Summary: This video details Lisa, a K-Pop star, who overcame immense language barriers to achieve global superstardom. Originally from Thailand, she learned Korean in two years under immense pressure, then Japanese and English, and Chinese later. Her story highlights the importance of immersion, consistent practice, and leveraging personal motivation (like crushes on actors) in language acquisition. It also touches upon the darker side of fame, including xenophobia and death threats, and her continuous success despite these adversities.
Lisa's Early Life and Dreams #
- Born Premphria in Thailand, later changed to Lalisa.
- Shy but passionate about dancing and music, winning local competitions.
- Started learning basic English in middle school through a foreign teacher.
- Her Swiss stepfather also spoke English at home.
Auditions and the Move to Korea #
- Auditioned for YG Entertainment (a major Korean music company) at age 13.
- Was the only one chosen out of 4,000 applicants.
- Faced the challenge of moving to Seoul alone and learning Korean, a completely new language.
K-Pop Trainee Life and Language Immersion #
- Lived in a strict trainee dorm environment for five years.
- Given two years to master Korean or return home.
- Trainee schedule was intense: 7 days a week, 12 hours a day, with monthly tests.
- Struggled with isolation and inability to communicate or understand jokes in Korean.
- English was banned in Korean classes; only Korean was allowed, even if she didn't know the words.
- Managers were instructed to speak only Korean to her.
- Spent weekends practicing Korean in public places like cafes and zoos.
Strategies for Learning Korean #
- Binge-watched K-dramas (e.g., Goblin, which she watched twice due to a crush on the actor Gong Yoo), pausing and repeating lines.
- Read many Korean books.
- Received help from fellow trainees like Jennie, who spoke English.
- A breakthrough occurred when she started making jokes in Korean, feeling a sense of belonging.
Language Difficulty and Personal Experience #
- Korean is a Tier 7 language, considered very difficult for English speakers to learn.
- Thai and Korean are unrelated languages with different sounds, grammar, and writing systems, offering no shortcuts for her.
Blackpink Debut and Global Success #
- Debuted with Blackpink five years after moving to Seoul.
- Became the first non-Korean artist signed to YG Entertainment.
- Blackpink quickly gained massive popularity, performing in Korean.
- Became so popular in America that they incorporated English lyrics into their songs.
Learning Japanese #
- Learned Japanese to connect with fans during Blackpink's Japan Arena tours.
- Treated Japanese learning like dance practice: repeat, adjust, repeat.
- Showed a "shapeshifting" ability, changing her voice and body language when speaking Japanese.
- By age 19, she was fluent in four languages and could switch between them seamlessly.
Facing Adversity and Continued Success #
- Experienced xenophobia and hate speech, being told she wasn't "Korean enough."
- Received death threats in 2020 which required intervention from the Thai embassy.
- Achieved megastar status, with 9 Guinness World Records.
- Collaborated with artists like Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, and Selena Gomez.
- Inspired characters in the Netflix movie "K-pop Demon Hunters."
- Appeared in "The White Lotus: Thailand" and a military TV show (for entertainment, not actual military service).
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