?MENU_SEQ=20 10602&UP_MENU_SEQ=20106
I hate to say this, but your goal is unrealistic. Unless you spend hours and hours each
day studying Korean, you're probably not going to pass level 5. Also, even if you do
spend hours and hours studying, you still may not pass. Still, I hope that you do! Good
luck!
I suggest that you start with a beginner level test. See how you do on those first. If
you get 90-100% on one, move up to the intermediate level. Don't just focus on the
listening sections (those are kind of easy), but make sure you can do the reading,
writing, and grammar parts as well.
I realize that you're going for the advanced test, but this study guide for
intermediate grammar will probably be helpful.
http://www.yes24.com/24/goods/4260142?scode=032&OzSrank=1
I'm trying to pass the level 5 too. I have confidence that I can do it by September,
but I may try in April.
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