Hangul Reading
In order to be able to do just about anything in Korean, you must first learn to read the Korean characters. Only then, you can start to study with books or take private lessons even. If you skip this and go straight to memorizing words in chunks and expressions, you will only be able to rely on the sound.
Don’t be afraid to say things out loud and get the exact intonation, pronunciation, and even facial expressions you might have seen on the media. From the very beginning, you can accompany your academic learning with real-life learning by making sure those two connect to find real life connections.
The next lesson will guide you fully through the mysterious box-cut characters and their brief history.
Sentence Structure
Understanding the sentence structure, word order, or syntax is key in learning Korean, because it is the exact opposite of English. Only after understanding what should come after what, will you be able to practice making your own sentences.
We provide many exercises regarding basic grammar but don’t hold yourself back from writing many, many sentences, imagining real life situations. Practice is everything!
Vocabulary
Once you understand the basic form of sentence building in Korean, you can expand your vocabulary to enrich your sentences and express yourself more freely.
If you feel like learning hundreds of random words to be overwhelming, I always suggest for you to gather the words that are the most relevant to you first. Make a list of words that you might use at work or about your hobbies or interests. When there is a real-life connection, it is always easier to remember them.
Grammar and Expressions
Once you get the above basics down, you’ll be able to work more on learning how to say things more accurately or specifically in the Korean way. In addition to your expanding vocabulary, your effort to delve into the grammar and expressions will help you feel more comfortable with expressing yourself in various situations.
Go out and explore, just like how it all started with your favorite movie, drama series, or songs. Try to find out what they mean and imitate the gestures, tones, intonation, and everything!
Learning Tips:
- Make everything about Korean. If you think of something in your mind, try to translate that into Korean.
- Imagine real-life situations: If you learn a new word, imagine a situation where you would actually be using that word. Who would you be talking to? What would it be about? What facial expression would you be making? The more details, the better it will stick.
- You’re an actor: Learning a new language also means that you are creating another version of yourself in that culture. In a way, it is a new identity. Think of yourself as an actor and act out scenes from movies or series, which you can relate to or simply find them cool.
- Record yourself: If you are serious about working on your Korean accent and intonation, the most effective way that I’ve found is to record yourself. Simply use your phone to record how you say certain words, expressions or do a monologue even. Listen to what you sound like. Tweaking your accent little by little will amount up to the day you’d be speaking Korean like you were born here.
- Create the output: The studying and the memorizing are the input. You input all the information of words, new expressions, sounds, reading, but if there’s not output, they will be forgotten. The brain will think that there’s no use for them, so they will get replaced with other more important information. Therefore, it is essential to make sure that you have a use for all of what you’re learning. You might feel that this is a challenge, especially if you don’t live in Korea or have Korean friends to talk to and practice. It is your duty to create that environment for your learning, whether it’d be online classes, language exchange on apps, or anything you could think of. Be creative!
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