American Learns Korean Day30: Hangul Checkpoint & Self-Test (Month 1)

Day30 is the day you confirm “Hangul reads automatically”

American Learns Korean Day30 is not just a review. It’s your proof-of-skill day: have you moved from “I know Hangul” to “I can read Hangul without stopping”?

Across Day1–Day29, you covered consonants and vowels, syllable blocks, batchim (final consonants), double consonants, compound vowels, common sound changes (linking/assimilation), spacing basics, and survival reading with numbers, time, and dates. Today we mix them like real-life Korean and identify exactly where you slow down.

Your evaluation has only three metrics:

• Accuracy: Do you read correctly?
• Speed: Do you keep moving without freezing?
• Self-correction: When you slip, can you fix it immediately?

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What you need and the rules (important)

• A timer (phone is fine)
• Notes (paper or app)
• If possible: read out loud and record yourself. Your recording is your best feedback.

Rules:

1. If you don’t know something, do not stop. Finish the line first, then mark it.
2. Do two passes: “slow & accurate” once → “a bit faster” once.
3. Don’t obsess over points. Focus on marking your hesitation spots. That’s what improves your speed next month.

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Self-Test A: Syllable Block Scan (1 minute)

Read as many as you can in 60 seconds. Don’t pause.
가 거 고 구 그 기 / 나 너 노 누 느 니 / 다 더 도 두 드 디 / 마 머 모 무 므 미 / 사 서 소 수 스 시

Suggested scoring:

• 60+: very stable (ready to move on)
• 45–59: pass level (speed needs polishing)
• 44 or below: you need vowel contrast drills (especially ㅓ/ㅗ and ㅜ/ㅡ)

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Self-Test B: Batchim & Double Batchim (2 minutes)

Read and put a ★ next to anything that feels shaky.

• 밥 / 입 / 꽃 / 밖 / 낮 / 옷
• 읽다 / 닭 / 값 / 앉다 / 많다 / 없다
• 학교 / 책상 / 꽃집 / 국물 / 앞문

Key point:
Double batchim is not about “reading letters one by one.” It’s about training your mouth to produce the common real-world pronunciations. Today is not “memorize every rule” day. Today is “collect your weak words” day.

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Self-Test C: Short Sentence Reading (3 minutes)

Read each sentence smoothly. Mark any hesitation with |.

1. 저는 한국어를 배워요.
2. 오늘은 1월 30일이에요.
3. 지금 7시 10분이에요.
4. 저는 커피를 좋아해요.
5. 학교에 가요. 집에 와요.

Interpretation:

• 0–1 hesitations: sentence reading pass
• 2–4 hesitations: strengthen particle + chunk reading
• 5+ hesitations: revisit Day23–Day29 (sentence structure + speed reading)

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Self-Test D: Real-World Mixed Mini Reading (3 minutes)

This is the practical “everything mixed” test: numbers, time, spacing, and natural rhythm.

• 오늘은 금요일이에요. 저는 9시에 일어나요.
• 학교에서 한국어를 조금 공부해요.
• 지금은 12시 30분이에요. 점심을 먹고 싶어요.
• 내일은 2월 1일이에요. 친구를 만날 거예요.

After reading, check:

• Did you pause at numbers/time? (1월, 2월, 9시, 12시 30분)
• Did particles slow you down? (에서/를/에)
• Did longer lines break your breathing and rhythm?

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Quick Level Check (simple and honest)

This is not a “pass/fail.” It’s a diagnostic.

• Level A (Month 1 graduation-ready): 60± in Test A, 0–2 hesitations in sentences, numbers/time okay
• Level B (solid pass): 45–59 in Test A, 3–5 hesitations, some batchim wobble
• Level C (needs reinforcement): ≤44 in Test A, frequent stops, numbers/time feel blocking

If you’re B or C, that’s fine. The win on American Learns Korean Day30 is knowing your bottleneck.

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Targeted Fix Drills (choose ONE, 3 minutes)

Don’t do everything. Pick the drill that matches your weakness.

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1) You freeze on vowels (ㅓ/ㅗ, ㅜ/ㅡ)

3-minute drill:

• 1 minute: 거-고-거-고 / 너-노-너-노 / 더-도-더-도
• 1 minute: 구-그-구-그 / 누-느-누-느 / 두-드-두-드
• 1 minute: speed up slightly, but if clarity drops, slow down immediately

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2) Batchim messes up your mouth (especially ㄷ/ㅅ/ㅆ/ㅎ and double batchim)

3-minute drill:

• Pick 10 words and read: slow & accurate once → natural speed once
  Suggested set: 낮, 옷, 밖, 꽃, 값, 닭, 앉다, 많다, 없다, 읽다
  The goal is not “rules.” The goal is muscle memory.

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3) You’re fine with words but slow in sentences (particles/spacing)

3-minute drill:

• Read sentences in chunks, not word-by-word.
  Example: 저는 / 한국어를 / 배워요
• Then read the full sentence again. Most learners speed up instantly once they chunk.

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4) Your eyes can’t keep up (speed reading feels shaky)

3-minute drill:

• Read 20 short phrases with rhythm:
  오늘은 금요일 / 지금은 7시 / 저는 커피 / 학교에 가요 / 집에 와요
  If you hesitate, repeat that phrase 5 times, then return to the list.

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10-Minute Lesson Script (teacher voice)

You can use this as a solo routine or in class. This is how I’d run Day30 with a beginner.

1. Warm-up (1 min)
   “Today is Day30. The goal is not perfection. The goal is finding your hesitation points.”
2. Block scan (2 min)
   “I’ll set the rhythm. Keep moving. 가-거-고-구-그-기… Good. Now slightly faster.”
3. Batchim set (3 min)
   “Mark shaky words with a ★. Do not stop to analyze. We’ll train those later.”
4. Sentence chunking (3 min)
   “Read in chunks: 저는 / 한국어를 / 배워요. Particles are speed bumps—this is normal.”
5. Close (1 min)
   “Your homework is 10 minutes. Fix ★ words and hesitation sentences only.”

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Homework (10 minutes, realistic and effective)

1. From Test B, pick 5 ★ words and read each 3 times out loud (3 min)
2. From Test C, pick 2 hesitation sentences and read each 5 times (5 min)
3. Final 2 minutes: speak naturally:
   “오늘은 1월 30일이에요. 지금 7시 10분이에요.” (2 min)

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Tomorrow’s Phase 2 entry key (one sentence)

Before you move into grammar (Day31), lock in this idea:

• Korean is basically SOV (Subject–Object–Verb).
  Once that clicks, particles (은/는, 이/가, 을/를) become much easier.

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Checklist (today’s success criteria)

• I read the block scan for 1 minute without stopping
• I marked at least 5 ★ weak batchim words
• I marked hesitation points in sentences with |
• I did ONE targeted drill for at least 3 minutes
• I will complete the 10-minute homework today

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FAQ

Q1. If my score is low on Day30, can I still move on?
A1. Yes. Day30 is a diagnostic checkpoint, not a gate. Knowing your weak points makes you faster in Phase 2.

Q2. Do I need to memorize every batchim rule now?
A2. No. For beginners, repeating high-frequency words (your ★ list) is more efficient than full rule memorization.

Q3. Do I really need to read out loud?
A3. Strongly recommended. Silent reading creates false confidence. Speaking exposes the real bottleneck.

Q4. Spacing feels impossible. What should I do?
A4. At beginner level, don’t chase perfect spacing. Learn to read in particle-based chunks first.

Q5. How much should I study daily?
A5. For Day30, 10 focused minutes is enough—consistency matters more than duration.

Americans learns korean – Day29 (Review Day29 again)

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