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Learning the Korean Lanuage
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kevinst



Joined: 10 Jun 2003

PostPosted: Fri Jun 13, 2003 11:43 am    Post subject: Learning the Korean Lanuage Reply with quote

In December, I am coming over to Korea to work for a year. I would like to know if learning the Korean language is can be accomplished in such a short amount of time. I don�t foresee being illiterate in the Korean language as being beneficial to anyone I will be working with, plus it will make my transition into Korea easier.
Also, I would like to know what living in Busan is like.

Thanks,
Kevin
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itchy



Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Busan

PostPosted: Fri Jun 13, 2003 3:01 pm    Post subject: Re: Learning the Korean Lanuage Reply with quote

kevinst wrote:
In December, I am coming over to Korea to work for a year. I would like to know if learning the Korean language is can be accomplished in such a short amount of time. I don�t foresee being illiterate in the Korean language as being beneficial to anyone I will be working with, plus it will make my transition into Korea easier.
Also, I would like to know what living in Busan is like.

Thanks,
Kevin


Learning Korean: Learn Hangul and then learn conversational Korean. The grammar just comes. If you waste time studying grammar you'll get bogged down and frustrated. Anything can be accomplished. It depends on the person.
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little mixed girl



Joined: 11 Jun 2003
Location: shin hyesung's bed~

PostPosted: Fri Jun 13, 2003 3:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

....

Last edited by little mixed girl on Tue Apr 15, 2008 5:28 am; edited 1 time in total
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waterbaby



Joined: 01 Feb 2003
Location: Baking Gord a Cheescake pie

PostPosted: Fri Jun 13, 2003 5:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Check out www.pusanweb.com for info on living and working in Pusan.

Personally, this is my favourite online course for studying Korean:
http://korean.sogang.ac.kr/

The following extract is from Lost Seoul's list in the "Useful Websites" sticky on the Job Discussion Forum:

Lost Seoul wrote:

Learning Korean -
Here are some sites that may assist you in learning the Korean language.

An Introduction to Korean
http://catcode.com/kintro/index.htm
==========================

Survival Korean
http://soback.kornet.nm.kr/~pixeline/heeyun/hangul.html
==========================

Talking to Koreans
http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/korean/centre/course/index.html
==========================

Korea One Web Ring
http://catcode.com/kintro/k1ring.htm
==========================

Korea Online - Korean Grammar
http://www.sigmainstitute.com/koreanonline/grammar_intro.shtml
==========================

KBS - Let's Learn Korean
http://rki.kbs.co.kr/learn_korean/lessons/e_index.htm
==========================

A good selection of university courses/online courses
http://www.1stopkorea.com
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Son Deureo!



Joined: 30 Apr 2003

PostPosted: Fri Jun 13, 2003 5:44 pm    Post subject: Re: Learning the Korean Lanuage Reply with quote

itchy wrote:

Learning Korean: Learn Hangul and then learn conversational Korean. The grammar just comes. If you waste time studying grammar you'll get bogged down and frustrated. Anything can be accomplished. It depends on the person.


No offense intended to Itchy, but I'm not sure how you can learn "conversational" Korean without learning grammar, and the same goes for learning English. No doubt that learning Korean grammar is difficult and frustrating at times, precisely because Korean grammar is so different from English grammar. Nevertheless, I think it's critical to understanding what you hear and read, building sentences, and making yourself understood. Grammar is magic.

I second the recommendation of the Sogang internet course. There are any number of good textbooks available for self-study. I recommend "Beginning Korean" and "Continuing Korean", both are available through Amazon.

I don't want to discourage you from learning Korean, but I don't think it's realistic for you to expect to learn Korean fluently in a year. If you were to forego working and study full time at the Yonsei or Sogang intensive program you might be able to do it. Working full time teaching English while studying Korean on the side? That's another matter.

In addition, it is not easy to find classes that are possible to attend while you're working a hogwon schedule. Since I live in Incheon, I've been stuck with self-study. But you can build a strong base in a year if you work hard at it, and make your life here easier and more interesting in the process. It's not easy, but it is fun and rewarding.
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Zyzyfer



Joined: 29 Jan 2003
Location: who, what, where, when, why, how?

PostPosted: Sat Jun 14, 2003 12:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I really think itchy more meant to pick up those little 3-syllable phrases that tend to get you through a normal day. You don't need grammar for those, yet you can do just about anything a foreigner would want to do with those phrases, the ability to read Korean, and Konglish at your disposal.

I recommend learning the written Korean as well, however the hell you wanna learn it. Just try to avoid the romanized stuff. It's the Devil's work...
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Son Deureo!



Joined: 30 Apr 2003

PostPosted: Sat Jun 14, 2003 5:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Maybe that is what Itchy meant, and if all you're interested in is survival Korean this might not be bad advice, but the OP poster was asking about attaining fluency.

If you want to attain fluency, or even come remotely close to it, there's no avoiding grammar.
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itchy



Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Busan

PostPosted: Sat Jun 14, 2003 12:41 pm    Post subject: Re: Learning the Korean Lanuage Reply with quote

Son Deureo! wrote:
itchy wrote:

Learning Korean: Learn Hangul and then learn conversational Korean. The grammar just comes. If you waste time studying grammar you'll get bogged down and frustrated. Anything can be accomplished. It depends on the person.


No offense intended to Itchy, but I'm not sure how you can learn "conversational" Korean without learning grammar, and the same goes for learning English. No doubt that learning Korean grammar is difficult and frustrating at times, precisely because Korean grammar is so different from English grammar. Nevertheless, I think it's critical to understanding what you hear and read, building sentences, and making yourself understood. Grammar is magic.

I second the recommendation of the Sogang internet course. There are any number of good textbooks available for self-study. I recommend "Beginning Korean" and "Continuing Korean", both are available through Amazon.

I don't want to discourage you from learning Korean, but I don't think it's realistic for you to expect to learn Korean fluently in a year. If you were to forego working and study full time at the Yonsei or Sogang intensive program you might be able to do it. Working full time teaching English while studying Korean on the side? That's another matter.

In addition, it is not easy to find classes that are possible to attend while you're working a hogwon schedule. Since I live in Incheon, I've been stuck with self-study. But you can build a strong base in a year if you work hard at it, and make your life here easier and more interesting in the process. It's not easy, but it is fun and rewarding.


I'd say learn basic grammar but then don't go on and start memorizing the particles as this will just bog you down and confuse you. It would be good to have an idea of the basic structure of the language so you can recognize particles, verbs, nouns, and other elements, but don't get too obsessed with getting everything right all the time. The grammar does get very complicated and confusing, so it is often better to listen to Koreans and mock what they are saying than to try to work the grammar out in your head as you speak.
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Mellow Mushroom



Joined: 18 Mar 2003

PostPosted: Sun Jun 15, 2003 1:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Son Deureo! wrote:
Maybe that is what Itchy meant, and if all you're interested in is survival Korean this might not be bad advice, but the OP poster was asking about attaining fluency.

If you want to attain fluency, or even come remotely close to it, there's no avoiding grammar.


Actually, the author of the thread never mentioned the word fluency, only learning Korean. So it's somewhat vague on what he hopes to accomplish. Of course one can learn a good bit over the time span mentioned, but fluency - no way, nope, aint gonna happen.
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gang ah jee



Joined: 14 Jan 2003
Location: city of paper

PostPosted: Sun Jun 15, 2003 2:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
then don't go on and start memorizing the particles


ooo-wee

like an english teacher saying 'don't worry about number and person'

wHoa, i mean we're talking about learning aren't we?
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hojucandy



Joined: 03 Feb 2003
Location: In a better place

PostPosted: Sun Jun 15, 2003 3:46 pm    Post subject: korean lessons Reply with quote

there are various korean lessons available in the seoul area. i don't know about other towns.

the lessons i attend are effectively free (W1,000 donation) and take place at sukdae (sukmyeong women's university) every saturday from 4.30 to 6.30pm. there are beginner's, intermediate and advanced classes. i am in intermediate.

the beginner's class is very easy and yu need only spend 1 or 2 weeks there.

the intermediate class follows a text. when the book is finished they start again. you can join it at any time but sometimes they maybe half way through the book and it may be difficult. we just finished the book this last saturday and next week is a review, then the following saturday we start the book again. so - now is a good time to start the course....

it is a good course. you need to study though. me - i am a grammar geek. i love languages and know a few. my idea of a good read is curling up with a sanskrit grammar textbook.

anyone want directions to finding the classes can PM me and i will tell yu.
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hojucandy



Joined: 03 Feb 2003
Location: In a better place

PostPosted: Mon Jun 16, 2003 2:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

here is the website of the free korean course at sukdae...

http://myhome.naver.com/tartan/

(suggested donation W1,000 for 90 minute lesson)
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Cedar



Joined: 11 Mar 2003
Location: In front of my computer, again.

PostPosted: Mon Jun 16, 2003 3:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I want to give more support to the people who said learn to read hangeul and stay away from romanization.

furthermore, can I just point out to you right now, if an 'a' is by itself with out another vowel, it's the 'ah' sound as in father, every time. the biggest mistake i hear english speakers make is 'a' as in cat in all the Korean words they speak.

I'd like to point out that to most foreigners Korean originally is white noise, so no matter your expectations for learning the language, go easy on yourself for the first couple of months while you try to make it turn from white noise into words.
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indytrucks



Joined: 09 Apr 2003
Location: The Shelf

PostPosted: Mon Jun 16, 2003 4:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'll chime in with my two cents and say learning how to read hangul is the best favour you can do for yourself. It's not difficult; it took me about a day to grasp the basics. Once you learn hangul, getting around and eating in restaurants becomes MUCH easier.

As much as Lonely Planet is a pile of crapo sometimes, I think their Korean phrasebook is a worthwhile puchase.
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kiwiboy_nz_99



Joined: 05 Jul 2003
Location: ...Enlightenment...

PostPosted: Sun Jul 20, 2003 2:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Learning to read hangul in a day? Do you include all the alterations that occur with different consonant combinations? If so, I take my hat off to you ...
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