Unfortunatelythere are still less high-quality learning resources than you can find for learning Japanese or Chinese. That said, we did find some super useful books that helped us to get started with this challenging but beautiful language.
Elementary Korean is the gold standard for learning Korean by self study. It is the most thorough and all-round introduction to Korean that I know of, and the logical structure makes it easy to follow.
In this Pimsleur audio course, the Korean speakers break down every syllable of each word which helps train your ear. Keep with this course and you will be speaking and understanding whole Korean sentences within a few days.
I notice some of the text book in the market actually teaching in latin script (romanization of Korean) instead of Hangul, but I still prefer Hangul, as I can learn reading their word at the same time.
Thank you for that great list. I am still a beginner and therefore those books are exactly what I am looking for. I might get myself Korean for Beginners: Mastering Conversational Korean and one of the Grammar Books. It is always very important to know the grammar of a (new) language! It really enables you to learn much faster if you can master the grammatical aspects of a language.
Hi thank you for the book info, I am going to attempt Korean and needed to inform myself about the different learning materials . I have lived in Germany 10 years and learned the language without actually sitting down to study it however I was a lot younger then , have since lived in japan and also learnt japanese this time though i studied it from the beginning . I have used a number of different methods including lingua phone , kumon etc highly recommend Kumon if you want to read and write. wonder if there is a similar correspondense course for Korean ? again thanks for your help.
People, even those who developed their Korean through Romanization, who recommend in favor of exclusive Hangeul, even for beginners have forgotten the long climb up the mountain in their early months.
I wish someone with your insights would be in the editorial team of every language learning book about to be published so that the needs of the learner would be seriously addressed. Thanks again for taking the time to answer my questions and for offering your wonderful insights.
I came across your site while searching for textbooks to teach English to Korean speakers. When I was learning Korean, we used the KLEAR textbooks (University of Hawaii Press). Having studied a total of four foreign languages, these books and supporting materials (workbooks, mp3 files, etc) were among the best I have ever come across. In fact, the books are so good, that all you really need is an answer key to the workbooks in order to skip the classroom altogether & just use them on your own.
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However, the later textbooks covered some difficult grammar concepts (such as reported speech) a bit too quickly. Therefore, you need to be careful to ensure that you fully understand the basic grammar fundamentals in Korean and have assimilated the content before moving on.
This book is easy to use and is a good choice for beginners, especially if you prefer to work through a textbook without skipping around from section to section. It covers common Korean words and grammar for everyday conversation.
This series consists of some of the best books for learning Korean. These Korean textbooks are highly regarded and will take you from beginner to advanced. If you have a tutor and ample time on your hands, then these are the books for you! Many Korean students get started with this series.
Also amongst the best textbook series for those learners who are getting started in Korean, Yonsei Korean is a series of textbooks developed and created by the Korean Language Institute at Yonsei University. Yonsei is one of the best and top universities in Korea.
They provide lessons and exercises that target listening, speaking, reading, sentence structure, and writing skills. Aside from the communicative skills that are targeted in these Korean books, the Yonsei series also incorporates lessons on learning about Korean culture. If you are interested in learning Korean culture alongside learning Korean, then this Yonsei book series will best suit you.
The beauty of Yonsei Korean is the continuity of Korean learning that it provides to students. The Yonsei Korean textbooks are made up of 12 books divided into 3 language levels: beginner, intermediate, and advanced.
If you are learning Korean at a beginner level, the Yonsei Korean 1 and 2 textbooks are best for you. Each textbook is made up of 10 units with 5 lessons each. Lessons in these textbooks are highly focused on the essential Korean grammar and vocabulary that will help students to develop a basic understanding of the Korean language.
Once you complete the beginner levels, Yonsei Korean 3 and 4 are available for the intermediate level, and Yonsei Korean 5 and 6 for the advanced level after that. This Korean language series is a complete curriculum of lessons that are useful in helping students learn to communicate in Korean.
The fact that this Korean language textbook starts by talking about food is a welcome relief. It also covers Korean emoticons rather early on (before teaching Hangul, the Korean alphabet) and is written with a sense of humor.
Rather than listing a Korean word and a definition side by side (which, face it, makes it easy to quickly forget a vocab word), this textbook introduces a new vocabulary word by providing context to help the reader guess the meaning of the Korean word.
While the book is a bit short on explaining grammar points in detail, it makes up for that in an abundance of example sentences! This helps give a better sense of when and how, different Korean grammar would appear in use.
The Kindle version has pages, notes, and flashcards, which are nice features to personalize your study experience. The book could be good for you even if you know how to read Hangul already. The text guides you and suggests you skip pages if you already know the Korean alphabet.
You can get this book in both Kindle and paperback format. The digital version is really nice if you want to live a minimalist life or take it with you as you travel. The paperback works well if you are the type of person who likes to take notes.
For example, if you want to be able to just talk in Korean, then grammar-focused books will not be the best choice. On the other hand, if you want to gain a more academic understanding of the Korean language, then a conversation book will probably leave out details you care about.
Also, consider how long you intend to learn Korean. Do you want to just spend a few months learning so you can get around on a short trip to Seoul, or want to become fluent enough to understand K-pop songs and K-dramas without translation?
You can order them at Amazon or Kyobo Bookstore. We provide the Amazon link in the description above, where available. You can also go to Kyobo Bookstore and pick them up in person if they have the books in stock.
Keep in mind that some textbooks are designed for self-study, while others are best used in Korean classes or with a tutor. Consider how comprehensive the textbook is and how much support you might need to answer questions about it before you decide to add it to your study plan.
This list of the best Korean textbooks is by no means every textbook out there, and most language schools produce their own textbook. Of course, as well as using a textbook, you can study Korean in other ways, such as enrolling in a university course, joining a Korean learning program, or online course. Here is a fantastic way to get started.
Textbooks for learning Korean are also good gift ideas for oneself and for others who wish to learn Korean. You may also give yourself or other language learners you know a Korean gift card for an online course.
Do you have a favorite textbook that you use to learn Korean? What is your pick among the best books to learn Korean? Let us know in the comments below! And best of luck with your Korean language learning adventures!
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Complicated grammar and difficult vocab are broken into easy-to-digest pieces with simple, clear explanations. You can go from beginner to advanced with this one complete course, using techniques that have been tested and proven effective.
This textbook is ideal for absolute beginners with no prior Korean experience. It was created by Korean linguists and teachers to use effective teaching techniques to get the information across.
Lessons are based around certain topics, each of which contains a dialogue, relevant vocabulary, explanations of the grammar and cultural notes, as well as an additional passage to present the new information in context.
Each new edition of the book has been improved and enhanced based on user feedback. The current book includes attractive visuals and an accompanying workbook. You can also download audio on the website.
This textbook is designed to be completed in a short amount of time. It contains 20 lessons, a list of the 38 most common Korean phrases and a link to audio files for pronunciation help.
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