Korean is a remarkable and exciting language to sit and learn, and the Koreas, both North and South, are frequently the topics of today’s world headlines, South Korea for developing into an financial and technological powerhouse and North Korea, of course, for its controversial political structure, making Korean quite a relevant language to educate yourself about. Discovering the Korean language may look tricky when first approached, because of its unfamiliar written characters. If you go along with the 3 techniques discussed below, however, you should have absolutely no trouble whatsoever getting the hang of this intriguing and increasingly important language.
Step One: Study the Alphabet
At first, the Korean language looks very difficult to master, but it really is not. Its entire alphabet is made up of 14 consonants, 10 vowels and 11 diphthongs. Diphthongs, for those who do not know, are sounds created when two vowels are combined, for instance the “oi” in the English term “boil.” Altogether, that’s just 35 characters that you have to learn, as opposed to a language like Chinese where you need to learn thousands of characters.
In addition, while the characters of the Korean alphabet look very different than the letters used in English, they sound very much the same, which makes learning to read them fairly simple. So, your first task is to learn the pronunciation of the Korean alphabet.
Step Two: Learning Korean Grammar
There is much disagreement between linguists in regards to the significance, or lack thereof, associated with mastering grammar when studying a second language; many say it is important, others highlight the fact that wholly uneducated native speakers of a language are able to converse without comprehending their own grammar. With regards to studying Korean, though, trust me, it is necessary to grasp the grammar. One reason is because Korean sentence structure is so different than the sentence structure we use in English, and attempting to make sense of Korean by using what you feel are natural sentence patterns is a formula for failure and disappointment.
Another good reason is because Korean grammar structures are incredibly uncomplicated and logical, a result of the whole language being created by a small group of scholars, as opposed to other languages that have developed and evolved over many years-not always in straightforward and sensible ways. So, as soon as you master the Korean alphabet, acquire a good understanding of Korean sentence structure.
Step 3: Learning to Communicate Naturally
Naturally, the aim of learning a language is to be able to communicate verbally in your target language, and there is no better way to achieve that than to speak to native speakers. You could drop by Korea, if you have the time and resources, but most of us do not, so Let me recommend some more practical options. First, there are various Korean language-learning software applications that contain recordings of native Korean speakers. These types of programs are a good place to start. In addition, you can search out and retain the services of a Korean tutor. This can be a fantastic solution for individuals who reside in larger cities that have large Korean populations. Lastly, it is easy to take part in an Online language exchange. Just visit a language-learning discussion board and find someone to talk with; you teach him or her English, and he or she teaches you Korean. I recommend that you use the totally free communication software Skype for these types of lessons.
Conclusion
The Korean language is interesting and fun to educate yourself about, and it is getting increasingly relevant as we move further into the 21st century. It can be a complicated language to understand, or a simple and easy language to understand, depending on your own language learning strategy. To have a successful learning experience, first master the Korean alphabet. Then progress to mastering sentence structure, and, lastly, perfect your speaking by practicing with a native speaker.
All the best, and enjoy your new language learning experience.
Come learn the Korean Alphabet at the Live In Asia Blog’s FREE Korean Class.
You can also stop by and learn how to master Korean Grammar!