Korean Job Discussion Forums

[shostahoosier]

Anyone have any recommendations on textbook to learn Korean?

I'm currently looking at "Integrated Korean: Beginning 1", both the textbook and the workbook.

It looks like a lot of universities use this text.

Anyone know of anything better?

[Johnnysak]

I like the Sogang series myself.

[Silk]

I strongly recommend that you get a book that deals with standard Korean, which is usually called polite informal if I remember.

For example: what is your name?

if the text book says : 이름이 무엇입니까? dont buy it

if the text book says : 이름이 뭐에요? then you're good to go

The Survival Korean book by Stephen Revere with a green cover is solid, he also has a follow up grammar book once you get survival korean down.

Korean made easy for beginners by Darakwon publisher is also good to go(dark pink cover with a Korean woman on the front), I'm doing both books for good review and reinforcement. They both come with audio cds.

There is no reason for a beginner to learn formal korean because it's just too dangerous to try and speak korean to elders or superiors in social or work circles, it's best to learn standard korean that you can use with peers and friends, they make the best study/conversation partners anyhow. On top of that, using formal korean to peers will just get you laughed at, and they'll say "no one says that" and then you'll feel very discouraged for having spent time learning it. A lot of the formal korean is only used in writing anyhow.

[Chet Wautlands]

The Active Korean series is pretty good. Study it with a Korean person if you can. It's colourful, simple and useful. I'm on book three now.

Make sure you use what you learn a lot. Repetition is a major part of learning a language.

[bedhead]

Korean Made Easy for Beginners

Check this one out, its the ONLY book you'll need to get on your feet. Good pronunciation, clear, easy, and sloooooow progression.

[Kikomom]

This is supposed to be an excellent introduction to both the country and the language:

[Pwillig]

I like the Integrated Korean books.