How to Study Korean

Learning the Basics

Take in-person Korean language courses. Before you start studying, you’ll have to learn the foundations of the Korean language. The best way to do this is by taking Korean language or writing courses. You may be able to take classes at a local college or community center. Search online for Korean classes close to you and register before the deadline. If you are learning for the first time, you should pick basic or introductory classes.

Learn Korean through online resources. Popular online language learning courses include KoreanClass101, Talk to Me In Korean, TuneIn, Udemy, and Coursera. Some online classes, like KoreanClass 101 and Talk to Me in Korean are free of charge. Other websites like Udemy and Coursera charge a fee for classes but also include an instructor. If you aren't taking in-person classes, consider registering for a paid course so that you can ask the instructor questions when you get stuck.

Learn the letters in Hangeul. Hangeul has 24 letters, or jamo, with 10 vowels and 14 consonants. Before you can move onto more complex words and phrases, you must memorize the Hangeul alphabet. For example, to write the word "Hangeul," you must know all of the letters. These include ᄒ for h,ᅡ for a, ᄂ for n, ᄀ for g, ᅳ for e and u, and ᄅ for l. The final word looks like 한글.

Learn common Korean phrases. Knowing common phrases will help you communicate if you are visiting Korea and don’t know the language fluently. Learning common phrases like “Hello, how are you?” and “What time is it?” will help you survive if you're in a mostly Korean speaking place. For instance, to say “Hello” or “Goodbye” you’d say "Anyoung haseyo" (AN-NYEONG-ha-se-yo). The spelling in Hangeul is 안녕하세요. To ask for the time you can say "Jigeum myeoshiyeyo?" (SE-GOON-moi-shia) It's written like "지금 몇시에요?" Learn how to count to 10 so that you know how to write and say numbers.

Study Korean sentence structure. The basic Korean sentence structure is the subject first, then object, then verb. For example, instead of writing or saying “I rode the horse,” you would say "I horse rode.” Each Korean sentence must end in either an adjective or verb. For example, to say “I am a student,” you’d say “I student” followed by the verb “to be.” It's written like 저는 학생이에요 and you pronounced, Jeoneun haksaengiyeyo.

Keeping Good Study Habits

Keep detailed notes as you learn. As you go through Korean lessons, write down notes so that you can study after instruction. Notes can include important details, grammar rules, and pronunciations of certain words. Actively writing while you learn will help you retain Korean and will also give you more material to review when you study it. Concentrate on words and phrases that you have trouble remembering or pronouncing. Good notes will include the pronunciations next to your Korean words.

Record and listen to yourself. How you sound in your head may be different than how you actually sound to other people. Recording your own voice while you practice will help you refine your Korean speaking skills. Listen to your recording along with the proper Korean pronunciation and see where you make mistakes. Try to go back and pronounce the word or phrase properly.

Create and follow a study schedule. In order to grow your Korean reading and writing skills, you’ll have to practice regularly. Carve out at least an hour or more every day around the same time to practice your Korean. Break each study section into parts so that you don’t feel overwhelmed. If you stay on a regimented schedule, you’ll be able to develop your skills much faster. For example, you can schedule 20 minutes to learn new Korean words, 20 minutes on translating Korean to English, and 20 minutes reading a Korean book.

Save difficult portions for later on in your studies. Korean has honorifics, which means that there are different words you should say depending on who you’re speaking to. There are also specific conjugations for past, present, and future tense. Instead of concentrating on these aspects of the language, save them for after you become more accustomed to Korean words and phrases. Honorifics are determined by the age of the person you’re talking with and the type of relationship that you have with them.

Use a translator as you study. Keep a language translation app or Google translator nearby as you study so you can translate words and phrases that you don’t know. Being able to translate on the go is faster and easier than having to look up the word in a dictionary. Popular translation apps include Naver, GreenLife Korean English Translator, and iTranslate.

Reinforcing your Studies

Have conversations with people who speak Korean. Speak with someone that’s fluent in Korean and good with Korean pronunciations. Tell them to correct you if you say or pronounce something incorrectly. The more you get used to speaking the language regularly in conversation, the quicker you’ll become fluent. You can try finding a Korean club or committee on your school's campus or visit a Korean market or restaurant.

Watch Korean shows and movies. Turn English subtitles off and try to understand what the characters are saying. This is especially useful if you don’t know anyone that speaks Korean. If you hear a word that you don't know, write it down in your notes so that you can look it up later. You can also listen to Korean music and podcasts.

Make flashcards. Write the Korean word on one side of the flashcards and write the English equivalent on the other side. Read the Korean word and try to remember what the English equivalent is without flipping the card over. You can study from flashcards on your own or with someone else. You can put single words or entire phrases on the front side of your flashcards.

Read books in Korean. Purchase a Korean literature and try to read through it. This will help you with your writing and reading. You can also read Korean magazines and newspapers. If you have trouble reading something you can put it into a translator to help you.