한국어 The language of Korea
안녕하세요? 한국어를 같이 배우고 싶어요?
When I first started learning Korean, I didn't expect it to interest me as much as it has.
Korean has become one of my favorite languages, partly due to its simple alphabet, interesting grammatical structure, and cultural idioms.
When I first started learning Korean, I didn't expect it to interest me as much as it has.
Korean has become one of my favorite languages, partly due to its simple alphabet, interesting grammatical structure, and cultural idioms.
Part 1: Alphabet
Although intimidating to English speakers at first, 한글 (Hangul) is one of the worlds simplest and most logical alphabets.
There are only 24 letters, and they're based off of the position your tongue is in when you form sounds.
The creator of Hangul, King Sejong the Great (세종대왕), is arguably the most important historical figure in Korean history.
Check out this website to see some examples of letters and tongue positions.
If you're interested in learning Korean, I highly recommend learning Hangul before anything else.
It's fairly easy to learn and will make your life 100x easier when learning Korean.
Here's some links that help with learning Hangul:
Coursera.com
There's waaay more than just these three sources out there to learn Hangul. Just search on Google or YouTube and you'll find millions of lessons for Hangul.
There are only 24 letters, and they're based off of the position your tongue is in when you form sounds.
The creator of Hangul, King Sejong the Great (세종대왕), is arguably the most important historical figure in Korean history.
Check out this website to see some examples of letters and tongue positions.
If you're interested in learning Korean, I highly recommend learning Hangul before anything else.
It's fairly easy to learn and will make your life 100x easier when learning Korean.
Here's some links that help with learning Hangul:
Coursera.com
- You need to create an account for this (for free)
- This is an elementary Korean course through a college, so it's a little more than just Hangul
- There are lots of helpful printout worksheets
- This is actually where I learned Hangul
- There's a section for learning Hangul, broken up into multiple lessons
- It's a lot of reading, but may be useful
- This website is also great for beginner/intermediate/advanced grammar concepts!
- Stylish website design with helpful visuals/examples for learning Hangul
There's waaay more than just these three sources out there to learn Hangul. Just search on Google or YouTube and you'll find millions of lessons for Hangul.
Part 2: How to Learn Korean
It's one thing to want to speak Korean; it's a completely different thing to sit down and learn it. But it doesn't have to be difficult or boring!
Here, I'll share some of my favorite sources that make learning Korean fun and easy.
Starting off
Coursera.com
I recommend this course for those willing to commit themselves to "taking" an extra online college course without actually taking a course.
Beginners
LingoDeer
I used LingoDeer for roughly a year until I completed the entirety of Korean I. To continue on to Korean II, I would've had to pay for a membership, so I stopped using LingoDeer.
However, LingoDeer helped me advance from beginner Korean to intermediate, so I highly recommend using it!
All Levels
Quizlet
Quizlet is a great tool not just for school, but also for memorizing vocabulary in a foreign language.
I'm constantly making new Quizlet sets/studying other's sets about Korean. It's extremely useful when trying to learn a set of related words, like 경제적 단어 (economic vocabulary). (I mean, you never know when you'll need to know some Korean economics vocabulary.)
Memrise
I also like that there are personalized "mems" or mnemonic devices to help you remember vocabulary words.
Vocabulary is a part of learning Korean that will never go away; there's always new words to learn, which makes this a great tool for all stages of Korean learning.
Howtostudykorean.com
Each lesson has a list of vocabulary that is available on Memrise to memorize!
Some articles can be lengthy, but if you have the time and motivation, howtostudykorean.com is a wonderful resource.
Talk To Me in Korean
"But, I'm a broke college student!"
Me too, but don't worry! There's still tons of free content that TTMIK offers.
I especially like their main YouTube channel where they post a variety of videos geared towards learning Korean/Korean culture.
Korean music/television
Although listening to Kpop or watching Kdramas may not be the most effective way to learn Korean, every little bit helps.
By hearing conversations in TV dramas or listening to song lyrics, you begin to develop a sense of the pace Korean is spoken.
It also can reinforce previously learned vocabulary words.
For example, after learning the word 모습 (shape/appearance), I noticed it in a handful of songs and heard it being used in conversation a few times in a drama. Now, I don't think I'll be forgetting the word 모습 any time soon.
Although, you have to be careful when using Korean music/television to learn Korean. Many songs/dramas use types of language you wouldn't want to use in day-to-day situations (informal language, poetic language, vulgar language, etc.). Make sure you double check the words/phrases you learn before using them!
Here, I'll share some of my favorite sources that make learning Korean fun and easy.
Starting off
Coursera.com
- First Step Korean
- Learn to read/write Hangul
- Learn basic phrases
- Learn basic Korean culture
I recommend this course for those willing to commit themselves to "taking" an extra online college course without actually taking a course.
Beginners
LingoDeer
- Both app and website format
- Similar to Duolingo (but better for Asian languages in my opinion)
- Breaks lessons down into sections
- Helpful tips for each section
I used LingoDeer for roughly a year until I completed the entirety of Korean I. To continue on to Korean II, I would've had to pay for a membership, so I stopped using LingoDeer.
However, LingoDeer helped me advance from beginner Korean to intermediate, so I highly recommend using it!
All Levels
Quizlet
- Create and study other people's sets
- Review games, flashcards, learn mode, etc.
Quizlet is a great tool not just for school, but also for memorizing vocabulary in a foreign language.
I'm constantly making new Quizlet sets/studying other's sets about Korean. It's extremely useful when trying to learn a set of related words, like 경제적 단어 (economic vocabulary). (I mean, you never know when you'll need to know some Korean economics vocabulary.)
Memrise
- Like Quizlet, but focused on memorization
- Anyone can create courses (similar to sets on Quizlet)
I also like that there are personalized "mems" or mnemonic devices to help you remember vocabulary words.
Vocabulary is a part of learning Korean that will never go away; there's always new words to learn, which makes this a great tool for all stages of Korean learning.
Howtostudykorean.com
- Six units from absolute beginner to advanced
- Lots of grammar
- Vocabulary in each lesson
Each lesson has a list of vocabulary that is available on Memrise to memorize!
Some articles can be lengthy, but if you have the time and motivation, howtostudykorean.com is a wonderful resource.
Talk To Me in Korean
- Website, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and podcast platforms
- Lessons for beginner to advanced
"But, I'm a broke college student!"
Me too, but don't worry! There's still tons of free content that TTMIK offers.
I especially like their main YouTube channel where they post a variety of videos geared towards learning Korean/Korean culture.
Korean music/television
Although listening to Kpop or watching Kdramas may not be the most effective way to learn Korean, every little bit helps.
By hearing conversations in TV dramas or listening to song lyrics, you begin to develop a sense of the pace Korean is spoken.
It also can reinforce previously learned vocabulary words.
For example, after learning the word 모습 (shape/appearance), I noticed it in a handful of songs and heard it being used in conversation a few times in a drama. Now, I don't think I'll be forgetting the word 모습 any time soon.
Although, you have to be careful when using Korean music/television to learn Korean. Many songs/dramas use types of language you wouldn't want to use in day-to-day situations (informal language, poetic language, vulgar language, etc.). Make sure you double check the words/phrases you learn before using them!
Part 3: Testing Your Knowledge
Learned some Korean and want to see how you're doing?
There are several online proficiency tests, but I really like the TOPIK practice tests.
TOPIK (Test of proficiency in Korean) is the actual test you would take if you want to attend college/work in Korea (given that you are a non-native speaker).
Here's a link to a variety of practice tests to see where you would place if you took the real test.
Need some help studying for the TOPIK?
There's a YouTube channel for that:
MasterTOPIK
Most of the videos are in Korean, and there aren't many with English subtitles.
Don't panic!
The Korean used (especially in TOPIK I videos) is simplified and the teachers emphasize what they're saying with body language and pictures, making it easy to understand if you have some basic Korean under your belt.
They do however have some videos in English if the Korean ones are still daunting.
(They also have a few in Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, and Thai if you speak any of those)
There are several online proficiency tests, but I really like the TOPIK practice tests.
TOPIK (Test of proficiency in Korean) is the actual test you would take if you want to attend college/work in Korea (given that you are a non-native speaker).
Here's a link to a variety of practice tests to see where you would place if you took the real test.
Need some help studying for the TOPIK?
There's a YouTube channel for that:
MasterTOPIK
Most of the videos are in Korean, and there aren't many with English subtitles.
Don't panic!
The Korean used (especially in TOPIK I videos) is simplified and the teachers emphasize what they're saying with body language and pictures, making it easy to understand if you have some basic Korean under your belt.
They do however have some videos in English if the Korean ones are still daunting.
(They also have a few in Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, and Thai if you speak any of those)
Part 4: North and South
One question that I had when learning Korean is,
"Can a person from South Korea could understand a person from North Korea?"
Apparently, yes, although the dialects and several words are different.
North Korea has more loan words from Russia, whereas South Korea has more loan words from English.
Here's a Wikipedia article explaining the differences further.
"Can a person from South Korea could understand a person from North Korea?"
Apparently, yes, although the dialects and several words are different.
North Korea has more loan words from Russia, whereas South Korea has more loan words from English.
Here's a Wikipedia article explaining the differences further.
Part 5: Dialects
English, of course, has many dialects.
People from Brooklyn, Los Angeles, London, and Melbourne all speak English, but all sound different.
The same can be said about people from Seoul, Busan, and Jeju Island.
Check out this fun video by Talk To Me in Korean to get a sense of a couple of South Korea's dialects:
People from Brooklyn, Los Angeles, London, and Melbourne all speak English, but all sound different.
The same can be said about people from Seoul, Busan, and Jeju Island.
Check out this fun video by Talk To Me in Korean to get a sense of a couple of South Korea's dialects: