Everything You Need To Learn Korean
Korean (한국어 / 조선말) is the official language of both North Korea and South Korea, and is spoken by about 75 million people. It’s also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People’s Republic of China.
Korean is a language isolate, and bears absolutely no resemblance to any other language. This means it’s been developed from a completely unique root over the course of thousands of years.
The Korean Language is written using a unique alphabet ideology known as Hangul. It was invented in 1443 by King Sejong the Great of the Joseon Dynasty.
Due to the importance of Korea in globalization, there are more and more people who are learning Korean, and as such the language is considered one of the most popular among learners. That’s why it’s not hard to find as many Korean learning materials as you need to gain fluency.
Korean Language Learning Books
Your first port of call when choosing Korean learning materials should be one of the many books written in English to help teach beginners. A Korean course/study book makes sense if you want to learn how to use grammatically correct Korean, as these books often focus on language structure, core vocabulary, and of course, grammar. Most usually include CDs or links to accompanying audio, to help with pronunciation.
A Korean dictionary is a must-have for any serious learner, as you’ll be inundated with new vocabulary, and you’ll need a way to quickly and easily look up definitions.
As Korean uses a unique writing system, a book that teaches you how to read, write and pronounce Korean characters should be top of your list.
Korean Children’s Books
Reading Korean books is one of the best ways to boost your Korean vocabulary, and reading Korean-language books written for children in particular gives you a great introduction to simple Korean. You’ll get a feel for how the language works in a fun, accessible way, and you’ll have plenty of memorable illustrations to help you.
Korean Fiction
You’ll need more challenging Korean reading material, if you have any chance of becoming fluent in the language. That’s why reading Korean adult fiction is the way to go.
These books are written for advanced native readers, and so will expose you to tons of vocabulary that’s both more relevant and more complex than anything you’ll find in Korean kids’ books. You’ll also come across more Korean idioms, colloqiual expressions, and slang.
Korean Digital Courses
A Korean digital course is the best bet for those who are audiovisual learners and don’t have time to sit down for several hours of book study every day.
Korean audio or video courses tend to be focused on conversation and listening comprehension, and introduce concepts like grammar and vocabulary in a simple, easy-to-understand way that allows you complete sentences and speak entire conversations by the end of the course.
Udemy’s Korean course, with over 41 hours of video instruction, is incredibly good value for money. This comprehensive Korean course grants you lifetime access which includes all future updates, and you can use it on almost any device, including a smart TV.
Pimsleur’s Korean courses are audio-only, perfect for those on-the-go.
A Korean interactive digital course is a great way to make learning the language fun. Packed with Korean-language games and interesting visuals, you’ll pick up plenty of vocabulary without even trying.
KOREAN UDEMY COURSES
KOREAN AUDIO COURSES
Pimsleur Korean Conversational Course - Level 1 Lessons 1-16 CD
KOREAN CD ROM COURSES
Speak & Learn Korean
Korean Products
To achieve fluency in Korean, you’ll need to immerse yourself in the language. You can do that with the right Korean products.
Korean flash cards will help you memorize essential vocabulary, so you can practice wherever and whenever is convenient for you, while a wooden Hangul tracing board makes learning the Korean alphabet a breeze.
Free Korean Worksheets
We’ve created some free downloadable Korean PDF worksheets to help you practice your new language. Korean tracing worksheets are great for practicing writing in Hangul, and Korean writing prompts will help you to construct basic Korean sentences.
