Top 10 Tips for Learning Korean

Top 10 Tips for Learning Korean

Learn Hangul

Build up your vocabulary

Learn  about Konglish and loan words 

Find either a teacher or language partner

Watch/ listen to something in Korean

Set SMART goals

Immerse yourself in the language

Learn a little bit every day

Use stories and association techniques  

Learn grammar 

1. Learn Hangul 

The first thing you should do when learning Korean learn Hangul. This is something that will help you when you are building your vocabulary as well as learning new words. This also allows you to not rely on the romanticized version of Korean. You need this to be able to read signs as well as speak since the romanticized version does not have an accurate way of showing how things are pronounced. 

2. Build up your vocabulary 

Whenever you are learning a new language you need to slowly add in more words. Start by learning words for everyday items that you need. This will allow you to slowly build up by remembering different items as well as learn it every day. You can also build up the vocabulary based on honorifics, learning both ways to speak to others is very beneficial for those who want to work in South Korea.

3. Learn  about Konglish and loan words 

Loanwords are words that are shared with English. You find these in all languages but in Korean learning them also helps you build your vocabulary. They may have slight changes in how they are pronounced but they are overall very similar. Examples of loanwords are sandwich, cup, coffee, ice cream, and pizza.

Konglish words are words and phrases that change in meaning from their English counterparts. These are harder to understand for those who study Korean then loan words are since it changes the meaning.

4. Find either a teacher or language partner

Another awesome way to study is to take a class from someone or talk with someone else who is learning Korean. This helps motivate you to keep on a schedule as well as make sure you are learning it correctly. It's also helpful if you have questions and want to ask someone. 

Many universities offer online courses and there are apps where you can find people to converse with to practice. If you live in 42SHARE, some local students may be willing to help you, even if not there are other international students who are in the same boat as you, and this can help keep you accountable.

 

 5. Watch/ listen to something in Korean

One of the best ways to learn a language is to watch or listen to something in it. Many people learning a language like to listen to music and watch tv shows in that language. It can help with pronunciation as well as your understanding of others speaking it. Just learning the language is one half of the battle but being able to carry a conversation is the next step. By doing this you will be increasing your ability to understand others when they are speaking to you.

6. Set SMART goals

Smart goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-based goals that you can set to help keep yourself on track. This is beneficial for all parts of life, not just learning a language. Making these goals help keep you motivated to stay on top of your studies, as well as keep you accountable for your work.

7. Immerse yourself in the language

Now, this may be hard if you cannot travel to South Korea. If you are in the country make sure to try to immerse yourself in activities that will challenge you to speak in Korean. Try to use more Korean than English. This will allow you to learn quickly as well as learning different slang words. It is also arguably more fun to learn it this way as you are learning it in person and mistakes are taken care of right away. If you cannot go to South Korea you can try to find a place nearby you that has a concentration of Koreans and try to learn there. This is harder to do but can help you a lot when you are learning.

8. Learn a little bit every day

Something you hear in school is taking baby steps while learning something new and this applies to learning a language as well. You need to learn things slowly and in little bits at a time. If you try to cram it all in one night, you won’t remember it as well as if you studied over a long period of time. Yes, this is annoying but it will work out better for you in the long run.

9. Use stories and association techniques 

This is something that is not the best for everyone but it does work for some. What you can do is break down the words you do not know and make a story about each part of the word that ties the word together. You can also associate words this way by splitting it up by each syllable you pronounce. Some people like to learn this way but most do not. It is helpful for words you are struggling to remember though.

10. Learn grammar 

If you want to be able to explain anything to others in Korean, you need to learn grammar. This also will help you in the long run instead of just learning phrases. Imagine if you are trying to ask where the item you saw yesterday is, if you do not know how to conjugate the verb to the past tense, there may be some confusion. Also. if you can speak Korean well at a high level you may be able to find a job in translating or even work in a company that just uses Korean. Learning vocabulary can only get you so far, you need to learn verbs and grammar while you build your vocabulary.

By Marissa Owens, Intern Editor

Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa, USA

mowens3107@outlook.com

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