[menshiki]

I studied Mandarin for a few years back in my home country. I've noticed that despite spending a significant amount of my time studying it was hard to see any improvements. That changed when I first went to Taiwan and stayed there for a few months. My rule was to never use English when I was outside. Even when Taiwanese people would speak English to me (which happens quite often if you're a white person in Asia) I would reply "Sorry, no English" and use my broken Mandarin. I progressed very quickly and gained a lot of confidence to the point that speaking Chinese became a norm.

What I am trying to say that if you are very serious about learning Korean you should research opportunities that will allow you to spend some time in Korea. It all depends on your current position/finances, but it may be easier than you think. There are many scholarships offered to language students that basically cover most of your living expenses. I encourage you to check them out. During my time as a student in Taiwan I've met people of all different backgrounds. Students, senior managers, people with Taiwanese SOs, etc. If you can only do it for a month -- do it. I think going to the country that speaks the language you're learning is the only way to actually improve.