Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Marcilla]

you guys know where would be a good place to get a korean textbook designed for english speakers to learn korean out of? It has to come with an audio program too if possible

I'm pretty much at zero atm, I can read hangul and know some really basic vocab/grammar but I might as well redo that stuff if I start a new textbook

[tomato]

Marcilla, I have a few Korean textbooks which I bought from Amazon.
I studied the first few chapters in each one, but then I got sidetracked.

If you insist, I'll list a few of them, but I have come across more productive and enjoyable ways to learn Korean:

�� study a third language

A few times, I have enrolled in Japanese class in a local language school. Korean Japanese teachers spend half the time speaking Korean, just like Korean English teachers do.
That way, you get two languages for the price of one.

It sounds difficult, but it's not.
The first words in the Japanese book will correlate with the first words which you learned in Korean.
Those Korean words which you have to look up will help fill in any important gaps.

The down side is that foreign language courses in Korea tend to go way too fast.
I usually compensated for this by enrolling in a less advanced class every few months, thereby flunking myself.

�� study Korean sign language

I recommend Korean sign language classes over Korean classes.
A Korean language teacher will speak English most of the time.
In a Korean sign language class, on the other hand, all the other students will be Korean.
So you will be automatically immersed.

Moreover, you will get most of the benefits which are claimed for Total Physical Response (TPR).

Moreover, you might someday have occasion to communicate with a Korean deaf mute.

Like Japanese classes, Korean sign language classes are too fast for me. I finish the introductory course this month, but I won't bother taking the test.
Rather, I'll sign up again next month and hope I can pass the test the second time.

�� take music classes

If you're lucky, you could find a local instrumental music class.
I found a danso (Korean bamboo flute) class in Hongseong and an ocarina class in Cheongju.

If you already have musical skills, and if you study a few Korean musical terms, you should be able to keep up.

�� study Korean songs

I am fond of looking through Korean song books and seeing how many of the songs I can understand.
I like the kiddy songs because they are the easiest, but I seem to be unusual in that regard.

One time I ate pizza at a pizza shop where the cook's child was interested in taking music lessons.
I got the cook to agree to a weekly pizza in exchange for a weekly music lesson for her child.

�� volunteer

For a while, I taught a weekly recorder class at an orphanage.
I also gave a weekly sign language class at another orphanage.

It doesn't have to be either of those subjects.
It could be 'most anything.
The kids in an orphanage are so hungry for adult attention,
they will learn anything you want to teach them.

One disadvantage, though: a group of kids in an orphanage is difficult to manage.

�� read kiddy books at the local library

Here's a good one if you like kids.
On weekends, I sometimes go to the children's room in the Suweon library and see how many picture books I can read.
Sometimes, I attract an audience.
Of course, I am only reading very simple books, but it is rare to see a foreigner who can read any Korean.
When kids gather around me, I go over the books I've already read and read them to the kids in English.

Occasionally I find a book which is good for English class.
In that case, I check the book out, run the pictures through my scanner, and read my translation in English class.

�� pursue any other interest

I mention music and other foreign languages, but that is only because those happen to be my interests.
Korea has all kinds of informal schools meeting all kinds of interests.

I knew some foreign teachers who attended hapkido class and seemed to do quite well.
I don't go for physical exercise very much because I'm old and worn out.

Or am I old and worn out because I don't go for physical exercise?

[Son Deureo!]

Tomato has some interesting methods, and there is definitely something to be said for finding activities you enjoy doing via your target language.

I also got my start the old fashioned way, with textbooks and a dictionary. I liked Elementary Korean, and its sequel Continuing Korean by Ross King. Here's a link:http://www.whatthebook.com/book/0804836140?. This book is very thorough, with easy to understand explanations and a lot of written exercises. Some people don't like its no-nonsense approach and lack of pretty pictures, but it does what it tries to do very well IMHO.



You should also check out the Sogang University web site ([url]korean.sogang.ac.kr[/url]), which is a great free resource that will teach you Korean up to an intermediate level with cartoons and games.

Mithridates also has a good page with great tips for Korean learners at w[url]ww.cyworld.com/mithridates[/url], his focus is on learning Korean through music, particularly the kickass K-rock band Jaurim.

A good supplement as a vocabulary builder is the unexcitingly titled Handbook of Korean Vocabulary: A Resource for Word Recognition and Comprehension. This book breaks down thousands of Korean words to their root syllables. Learning to recognise root syllables (even if you can't read the Chinese characters they come from) makes remembering and learning new words from context much easier.

That should be enough to keep you busy for a while. Good luck!

[SPINOZA]

by Stephen Revere. Has accompanying CD and I got mine from Kyobo, Gwanghwamun, downtown Seoul. Has survival phrases and grammar.

[ilovebdt]

I would also recommend Teach Yourself Korean also available from Whatthebook

[Marcilla]

haha, I guess I could take a japanese class

I'm pretty fluent in japanese, so that'd either work out really well or not at all

you know of any near �� ��?

[Marcilla]

actually I think that taking a japanese class where I can understand any korean equivalents to the japanese would just be an exercise in tooting my own horn..

conversation in japanese:
teacher:
What is your name?

me: I'm Marcilla

Teacher: Very good!

me:To tell you the truth, the only reason I'm here is to try and study Korean..

I'll check out those websites you linked to, you big helpful hairy man

[Hater Depot]

I would recommend buying a Korean textbook written in Japanese. And if buy Elementary Korean make sure to get the 2004 edition, which is updated and includes an audio CD for the end-of-chapter exercises.

The handbook of Korean grammar can be a good reference. I also recommend the textbooks published for Sogang's Korean classes, they are quite good even if you don't attend the class. I'm not sure where to buy them though, I got them as hand-me-downs.

[Whitey Otez]

I found a book called "Roadmap To Korean" to be a most excellent read, but it's more of an answer to a lot of the "why" questions that come up.

You may go on youtube.com and search for Korean Lessons and get some 40 episodes of "Let's Learn Korean." They're about 15 minutes each. I got distracted and started scanning for movies of people lighting their farts after the first few.

There's also "Korean For Freigners" that assumes you can read already, but after the first several chapters, 90% of us fizzle out. Learn with a friend.

[Son Deureo!]