Korean Job Discussion Forums

[klipspringer5]

I want to learn Korean to a fairly high standard and as quickly as is reasonable. I've started with Sogang's on-line lessons as well as conversational practice with Koreans. In fact, while I do most of my work in English, all of the people I know in Korea are Korean, and only one speaks English at even a moderately conversational level. Even so, I know I learn much better in a structured classroom environment, and want to take some serious, probably university, classes. I'd also like to be able to shift from my current C-3 visa to a D-4, extending at least a little the amount of time I have before I have to leave the country. With all that in mind:

a) Since I'm around Koreans so much, is an intensive course (such as Sogang, Ewha, or Yonsei) a good use of my time and money? Or would a cheaper course with fewer hours make more sense (e.g. Ewha's "regular", 72-hour course) since I could get practice outside of class time?

b) Is there another option (that will impose structure and discipline upon me) that could take advantage of my proximity to native speakers?

c)There's a lot of really good info in the FAQ about Sogang and Yonsei, and the concensus seems to be that Sogang, Yonsei, and Ewha are the top three... However, I haven't found many details about the pros and cons of Ewha nor how it compares to the other two. Can anyone elaborate on that?

d) Are there any other, cheaper and/or shorter courses of decent quality that will still qualify me for a D-4 visa?


Thank you

[crazylemongirl]

A programme that doesn't get as much credit is Seoul National University. I really enjoyed their evening courses and I suspect the day-time ones are even better. Seou's programme focuses on practical Korean, you are learning it more how it is spoken in everyday useage rather than confusing with grammar that isn't used as often.

Yonsei has a somewhat well-deserved reputation for being more focused on grammar and uses forms of speech not used in every-day life. Seogang tends to be more communicative-based language teaching.

As for native speakers, language exchanges tend to be the best way if you find someone who is serious about doing their half of the bargin. I would get an teaching, english or japanese (or really any foreign language) major to do the exchange as they tend to have a better idea of language acquisition.