Learning a new language can feel very daunting because all you can think about is how much you need to learn, but you just don’t know any Korean at all. If you are like me, you would have picked up few words from binge-ing on Korean dramas such as 진짜? (jjinja?!) 아 왜? (ah wae?!) and 사랑해 (saranghae). But let’s face it, those three words are just not enough to master the Korean language. So, let’s have a look at a few things that will help you in your journey of learning Korean.
You can also check out this article on “How long does it take to learn Korean“.
1. Have the right mindset.
The most important thing is your mindset. Learning a language (and in fact any skill), is a never-ending process. Do not expect to study for a year and suddenly expect to be a master in Korean. It takes time, so just accept it. Think about the reasons why you want to study Korean. Are you planning to study or work in Korea or are you just a huge K-pop and K-drama fan and want to be able to understand the language without any subtitles. Your learning approach will be different depending on your reason to learn the language. It is important that you do not put too much pressure on yourself and expect to see the results straight away. It’s like going to the gym, you don’t get your dream body after three workouts. It takes time and being consistent.
2. Make a plan
Think about how much time YOU can dedicate to learning Korean and then set yourself smaller goals that are achievable. Remember, this is going to be a long process, so you want to make sure that you keep it challenging so that you improve, but at the same time not too difficult that you become discouraged and stop studying altogether. On every Sunday evening, write down all that you wish to accomplish in the following week. We all have other things we need to do, whether it is studying for school or working, so think about how much time realistically you can spend studying Korean. Trust me, even 10 minutes a day will add up over the course of time. Consistency is the key.
3. Learn Hangul, the Korean alphabet system
I have had quite a few people asking me why they need to learn the Korean alphabet system. While I understand to a certain extent why they think they don’t need to learn it if they just want to SPEAK Korean, I do not recommend it. Firstly, the whole pronunciation of Korean is based on Hangul and understanding what sound each Korean letter makes, will help to improve your pronunciation. Secondly, not learning Hangul will eventually limit your understanding of the language as well as your abilities to speak it.
It might look intimidating at first, but it definitely isn’t as hard as it looks. According to King Sejong the Great (inventor of Hangul)…
“A wise man could acquaint himself with them before the morning was over; a stupid man could learn them in the space of ten days”
KinG SEJONG THE GREAT
Well, maybe this is a bit harsh from King Sejong, but Hangul is definitely easier to learn than it looks! It might take a little bit of work at the beginning but trust me, it will help you along your journey of learning Korean.
You can check out this post about Hangul.
Hangul consists of 24 letters in total, 10 vowels and 14 consonants. There is a deeper meaning behind the shape of these letters. Consonants are based on the shape the mouth makes in order to produce the relevant sound. The vowels can use three different symbols with each symbol representing something. A dot, (–) represents the sun, horizontal line (ㅡ) represents the Earth, and (ㅣ) representing the humans that connect the earth and the sun.
4. Learn the most common phrases and greetings
Once you have mastered Hangul, you can move on to learn some of the most common phrases in Korean. These are phrases such as “Hello” , “Thank you” , “Goodbye” “Excuse me”, “Yes” and “No”. Check out the links below to find out how to say these phrases in Korean.
5. Learn the most common Korean words
In order to be able to make sentences, you should first learn some most common Korean words. The wider your vocabulary is, the easier it will be making your own sentences. I know that learning vocabulary can be quite boring, but you can always come up with ways to make it fun! In fact, I have learned most of the vocabulary just by watching K-dramas! I have also picked up quite few words by listening to Korean songs. The more you listen to a song the more you start recognising certain words. You can also label things in your house or write a set of vocabulary on a piece of paper and stick them on your wall. There are plenty of ways to make learning more fun so have a think about what works for you the best.
6. Learn Korean sentence structure
Now that you know some of the most common Korean words, you can start looking at the structure of Korean sentences. In Korean, the verb or adjective will be placed at the end of the sentence. Again, if you are anything like me and are into Korean dramas, you can try to listen for the simple sentences and improve your understanding through context.
7. Practice, practice, practice
I must be really honest here with you and say that it is no use to learn words that you are not going to use. If you do not use what you have learned, you will easily forget it. When I first started learning Korean, I have not had any Korean friends I could practice with. However, that did not stop me. I was talking to myself out loud in Korean whenever I could. I didn’t care if I was 100% grammatically correct or not, I just kept trying to make sentences with the new conjugation I have just learned or the new words I have just learned. Your memory needs this exercise to make a link of what you have just learned in order for you to remember it and be able to remember that information later when you need it. So, practice in any way you can, speaking out loud, listening to music, writing down sentences, basically anything you can think of. The more different types of ways to use to practice a certain word or a phrase, the faster your brain remembers.