안녕하세요 여러분! Hello everyone!
Today I plan to walk you through the way I've been learning Korean on my own.
After I share my tips, I'll link a ton of resources! This post is going to be long, but I promise it'll be helpful.
Before we get
started started, here's a little bonus category!
| BENEFITS OF KPOP WHEN LEARNING KOREAN |
You'll notice that some of these tips have to do with music or videos, so let me explain!
Kpop is simply Korean music, but I include shows and videos from the idols and actors and such as well. (If you have any questions about kpop or want to no more I will literally have no problem going into a full-fledged speech about it, so just comment!)
It's a huge way I practice reading and hearing Korean. It's something I enjoy so it barely feels like I'm studying!
You get to hear how words are pronounced and flow when the idols speak
Whether intentional or not, you're practicing recognizing words when you hear an idol say a word/sentence and you know what it is/means
Reading the subtitles/text on the screen improves your reading skills as well as its speed
| READING |
My number one tip to you today: DEDICATE YOUR ENTIRE LIFE, SOUL, AND BEING TO MASTERING HANGUL. When know Hangul like the back of your hand and like you now your native language's alphabet, you've succeed.
Until you get to that level, don't stop. Before you try learning any vocab or grammar, LEARN HANGUL. Imagine if you never learned how to read or write in your native language when you were young. How far would you get with the words, phrases, and sentence you had mastered? Not very, right?
I can't stress it enough: put everything you have into mastering Hangul. Without it, your Korean language journey is next to pointless.
Romanization is your enemy in learning Korean, except in one circumstance: when you need to make sure you're pronouncing a word correctly.
With t-stops, silent characters, and other grammar rules, it can get a little confusing when the word is spelled a certain way and pronounced differently.
Just like in English, some words you just have to learn how to pronounce, and know but leave the grammar behind.
DO NOT use Romanization to learn Korean. That's what Hangul is for. That'd be like someone who natively speaks Korean trying to learn English using Hangul, and not the English alphabet.
Leaving Romanization behind will help improve your pronunciation because it fights your native speaking habits, and forces you to remember and use the Hangul you learned.
Your best bet is to leave it completely behind. The first thing you should do, like I said, is to absolutely MASTER Hangul, so once you do that, what do you need Romanization for (besides pronunciation verification)?
When you watch your variety shows, dramas, or just videos from your idols, read anything on the screen that's in Hangul!
It will help improve how fast you can read as well as your reading skills all together. While you're at it, try and see if you recognize any words!
Also, listen to the people in the video pronounce the words if it's subbing what they're saying. If not, just read the little blurbs of Korean on the screen and see if you know what they mean or heard them before!
Even try reading out loud to practice speaking!
Reading lyrics benefits you and aids your practicing in the same ways as above. I like to think that this is more fun, no?
It gets you one step closer to knowing what the song means and actually being able to pronounce the words correctly when you sing along! (I know I'm not the only one who creates their own words...)
However, keep in mind that there are bound to be mistakes, so don't take them to heart just yet until you verify with a native speaker or are on a level where you can pick out mistakes and correct them within yourself.
One thing I find frustrating is how long it takes me to read Hangul. Like I can, it just takes me way longer than it does when I read English or Spanish (naturally).
If you're the same, don't be discouraged! Use it as fuel to become faster. Read, read, and read some more Hangul. That's the only way you'll get better, faster, and more accurate at reading it.
| WRITING |
It'll take you a while to memorize the keyboard, but honestly that's not what it's about. The point of having the keyboard is so you get in the habit of typing in Korean, and have another way to practice without having to go old school and write.
I have this picture bookmarked on my computer, so whenever I go to type something in Korean, I can refer to it instead of doing trial and error trying to find the right keys.
No matter the language, one wants sucky handwriting. Though we live in a world where type more than write, practice your Korean handwriting by making flashcards for vocabulary, when taking notes on Korean, and even just find something written in Hangul and copy words.
With a language like Korean with its own alphabet, it's almost as if you're going back to Kindergarten learning how to write in your native language.
| MISC |
This is the only reason I check my email.
Everyday, Koreanclass101.com gives you a word. I make flashcards for each month and study them by saying the word out loud and then identifying the meaning. On the front is the word in Hangul, and on the back is Romanization (for pronunciation purposes) and the meaning in English.
This is a great way to practice reading, speaking, and building your vocabulary!
A native speaker is ideal, but if you're self-teaching, chances are the reason is because you don't have access to one. That's perfectly okay though! You can still practice speaking by just talking to yourself or no one in particular.
For me, if there ever comes a chance I can use a word/sentence/phrase in Korean, I say it instead. Sure, people might think I'm crazy, but it's not about them. Practicing speaking is such a vital part of becoming fluent in a language. I also randomly say words I know just so I don't forget them!
| RESOURCES |
APPS
-Practice the basic 24 Hangul characters, as well as dipthongs and double consonants.
-Very straightforward, basic quiz app that lets you easily practice
-I believe this app helped me read at the medium pace I do today
-Includes lists of simple and common phrases, but it would be more effective if you make flashcards for them. I think there's a quiz feature, but I didn't have the app long enough to know.
WEBSITES
This site is brilliant! The first unit teaches Hangul and pronunciation, then the next few go through grammar and vocabulary.
The best thing about this site is the audio files attached so you can hear how syllables, characters, and such are pronounced!
I recommend taking notes on the lessons and downloading the PDF ones they have available! There are some great tips on here that have really improved my Korean. I'd definitely give it a go!
BOOKS
I thank tumblr user thestudyzone every single day for posting about Korean From Zero, because I'd actually be lost without it.
Korean From Zero not only teaches you Hangul at the beginning, but it has lessons on numbers, useful phrases, and GRAMMAR!
I haven't dived too deeply into it yet, but from what I've learned and took notes on, I couldn't live without. This book has taught me things about Korean pronunciation and grammar I would've never learned without a teacher or native speaker (both of which I don't have access to).
Korean From Zero is such an incredible tool for beginners. I highly recommend downloading, reading, and taking notes on it.
My favorite thing about these books is their format! At the beginning of the lessons, they have little comics with dialogue in Hangul I read these and write down words I recognize the meaning of.
Their lessons are very short and to the point, which I love. Also included are practices. I really like these books!
VIDEOS
I owe my entire life to these videos. This is the way I learned Hangul, and I wouldn't suggest you learn any other way. This series is the absolute BEST.
A native speaker is teaching and pronouncing all of the characters, so you really get a feel for how you should be saying them. Example sentences and words are included, as well! I recommend these videos because they were simple, easy to follow, and not overwhelming in the slightest. Also, the teacher was very encouraging!
I'm thankful everyday that I found those videos, I wouldn't have wanted to learn Hangul any other way.
After learning Hangul through them, I watched their
mini series on pronunciation and took notes on what they said! I took these videos to heart; the tips they give made my Korean 1,000% better.
After you master the 24 basic Hangul characters, move on to double consonants and dipthongs! These really intimidated me at first, and I was very reluctant to learn them.
Thankfully, I found another set of videos that crushed my anxiety towards them and made learning them a snap. Professor Oh is the actual cutest thing on Earth, and her videos are almost too easy to follow, as well as extremely encouraging.
I HIGHLY recommend learning double consonants and dipthongs this way.
Click around their channel to find playlists you want to learn vocabulary from! Some of them include basic Korean, holiday words, weekly words, etc., just look around!
- SweetandTasty's (Professor Oh) videos
| OTHER |
Something I find really helpful is searching up videos on how other people are learning Korean, and more importantly, common mistakes people make! I love those types of videos so I know what NOT to do. Here are my 2 favorites that I've found:
Also, I track the tags "
Hangul" and "
Korean language" on Tumblr, and in those tags I find mostly vocabulary. Beware, there could be mistakes! Verify with a native speaker if you can or do your research before you go and learn the information by heart. I use these tags to expose myself to more words, mostly.
Before you go, know the title's a bit misleading...I really shouldn't say
free. Though I'm not buying anything through my method, I am giving up a considerable amount of time to study and practice, and I hope you do, too. If you're really committed to learning, you've got to put the time and effort in.
That's all I've got! Thank you so much for reading all of that (if you did)! If you have any questions or anything to add, please comment! Until next time!
I was super intrigued by this bag, and I read it on the way home while roasting in the ridiculous South Carolina heat. 
That's all I've got for you guys. Have you picked up any new books lately? If so, what were they? Also, what's the weather like where you are? Until next time!
