Is It Easy To Learn Korean

So, you're ready to begin learning Korean on your own.

Welcome to all beginner, intermediate and avant-garde Korean learners who've found their manner here!

Let us evidence you the way to becoming your own, personal Korean instructor.

Nosotros've lined up the most effective techniques to larn the Korean language, fast.

Contents

• 1. Chief the Hangul
• • Why Information technology Works
  • How It Works
  • Favorite Resources
• 2. Invest in a Skilful Learning System
• • Why It Works
  • How Information technology Works
  • Favorite Resources
• three. Use Flashcards
• • Why It Works
  • How It Works
  • Favorite Resources
• 4. Join Linguistic communication Exchange Communities
• • Why It Works
  • How It Works
  • Favorite Resource
• five. Picket Plenty of Korean Dramas
• • Why Information technology Works
  • How It Works
  • Favorite Resources
• half-dozen. Mind to (or Discover) Your Favorite K-Pop Artist
• • Why It Works
  • How Information technology Works
  • Favorite Resources
• 7. Build Conviction and Vocabulary with Loanwords
• • Why It Works
  • How It Works
  • Favorite Resource

vii Tried and True Ways to Teach Yourself Korean

Korean fluency is absolutely within accomplish, even if you lot don't speak more than ane foreign linguistic communication yet. Even if you're monolingual and just know English. This is still do-able.

Beginning past choosing which of the methods beneath best suits you lot and your interests, skill level and preferred learning style.

Download: This blog mail is available equally a user-friendly and portable PDF that y'all can have anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

one. Master the Hangul

The 한글 or Hangul is the Korean alphabet. It'due south been used since the Joseon Dynasty in the 15th century A.D. Equanimous of 14 consonants and 10 vowels, information technology'due south said to be the most scientific alphabet in the world, mimicking most every man audio and and then precise that it's extra easy to learn.

Why It Works

Knowing the Korean alphabet is fundamental for reading Korean. In the beginning, you lot may discover it easier to use the Roman alphabet to pronounce Korean words, only yous'll quickly realize that this isn't sustainable—the quicker you learn the Korean alphabet, the more comfy and more effective your learning experience will be.

Also, y'all'll meet that the Roman alphabet has some serious limitations when it comes to Korean, particularly considering that it has some very dissimilar sounds. In fact, some consonants have three distinctions.

For instance, have ㄱ, ㅋ, ㄲ. The first letter, ㄱ or 기역 (giyeok ) has a sound somewhere between 1000 and k. Its pronunciation varies depending on where this letter is located inside a word. The middle one, ㅋ or 키읔 (kieuk ) has a sound similar to k, simply with stronger aspiration, like very stiff k. The audio of the last alphabetic character ㄲ or 쌍기역 ( ssanggiyeok ) doesn't exist in English, so you must get familiar with it.

In a nutshell, using the Roman alphabet may lead to y'all making pronunciation mistakes and it's an unnecessary crutch, so movement away from it equally soon every bit yous can!

How It Works

Learning the Hangul is straightforward—all you demand is to memorize the characters and the sounds that are associated with them! Spend some fourth dimension hand-writing series of symbols and simultaneously pronouncing their sounds to create an audiovisual connection. Lookout this video to verify your pronunciation.

So, proceed to writing unproblematic words. Make it like shooting fish in a barrel and fun, and keep practicing no matter what your level of Korean is. Don't stop writing, even after you've mastered the strokes and sounds. You need to proceed practicing to keep your memory sharp.

• If you're an absolute beginner: Apply existent Korean picture show posters and read the words out loud. In that location aren't so many words that it becomes overwhelming, only knowing that the content is authentic is added motivation!

• If you're a beginner or intermediate learner: Spend five to 10 minutes a day reading a full Korean text out loud. Start with texts that yous understand first, perhaps children's books, and motility on to more difficult content subsequently. It'due south okay if yous don't empathize everything (or even anything). Recollect, this is Hangul exercise more than than comprehension practice. Repeat this until you're able to read the text without pausing!

• If you're an intermediate/advanced learner: Use karaoke songs on YouTube with lyrics in Korean at the bottom and sing along! Find your favorite K-Pop songs for added enjoyment. The pace is just fast enough that the focus isn't on reading per se, but reading apace and accurately!

Favorite Resources

There are numerous online resources to help y'all main and conquer the Korean alphabet. The Hangul Wikipedia page provides a very comprehensive overview of the alphabet. Amend yet, the Wikibooks Essential Korean Pronunciation Rules is a adept synthesis that's only enough to get yous started.

If you get overwhelmed by the abundance of information, Learnlangs provides gratis mini-courses to assistance you ease into it gradually. Aside from teaching you lot the alphabet, their lessons will help you sympathise how to build a Korean syllable, how to handwrite in Korean and how to pronounce Korean sounds and bones Korean words.

ii. Invest in a Adept Learning System

Having the right manuals is important on your journey to teaching yourself Korean. Keep it handy and make sure to review it every 24-hour interval!

Why It Works

A linguistic communication method helps you learn progressively and stay organized. A good language method should take a carefully designed curriculum and gradually introduce new words, structures and idioms by social club of complexity. The goal is to enable you to take the time to digest new content and to ready the right foundation for the future. Think of these lessons as edifice blocks!

How It Works

These tips are key to follow, no thing which study system yous cull.

• Written report upwards! Follow the curriculum and exist sure to fully assimilate novel content before you move on to the next lesson. The goal is to make new knowledge active, not just passive: it's best to exist able to limited yourself than simply understand what's said. Remember, the goal of language learning is to exist able to communicate!

• Be regular! Spend at to the lowest degree xx minutes every twenty-four hour period on a new lesson or topic. It's more effective to devote mini-sessions to learning Korean than spend two full hours a calendar week only once.

• Take notes and review them. There'll be a bunch of new elements to memorize quickly, so brand certain that you spend the fourth dimension memorizing them!

Favorite Resources

There's no 1 definitive Korean language method. In that location'south plenty out there, merely we've got three highly recommended ones you tin explore. It's up to you to decide which i works best for you lot.

If you plan on using the manual to deepen your understanding of Korean grammar, then the "Yonsei"  method is right for you. With a focus on Korean grammer, these books volition requite you lot the right tools to know how Korean works on a technical level and to master the ins and outs of Korean judgement structure. For beginners looking for an in-depth, grammatical approach, this may exist the way to go, just keep in mind that you lot can change to some other method at any time if this isn't as stimulating as you were hoping for.

On the other hand, opt for the "Sogang"  method if your goal is to speak immediately. With a focus on developing speaking skills, this series of books volition help you build the confidence to utter your outset Korean words. Rich in content and highly visual, this is a very effective method to teach yourself the language of the Country of the Morning At-home.

3. Employ Flashcards

Flashcards aren't just for center schoolers. Every learner will find them useful. Read up if in doubt!

Why Information technology Works

Flashcards stimulate your memory through visual clan. The thought is to fire information into the brain and develop active call up. Over time, after seeing it so many times, your brain will remember the concept learned from a flashcard.

How Information technology Works

If you've decided to make your ain flashcards, we recommend keeping it simple. Write a Korean discussion on the front end and its translation on the back. Optionally, you may want to add the word's Korean pronunciation on the dorsum as well. The latter is of import if yous occasionally inquire a friend who doesn't read Hangul to quiz yous.

Test yourself. Start by reading the Korean discussion and give yourself no more than 3 seconds to come up with its translation. When you've completed the set, flip the cards and repeat the procedure, this time by reading the English language word and translating information technology into Korean.

Alternatively, you may pair with a friend. If they don't read Hangul, ask them to testify you the Korean give-and-take and, as quickly as possible, requite them the English equivalent!

Favorite Resources

The best flashcards are oftentimes the ones you lot make yourself! Rather than buy fix-made flashcards, the best way to make them work for y'all is to personalize them. Making your own flashcards isn't complicated: All you need is a slice of paper, a pair of scissors and a pen! No need to elaborate, you get the thought.

The website studystack also has a very extensive collection of digital flashcards so y'all can always test yourself with new, fresh content. Each menu set comes with a printable listing, so you can review it, although in a unlike format, at your leisure.

For fancy audio flashcards, you may want to check out the Larn with Oliver website. It isn't free, but you go a free trial for 30 days.

four. Join Linguistic communication Substitution Communities

Language exchange communities are great platforms to acquire nigh the language and the civilisation of the country you lot're interested in.

Why It Works

Bated from building friendships, the importance of man interaction in this community is what helps go results. Communities help foster long-term commitment to larn the Korean language. Think of it as an extra motivational tool.

Oh! And one of the perks of beingness involved? Information technology tin be completely free!

If you're later on a bit of help to become over some potential nerves of a language exchange, check out the video below. Y'all'll learn 10 handy conversation starters to brand sure that you proceed the conversation going and print your new friend.

How It Works

Language commutation communities are based on mutual learning exchanges. Share your native language with a native Korean speaker, then let them teach you Korean. You don't necessarily "teach" each other, either. You can when the situation calls for a quick explanation, but the purpose is more to have a casual chat together in each language. Ordinarily, you'll accommodate to have a l/50 split, where each language is spoken for 50% of your conversation.

This is ideal for practicing listening and speaking, just also works if you lot desire more structure. Communicate in advance to find a partner who yous get forth with and who wants to practice regularly, and spend ii to 3 times a week on the platform of your choice for maximum efficiency.

Favorite Resources

eXlogue is a language commutation community backed past Harvard Innovation Lab. If you're interested in 1-on-ane Korean lessons, this is quite perchance your best bet!

Entirely complimentary and easy to use, eXlogue lets you detect native partners interested in teaching you their language in substitution for teaching them your own. Concretely, the platform fast-tracks your learning experience and makes information technology more personal and human past connecting you lot with Korean natives.

In addition, yous receive back up and motivation from an inclusive community of language learners. Share about your learning experience, put yourself there to exercise whenever you want and hear feedback from experts and other language learners!

Speaky lets you browse through a community of Korean linguistic communication partners to instantly practice Korean, as well equally share your ain language and civilisation with a Korean learner. You can chat or make telephone calls with i of the numerous speakers connected online at any time, for free.

Also, the platform lets you find the Korean linguistic communication partner of your option by selecting their preferences, habits and more.

Interpals is another neat way to meet Korean natives and make Korean friends. If you aren't quite ready to practice speaking just yet, they also have a penpals programme worth checking out.

You can quickly scan through their vast library of users to find a friction match, and start taking your Korean cocky-teaching experience to the next level!

5. Lookout Plenty of Korean Dramas

Korean dramas are a fun, entertaining way to learn the Korean linguistic communication and start really understanding Korean culture! Of grade—take what you run into with a grain of salt. Later on all, dramas are pretty… dramatic. Korean life isn't necessarily like this (all the time).

Why It Works

Watching dramas (or any video, for that matter!) is an enjoyable method to stimulate your Korean listening skills and gain familiarity with Korean pronunciation. You'll also get visual cues like expressions, gestures and scenery to help yous glean the meaning. We promise, the more you lot watch, the more you lot'll understand.

Dramas pack a learning punch if you actively use them to report, but y'all can also employ them to larn more passively and casually. They're so much fun that you'll replace your English-language Tv bear witness addictions with Korean content. That ways even more Korean exposure! You'll chop-chop develop spontaneous and intuitive speaking abilities just through hearing Korean so much, as long every bit you do information technology in a smart way (which we'll highlight in the "How It Works" section beneath).

Information technology's easy to meet how watching dramas takes the difficulty out of language learning by making information technology more accessible and fun.

How It Works

• Start by picking a drama you like. If yous're new to Korean dramas, y'all can read about them on MyDramaList. Browse for titles that look interesting and head over to your favorite streaming site to see if it's available there. It'southward that elementary! Can't find what you're looking for? You tin ever try hit upward verified YouTube channels and the official websites for Korean TV stations.

• Use subtitles wisely. When y'all first start watching, turn off the subtitles. Replay a scene a few times and come across how much you can understand. (Y'all might find that afterward a few viewings, y'all understand more than yous did at beginning!) Once you lot've understood as much as yous perchance tin can, pop on the subtitles in Korean and lookout once more (if they're bachelor). After that, watch one final fourth dimension in English.

• Take notes! Are at that place any words you still don't understand? Any sentence structures that take you confused? Write them down and report them! Especially in the beginning, you'll option upward lots of useful expressions, vocabulary, structures and even cultural facts from your report sessions. Make certain to list them all and review your notes regularly. Over fourth dimension, you'll be able to identify more than and more words and build a significant mental Korean database.

Favorite Resources

Tv set streaming sites like Viki offer a large option of Korean dramas with complete seasons, perfect for binge-watching. The site is free with ads, but you have the option to subscribe to the service and skip them altogether if you lot adopt. This isn't a language learning site per se, so yous may need to put in some effort to acquire from the videos and find some structure to them.

If y'all'd prefer to watch shorter videos similar movie and Tv set show clips, music videos, commercials and more, the FluentU program offers exactly this. Hither, you tin lookout man authentic Korean videos with interactive captions. The videos are categorized by level so you tin easily notice something suitable for your learning needs. You tin can also salvage words to personalized flashcards and do what you're learning with quizzes.

Lastly, Netflix can prove a fantastic resource to teach yourself Korean. Like Viki, at that place are no accompanying lessons and the Korean subtitles are often closed captioned (and therefore, non always 100% accurate), but it's a perfect option if yous're already a Netflix subscriber. The streaming service's Korean drama selection is ever-growing!

six. Heed to (or Discover) Your Favorite 1000-Pop Artist

One thousand-Pop (Korean Pop) is more than just a global music trend with some of the biggest names and superstars on the planet. It's as well your central to Korean fluency!

Why It Works

By listening to 1000- Pop, you are placing yourself correct in the heart of contemporary Korean culture. Before you know it, you will be dancing, singing and miming along to your favorite BTS song without fifty-fifty realizing it!

In this way, yous learn through immersion while staying on height of the latest trends emerging from this genuinely international music phenomenon. This arroyo gives you lot enough of breezy vocabulary and keeps you lot up to date with Korean popular culture. All-time of all, you can gush with your Korean exchange partner most your favorite tunes!

How It Works

Language learning with music is a popular method for those wanting to bask their report while focusing on boosting their vocabulary. The connectedness betwixt mood, word mining and memorization creates the perfect surroundings for a language learner to level-up. In addition to this, brain scientific discipline shows that nosotros're more inclined to recall data that's stimulating, appealing or emotional. With precise synchronized dance moves, catchy melodies and improvident style, K-Pop is sure to keep you hooked (and learning) for a long time!

If yous're a beginner, it's advisable to get-go by listening and exploring. Don't worry too much about comprehension merely instead, focus on finding the right music or a group that you savor. As you progress, you lot tin can start to integrate lyrics in Hangul and with an English translation into your learning.

For an intermediate-advanced learner, activities such equally fill-the-gap or predicting the lyrics are a great way to recall vocabulary and practice grammer structures.

Favorite Resources

The website genius.com is a convenient resource for finding lyrics both in the original Hangul and English. You can discover extra content such as annotations from fans and relevant news. There'southward also the selection of joining a community, contributing to discussions, writing your own annotations and leaving album reviews.

Of form, a quick YouTube search volition also yield enough of K-Pop tunes with English language translations for you to sift through, although this approach may crave additional steps to create a worthwhile lesson.

seven. Build Confidence and Vocabulary with Loanwords

Tackling Korean or any additional language is no easy feat. That'south why, as a beginner, it's vitally important to outset with what you know.

Enter, loanwords.

Why It Works

Loanwords are exactly what they describe. Words that have been transferred or loaned from one language to another with niggling to no modification. While it may not seem similar information technology, there are many English-Korean loanwords.

This situation is sometimes referred to as Konglish or Korean-style English, and it'southward a peachy way to build a sense of familiarity and a common connexion between the ii languages. Every bit a beginner, one of the primary goals of Korean learning is simple advice: understanding and being understood. These are as well ii of the nearly challenging tasks. With loanwords, you can slowly interruption down this barrier by utilizing modern Korean vocabulary that you already know even if you aren't enlightened of it however.

Loanwords are also a great way to build confidence and start to melody your ear to the difficult Korean pronunciation. You tin hear how the original words take been taken and integrated into Korean speech.

Check out 100 words you already know in Korean and note how the pronunciation differs from the original English. Once y'all've mastered this, loanwords are constructive, relatively uncomplicated to listen for and fun!

How It Works

Start by scrolling through YouTube, listening to native content and asking your Korean exchange partner if they know whatever English-Korean loanwords. You lot both might be surprised simply how many at that place are!

Create and continually add to a language nautical chart of loanwords and first building vocabulary in this manner. With some offset phrases, you'll exist able to compile basic sentences using more advanced vocabulary almost immediately from your loanword list.

Whenever you come across a new loanword, add together it to your vocabulary list with a special note on pronunciation and don't forget to write information technology out in Hangul.

Favorite Resources

First, cheque out this fun video of a Korean no-English word challenge to get an thought of how integrated English language loanwords are to Korean gild.

In terms of resources, some peachy starting places include language blogs with ready-to-become loanword vocabulary lists. Of course, information technology's vital to hear just how these words are pronounced, and then using a resource that also offers pronunciation like 90daykorean.com is a fantastic starting place.

You'll find heaps of fun YouTube videos either examining loan words or creating unique challenges for Korean and English speakers.

Now that you know what to exercise to learn Korean efficiently, all you need is to get started.

So, 3… 2… 1… 시작!(shijak! start!)

Source: https://www.fluentu.com/blog/korean/teach-yourself-korean/

Posted by: myerstoop1998.blogspot.com

Share this post