Post: #1

I've been wondering if anyone can recommend some useful free online Korean language resources. Though I'm currently in Japan and have no immediate plans of visiting Korea, I have a lot of acquaintances from Korea. Though I'm able to read, write, pronounce and (partially) type Hangeul, I have next to no knowledge of the language itself, other than some basic stock phrases like 안녕하세요, 감사함니다, etc., and I'd like to find a good introductory course for basic conversation.

Ceterum censeo Ōsakam esse delendam!

Post: #2

Their writing system is absolute baws from what I understand. Thought about learning it before, but the applicability is minimal.

Perhaps check out KoreanClass101

Post: #3

You should buy Rosetta Stone: Korean version.

Though I have heard that some people may have put this on one of those torrent sites and I definitely do not recommend downloading it from there as it's illegal.

Post: #4

Rosetta Stone is awful. It gives you a stock vocabulary of about a couple hundred words and it costs a fortune to boot. Try FSI, Assimil, two solid courses to start. The prior is a little dated but very thorough and available to the public for download.

http://fsi-language-courses.org/Content.php?page=Korean

Post: #5

I think Rosetta Stone is overrated and too expensive for what it does.
My brother had the unlimited online version and I used it frequently for several languages and I was not impressed.

I speak intermediate conversational 한국말.

I recommend Pimsleur. It really helps you to learn how to have conversations rather than just analyzing the language. A lot of people dis it here and I don't know why. It's excellent.

Also, check out http://www.talktomeinkorean.com/

They have a lot of good stuff at good prices. I've used it to brush up on my skills.

If you're in a major city, there may be a Korean group on Meetup.com.

If not, it's not too hard to find Koreans in most parts of the world - I've ran into Koreans living in Nicaragua and Paraguay of all places.

수고하세요!

Post: #6

I just started with Pimsleur Korean today, and searched the forum for others that might have tried it. What did you end up going with?

I have the Pimsleur Korean, as well as a Korean Grammar book (Basic Korean by Andrew Sangpil Byon). As far as self-studying goes, I think it makes sense to use both Pimsleur and a book, because one needs to be able to speak, read and write.

Post: #7

Pimsleur Korean is whack because it is waaaay too formal. Terrible for game IMO. KTMIK is better, still generally terrible though. Best way is to get a tutor and learn exactly what you want. There are thousands of college kids who have decent enough English to communicate with you and all the age appropriate knowledge you need. I had a tutor for $5 an hour. It was low but they get paid that in part time jobs anyway.

Post: #8

I'd second the Rosetta Stone recommendations. I found it to be excellent for getting a grasp of how sentences are structured and other fundamentals, which can be built upon by working on additional tenses and vocabulary, etc.

This Youtube channel is also worth checking out. The woman who runs it can be incredibly irritating at times but does a good job of marrying language with popular culture references which you'd miss without a basic understanding of Korean.

Post: #9

(06-24-2014 08:59 AM)2014 Wrote:  Pimsleur Korean is whack because it is waaaay too formal. Terrible for game IMO. KTMIK is better, still generally terrible though. Best way is to get a tutor and learn exactly what you want.

It's easy to go from the formal to the informal in Korean...it's necessary to know the formal way of speaking. You can't just go around Korea speaking 반말 to everyone.

I still strongly recommend Pimsleur.

KTMIT? Do you mean TTMIK? Talk to Me in Korean?

Naturally, a tutor is best for learning languages...however most people find it difficult to find a tutor to constantly accompany them while they are driving and doing other tasks.

Post: #10

(12-31-2014 12:34 PM)buja Wrote:  

(06-24-2014 08:59 AM)2014 Wrote:  Best way is to get a tutor and learn exactly what you want.

It's easy to go from the formal to the informal in Korean...it's necessary to know the formal way of speaking. You can't just go around Korea speaking 반말 to everyone.

Definitely agree. Using formal language is something you're going to want to know, since most of the people that you'll have no choice but to use Korean with will be older.

Also agree that a tutor is the best way to go. There's no shortage of Koreans who want to learn English so there's also no reason for you to have to pay for it if you're willing to do a language exchange.

Post: #11

I can speak it but struggle to read it.....Lived there for 5 yrs (north and south) between the age of 4-9. Never been there since then. I update myself by watching Korean movies or news online and trying it on the natives I occasionally meet in London.
I think Rosetta stone is good, also having a native to pratice it with would go a long way.

Post: #12

Impressed by your grasp of East Asian languages, Sargon.

Try the telenovela approach to learning the language: watch lots of k dramas and you can definitely pick up the vernacular. Had a Filipino ex who got up to around 50% fluency that way and her accent (down to the korean girl whininess) was excellent to boot.

The FBI language course that they have online is pretty solid too.

Post: #13

I started learning Korean several years back and have been through many resources.
The Rosetta Stone approach is complete bullshit as far as I am concerned.

You say you already know the alphabet, and even if not that can be learned in a few days.
Just start out with memrize or anki to learn vocabulary.
Also get a beginners book from a korean university (I think I used the one from Seoul National University).
This will give you a basic understanding of grammar.
Just build on that. After a year or so, get "Korean Grammar for International Learners". It's not great for studying in the beginning but perfect to look up grammar patterns you come across when you read or watch korean movies (which often are awesome and way better than K-Dramas).

It's not the most fun way to learn korean, but the fastest and most effective i've found.
Also, you say you know how to pronounce korean, but make sure to learn the exceptions here. Korean pronunciation can be a bitch. They constantly connect and change sounds depending on the situation.

Post: #14

(01-14-2015 06:26 AM)minimal01 Wrote:  I started learning Korean several years back and have been through many resources.
The Rosetta Stone approach is complete bullshit as far as I am concerned.

You say you already know the alphabet, and even if not that can be learned in a few days.
Just start out with memrize or anki to learn vocabulary.
Also get a beginners book from a korean university (I think I used the one from Seoul National University).
This will give you a basic understanding of grammar.
Just build on that. After a year or so, get "Korean Grammar for International Learners". It's not great for studying in the beginning but perfect to look up grammar patterns you come across when you read or watch korean movies (which often are awesome and way better than K-Dramas).

It's not the most fun way to learn korean, but the fastest and most effective i've found.
Also, you say you know how to pronounce korean, but make sure to learn the exceptions here. Korean pronunciation can be a bitch. They constantly connect and change sounds depending on the situation.

I was using memrize for korean vocabulary. It works pretty well, almost any anki program would be good if you have the patience to spend 10 minutes daily flipping through cards at least.

I'm in Japan too and I've been trying to get a grasp on Korean since I travel there for fun fairly often and the inability to speak Korean hurts more and more with each passing trip. Have you had much luck meeting Korean friends here or even zainichis who'd be down to teach you the basics? That's my plan to try to get a solid grasp of the basics and pronunciation.