Top 5 Materials to Use to Learn Korean
When you’re starting to learn a new language finding the perfect materials for you can be the hardest part for self-studiers. Then, considering your own learning style and the content availability in your target language, you may run into some trouble. I am here to be a helpful guide on resources to try out. I am an immersion and hands-on type of learner. I like to focus on listening and comprehension, but I also like writing practice. So, I like to try a little bit of everything before settling on what works best for me. Before we dive into the material, it's best to remember not to overwhelm yourself and try to at least have two of the following 5 resources to guide you on your language-learning journey.
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I am the type of learner that use both websites and textbooks, websites for on-the-go learning, and books for tangible purpose, although I’ve found written form tend to go into more depth for grammar examples.
Some of my favorites to use for Korean are:
Talk To Me In Korean (Website/TextBook)
Korean Class 101 (Website)
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Immersion, immersion, immersion! When you can’t drop everything and move country, finding a community of people speaking or learning the same language as you, I feel you can thrive.
I use apps like Discord and HiLokal for community language learning.A server that I am very fond of is
아미 KSG | https://www.armyksg.com/
They host lives and have self-paced and class-based courses, plus an abundance of clubs. Most importantly they study and regular chat rooms to practice speaking and writing and to share your language journey with others.A close favorite is also Talk To Me In Korean’s Discord Server.
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YouTube Academy, bby! 100% recommend with caution. Trusted sources like Talk To Me In Korean and KoreanClass101 (and many others) are always safe to go to for speaking, listening, and writing practice. However, finding YouTubers from the country of your target language is also super beneficial to your learning. You’ll learn the colloquial terms you can’t find in textbooks,
Bonus Tip 💡
See if your favorite YouTubers have a discord server.
(Let’s share our favorite language YouTubers in the comments below!)
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This is a good method, but only if you use it properly. Websites and apps like Lingo Pie, Viki, GagaOOLaLa, iQiyi, and so on are great places to find Korean dramas and movies with Korean captioning. Some of the options above have dual language subtitles, while others use your target language with dictionary toggles to learn the language. As long as your actively studying and not casually watching, you will be fine and your listening skills will grow.
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Try finding your favorite childhood books in your target language and see what you are able to read. Finding Twilight and A Series of Unfortunate in Korean was a fun experience. For news, Naver News articles are good to learn new vocabulary and have updates on what’s going on in Korea (and the culture). if you’re not into reading the news, I suggest Naver Blogs. If you’re interested in Korean Skin Care or style, find a blogger that discusses that kind of content.
Even if you aren’t learning Korean these methods can still work for you in your target language, as many of the resources I mentioned above offer multiple languages. 다음에 또 봐요!
I am not affiliated with any of the links/websites/apps mentioned above. I recommend them based on my monthly/yearly use.