Korean Job Discussion Forums

[plato's republic]

Well I guess it's about time I knuckled down and made the effort to study some Korean. So with that in mind, can anyone recommend a good Korean study book, preferably for a beginner and one that includes Hangul?
Also, can anyone recommend a good, not too expensive school somewhere in Incheon/Seoul where I can take lessons once a week (only weekends)?

All and any help greatly appreciated.

[d503]

umm i think the Ross King ELementary korean book is generally recognized as one of the best. It starts you at zero and works from there

it is geared towards working on your own with classroom speaking

umm i take classes at KLA in gangnam, but they aren't cheap

If you are really ready to start learning get a language exchange partner and work the book with them

[Daechidong Waygookin]

Books are boring. Get an MP3 player, find some songs you like, print out the lyrics, figure tem out and then listen, listen, listen.

[red dog]

Where's KLA in Gangnam? How expensive is it?

[mithridates]

http://korea.wikicities.com/wiki/Other_resources_for_learning_Korean

Here's some good stuff. DW is right. As long as you have the basic grammar down and can figure out sentences by yourself, then music and whatnot is better. You should also get a Cyworld page.

[Daechidong Waygookin]

[plato's republic]

Well I haven't been in the country long so I'm a complete beginner as far as speaking Korean goes. I would need to start from scratch. Can I buy that book at any bookstore or would somewhere like Kyobo be best?

Yeah, I guess the language exchange partner thing could work, but not sure how seriously some people take that. If I start to study the language, I'd like to make a serious crack at it.

Thanks guys!

[d503]

http://www.seoul-kla.com/eng/main_00.htm
that's the link to KLA I do the night classes and it is 240000 a month
I think that they list all the prices under application or application information I forget which.

[Son Deureo!]

It sounds like the OP isn't ready to start studying from pop songs yet, but after knocking off a textbook or two he may be ready for that. Comic books and kid's books are great real world resources to pick up Korean from once your ready for it.

In the meantime, try the following:

I second the recommendation of Ross King's Elementary Korean and its sequel Continuing Korean. I was also lucky enough to meet Dr. King a while ago, and he says that a third part to the series is on the way.

Some other quality materials are the Sogang website: http://korean.sogang.ac.kr/ (registration is free)

and the unexcitingly named Handbook of Korean Vocabulary by Miho Choo and William O'Grady, which is a reference guide for hanja and native Korean roots. It doesn't sound exciting now, but trust me, flipping through this book ten minutes a day will make Korean vocab make a lot more sense to you, and therefore easier to remember. Here's the amazon intro, with a bit more info(it's available for half the price at Kyobo, though): http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0824818156/ref=pd_ys_ir_all_2/104-8053569-2767151?v=glance&s=books

Hangeul Kongbubang also offers almost free Korean classes (W1000 per lesson) on Saturday afternoons, 4:30-6 p.m. The classes are near Sookmyoung Women's University station, here's a map:



Go here for there website: http://myhome.naver.com/tartan/menu12.html

[Qinella]

[Chillin' Villain]

[red dog]

[Derrek]

I have been to KLA in Kangnam twice -- about a month each time. I felt the classes moved too fast for me, and were geared more towards Japanese students, who can pick it up more easily. To keep pace, you should put in a minimum of 2 hours of your own study per day, I feel. Three is best.

[Universalis]

[crazylemongirl]

I do evening classes at seoul national university. I would highly recommend them. They concentrate on listening, speaking, reading and writing.

A little pricey but they've really made a difference. Also a good way to meet other foreigners that aren't english teachers!