15. A three-day speaking mission

The mission turns recognition into usable speech. Keep a tiny log; do not record strangers without permission.

Day 1 · See and point

Read five signs: 출구, 입구, 역, 화장실, 약국. Buy one item with 이거 하나 주세요. Ask one location question. Repair once with 다시 말씀해 주세요, even if you think you understood.

Day 2 · Change one detail

Order with a counter, ask whether card payment is possible, and confirm a price. At transit, ask the direction and number of stops. Say your destination while showing the Korean map label.

Day 3 · Complete a short exchange

Open with 안녕하세요 or 저기요, make a request, understand one piece of the answer, confirm it, and close with 감사합니다. The goal is not zero English. The goal is to manage the interaction respectfully.

Travel log

Situation:

What I wanted:

Korean I used:

Word I recognized in the answer:

How I repaired the conversation:

One phrase to practice tonight:

Appendix A Pocket phrase deck

Start

안녕하세요. — Hello.

저기요. — Excuse me.

실례합니다. — Excuse me.

한국어를 잘 못해요. — I don’t speak Korean well.

영어 하세요? — Do you speak English?

Request

이거 주세요. — This, please.

하나 주세요. — One, please.

도와주세요. — Please help.

확인해 주세요. — Please check.

적어 주세요. — Please write it down.

Find

어디예요? — Where is it?

어느 쪽이에요? — Which way is it?

여기가 맞아요? — Is this the right place?

얼마나 걸려요? — How long does it take?

걸어서 갈 수 있어요? — Can I walk there?

Confirm

맞아요? — Is that correct?

오늘이에요? — Is it today?

몇 시예요? — What time is it?

얼마예요? — How much is it?

카드 돼요? — Can I pay by card?

Repair

다시 말씀해 주세요. — Please say it again.

천천히 말씀해 주세요. — Please speak slowly.

잘 모르겠어요. — I’m not sure or I don’t understand well.

사진으로 보여 주세요. — Please show me in a picture.

잠시만요. — One moment, please.

Close

감사합니다. — Thank you.

괜찮아요. — It’s okay or I’m okay.

죄송합니다. — I’m sorry.

좋은 하루 보내세요. — Have a good day.

Appendix B Listening map

Do not try to hear every syllable. Listen for anchors.

• Location answers: 여기, 저기, 왼쪽, 오른쪽, 앞, 건너편
• Transit: 번 출구, 정거장, 다음 역, 갈아타세요
• Availability: 있어요, 없어요, 돼요, 안 돼요
• Time: 오늘, 내일, 오전, 오후, 시, 분
• Restaurant: 매워요, 안 매워요, 들어가요, 없어요, 포장
• Payment: 카드, 현금, 영수증, 원

After hearing an anchor, confirm with a short phrase. If you hear 오른쪽, point right and ask 오른쪽 맞아요? This turns partial listening into a safe action.

Appendix C Pronunciation clinic

ㅓ and ㅗ

Keep ㅗ rounded as o. For ㅓ, relax the lips and make an open uh. Practice 서울 (Seoul) and 오른쪽 (oreunjjok). The goal is contrast, not an English accent label.

ㄹ

Between vowels, tap the tongue once, between English r and l: 사람 (saram). At the end it is more l-like: 서울. Do not force a heavy English r.

Double consonants

ㄲ, ㄸ, ㅃ, ㅆ, ㅉ are tense, not simply louder. Hold the mouth firm and release without a big puff. 쪽 in 이쪽 begins with tense ㅉ. Listening recognition matters before perfect production.

Sound changes

Written Korean and spoken Korean connect. 감사합니다 is commonly heard close to gamsahamnida, and 같이 sounds like gachi. Learn whole useful phrases from reliable native audio rather than constructing every sound from romanization.

Appendix D Make the book yours

Before departure, replace the blanks below and save the Korean text offline.

My accommodation name and Korean address:

Nearest station and exit:

Emergency contact:

Insurance contact:

My allergy card, professionally checked:

Medication generic names:

Three destinations in Korean:

My return flight and terminal:

Create five personal sentence cards, not fifty. If you use a wheelchair, travel with children, keep halal or vegan food requirements, or have a medical need, have the exact high-stakes wording checked by a qualified Korean speaker. A generic phrase can start a conversation but should not carry a safety-critical instruction alone.

Sources and rights

All dialogues, drills, visual diagrams, and fictional details were created for this book. The cover was generated from an original, non-style-imitating prompt and contains no embedded text or brand logo. Place and product names remain the property of their owners.

Current official references checked August 4, 2026: VISITKOREA emergency information, 1330 Travel Helpline, 1330 temporary-unavailability notice, Korea National Fire Agency 119 center. Verify changing services, hours, fares, entry rules, and health guidance again shortly before travel.