How I learn Korean pt.2

Hey everyoneee! *still haven’t worked on an intro* but we’re good😂

Today, we’re continuing the series, “How I learn Korean”. The last post I talked about the first thing you should do before learning Korean which is to learn Hangul. Now, I’ll tell you the links, sites and materials I use in learning Hangul and Korean, in general.

But first, let’s clear out something.

People think to learn a new language will cost them a lot of time and money which is actually 50% true. Yes, learning a new language takes time and full on dedication but it doesn’t cost you a lot of money especially if you’re just learning for fun at your own pace. There are so many available media online which you can use to learn literally every language and the majority of them are FREE!

I do not advise paying for classes, online tutors or textbooks if you are only learning the language as a means to occupy your time or for fun. If it’s something serious, like your work or school demands it then yes totally!

I learn Korean with time and data being my only cost. I make use of various available materials online and I’ve decided to share the ones that have been very helpful to me✨

Miss Vicky

Miss Vicky on YT was of really great help to me when I first started learning Korean. I learned how the Hangul alphabets using her video (Click here) and in 30 minutes, I understood Hangul and how to read Korean words. She’s very detailed and patient, she goes back every few minutes to revise what she has taught so far and that way it sticks.

Another great thing she does is she does these daily vlogs where she gives apartment tours and details of her week so every object or place she shows, she says it in Korean and writes it on the screen together with the English word. That way, you can learn everyday words like 현관- Front door, 가방- bag, 커피- coffee etc.

She also does Live classes, Quizzes , Beginner Phrases, Pronounciation tips and so many other kinds of videos that can make learning Korean easier.

Her channel has been super super helpful!

Talk To Me In Korean (TTMIK)

TTMIK are honestly the best. All you have to do is create an account with them and gbam! So much Korean knowledge literally at your fingertips.

They have a range of classes for whatever level of Korean you think you’re in; beginners, intermediate or advanced. They also have premium classes for people who sign up for premium services which are sample dialogue videos, comprehension quizzes, downloadable notes, etc.

Like i advices earlier, I stuck with the Essential courses because I know that I’m not learning Korean extensively but you’re really really studying Korean then you should try looking at their premium courses.

The classes which are usually held by Hyunwoo and Kyeong-eun are usually very fun and straightforward. They also have the notes so you can read along as you listen to them. They try to use numerous examples before ending every lesson. I really recommend their classes✨

Learn Korean! with BTS

This is content exclusive to ARMYs cause I see now reason why you would be in BTS’s Weverse if you’re not an Army and I don’t think they make these short clips available anywhere else so…

To be honest, I watch these videos for fun because they’re just too cute but it’s also helpful if you’re just beginning to learn Korean. The clips are really short (<5minutes) but it can definitely help especially with pronunciation since they always include examples of the members using the particular word or phrase.

Papago

Papago has been a blessing to be honest. I first heard of this app through JK. During one of his lives, he used it to translate a Korean word to English when he was trying to speak to International Armys. I’m not really fond of using apps to learn because they’re not always what I expect. I even tried Duolingo but I just wasn’t feeling it. Papago on the otherhand, has been really great.

The translations are very accurate (100% better than Google). They give you the option of also honorific translations which is used to speak to people older than you, strangers or people you should respect. They provide the romanized versions which you can use to practice pronouncing the words and you can click the speaker (🔊) sign your listen to the AI.

Another feature I like is, when you highlight a word, they give you more information about it just like in actual dictionaries. That way you’re able to learn more than what you came for.

They also have a Phrasebook and Word Cards which you can also use on a daily basis. Sometimes when I’m too busy for Hangul classes, I just open the app and go through the Word Cards. I’m able to learn a bunch of new words just from sitting in the bus or even while working.

Papago is a very useful app and it’s not only for Korean alone. There’s a range of other languages as well.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention. You can use Papago to translate a picture, book or voice.

It also has a Website Translate feature where it can translate an entire site. Just copy and paste the link and it’ll take you straight there and translate it to the language you want.

Recently, they added 보라해 to their vocabulary. 보라해 which isn’t an actual word but a word coined by Taehyung and is regularly used by only BTS and Armys.

These 4 are the means I consistently use to learn Korean. I say consistently because I have also tried other sites and apps but to me, these are the most convenient. There are also other nice YouTube channels that teach Korean as well. YouTube recommend several to me and they’re actually okay. You can also try watching regular YouTube channels run by Koreans. Most of them, for the sake of international viewers, include subtitles in their videos so if you like DIYs, Animal watching, Video games, literally anything, then try searching for the ones uploaded by Koreans. This goes for other languages as well. Your brain will capture what you regularly feed it.

This concludes today’s post. Phew! My fingers hurt 😂. I want to make sure I write everything down now so I don’t forget somethings later. I hope this has been of great help to you.

Are you learning a language? Or have you ever tried learning one? What medium do you use and which has proven the most useful to you?

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