Korean Job Discussion Forums

[World Traveler]

Who here has done it? (Or wants to do it?) I will be starting in September. Anything I should know?@@

[jammo]

start the workbook from the first day.

keep fresh tactics for memorising vocab

dont get behind on either of this things as they will build up very quickly

good luck

[Yaya]

If you cannot speak Korean at all, I recommend the Sogang University program to start with as it focuses on communicative Korean. I attended the Yonsei program back in 1994 and couldn't stand it. It's also a ripoff compared to other programs that teach Korean.

[World Traveler]

[zdrav]

It's a lot more expensive than if you took classes at YBM or Pagoda or somewhere similar. Is it worth it? I wouldn't really know, since I was pretty fluent when I attended and mainly went there to meet other Korean speakers.

I had a good time, and my speaking became better due to the fact that I had to do it for hours a day. And I made a lot of friends. But if money's an issue, I don't think it's worth it, especially if you have at least an intermediate level.

[T-J]

[T-J]

To answer the OP, one important factor is how much time you have to devote to studying out of the classroom. Yonsei's program requires about four hours of study outside the classroom to keep up. If you are going to be devoted to studying full time then it's a good program. If you are planning on working or have other commitments that will prevent you from committing that much time then I'd go with a less intense conversation based program.

Another factor is what time frame you are looking to see results in. Programs similar to Sogang's are designed to bring about quick noticeable improvements. Yonsei's program throws too much at you too fast to really synthesis everything to the point you can use it all. A teacher there that co-authored the textbooks explained to me when I voiced this concern that the program is designed to cram the information in and that if you keep up and then continue to review, study, and practice the material then about a year later things will click and your fluency will improve dramatically.

So if you are looking for quick without a strong and broad foundation, or if you are not prepared or able to fully commit then choose another program.

If however you're in for the long haul, want a strong and broad foundation, and are willing and able to commit the time required then I'd recommend Yonsei's KLI.

[World Traveler]

Cool. Thanks for the response. I was beginning to get a bit worried because so many people were telling me that Sogang is better than Yonsei. But you are saying, depending on the circumstances, Yonsei could be better. It is SUPER intensive I've heard.