The Student Room Group

Learning Korean

hello :smile:
So I've been learning Korean for a while but I'm not really progressing much so i wanted to know what people used to learn a foreign language such as Korean or Japanese and what tips they have since Korean has a whole other alphabet and grammar system
Original post by TazmeenX
hello :smile:
So I've been learning Korean for a while but I'm not really progressing much so i wanted to know what people used to learn a foreign language such as Korean or Japanese and what tips they have since Korean has a whole other alphabet and grammar system

Hi! I'm a second year Korean language uni student so if you have any questions let me know! What are you using to learn at the moment?
Reply 2
Original post by umbrellala
Hi! I'm a second year Korean language uni student so if you have any questions let me know! What are you using to learn at the moment?

Hi! i'm currently using a mixture of apps. I used duolingo at first to learn the alphabet but then people said it wasn't great from there on. I moved onto koreon101 but you had to pay to get any decent content then it was ttmik but their lessons were a bit waffly so now I'm trying out how to study korean and maybe, to learn the vocabulary, memrise possibly? I've always had trouble memorising vocabulary

What methods/apps do you use?
Original post by TazmeenX
Hi! i'm currently using a mixture of apps. I used duolingo at first to learn the alphabet but then people said it wasn't great from there on. I moved onto koreon101 but you had to pay to get any decent content then it was ttmik but their lessons were a bit waffly so now I'm trying out how to study korean and maybe, to learn the vocabulary, memrise possibly? I've always had trouble memorising vocabulary

What methods/apps do you use?

I would also recommend against duolingo, whilst it's useful for European languages it's really not set up for East Asian languages at all. The lessons often give little in the way of contextual or grammatical explanations which is really essential for Korean in particular. The best app I've used is Lingodeer although I haven't used it since I started learning Korean around 3 years ago when it was very much in its beginning stages. Even then it was really great, although I'm not certain it's totally free anymore.

As for curriculums, there's 2 main ones I would recommend - TTMIK and HowToStudyKorean. You're right that TTMIK can be a little waffly, especially in the podcasts when you're doing relatively easy grammar. Sometimes the explanations can feel excessive, but there are few other curriculums that give proper spoken examples so you can practice pronunciation. HowToStudyKorean has the opposite strength - there's no waffle but it gives all the detail needed. The main issue I have with it is it's very dry and can become boring. It's also very intensive and condensed in a way that isn't very user-friendly and can easily become overwhelming, so don't do a whole chapter in one session because it won't stick. It's pretty much purely grammar with a vocabulary list at the start which is a kind of dull way of learning in my opinion, but it does explain things well. For vocabulary, I'd highly recommend typing out your own Quizlet sets because the process of writing them out really helps. Overall though, if you're genuinely aiming for a high level of ability you'll most likely have to invest in a proper textbook at some point.

As for me, I have 4hrs or more (sometimes 8hrs!) of very interactive classes a day so I don't really use many 'proper' resources other than my textbooks and workbooks. I do use more informal methods for learning outside of classes like movies and TV shows, but I wouldn't recommend those unless you're already at an intermediate level
Reply 4
Original post by umbrellala
I would also recommend against duolingo, whilst it's useful for European languages it's really not set up for East Asian languages at all. The lessons often give little in the way of contextual or grammatical explanations which is really essential for Korean in particular. The best app I've used is Lingodeer although I haven't used it since I started learning Korean around 3 years ago when it was very much in its beginning stages. Even then it was really great, although I'm not certain it's totally free anymore.

As for curriculums, there's 2 main ones I would recommend - TTMIK and HowToStudyKorean. You're right that TTMIK can be a little waffly, especially in the podcasts when you're doing relatively easy grammar. Sometimes the explanations can feel excessive, but there are few other curriculums that give proper spoken examples so you can practice pronunciation. HowToStudyKorean has the opposite strength - there's no waffle but it gives all the detail needed. The main issue I have with it is it's very dry and can become boring. It's also very intensive and condensed in a way that isn't very user-friendly and can easily become overwhelming, so don't do a whole chapter in one session because it won't stick. It's pretty much purely grammar with a vocabulary list at the start which is a kind of dull way of learning in my opinion, but it does explain things well. For vocabulary, I'd highly recommend typing out your own Quizlet sets because the process of writing them out really helps. Overall though, if you're genuinely aiming for a high level of ability you'll most likely have to invest in a proper textbook at some point.

As for me, I have 4hrs or more (sometimes 8hrs!) of very interactive classes a day so I don't really use many 'proper' resources other than my textbooks and workbooks. I do use more informal methods for learning outside of classes like movies and TV shows, but I wouldn't recommend those unless you're already at an intermediate level

Hello! Thank you so much for your advice! I really appreciate it :proud:
Original post by TazmeenX
Hello! Thank you so much for your advice! I really appreciate it :proud:

No problem! If you ever need help with anything language-related or otherwise let me know :smile:

Quick Reply

Latest