My desire to learn the Korean language began in March of 2023 with my first viewing of a Kdrama in the original Korean (in this case – What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim).   By the time I had watched ten or so Korean dramas, I found the Korean language, known as hangugeo – 한국어 in Korean, fascinating and wondered how long it would take me to learn it.   Learning Korean would help me better understand Kdramas after all!  Plus, learning a new language would be good for my aging brain.  Now, four months into my Korean language journey, I’ve learned a lot, both in terms of the Korean language, and how to learn it so I thought I would put together – Learning Korean – A Beginners Guide.

Previous Language Learning Experience

My previous forays into learning languages had mixed results.   In eighth grade, I took a semester of Spanish.  Spending four months conjugating verbs was enough to swear me off learning Spanish for years to come.  My Bachelor’s of Science degree in college required two years, or four semesters, of a foreign language.  Out of the language choices at my school, I opted for German (Spanish, of course, was out and French sounded too much like Spanish).

I liked learning German.  There is a logic to the language that as an English speaker, made sense to me.  To this day, I can read German out loud fairly well (understanding is another story) and I can pick out enough slowly spoken German to get the gist of a conversation.  Speaking German is another story.  I can only manage small phrases and my pronunciation is lacking.  I found this out when I tried speaking German to a native in a pub in Cologne and she laughed– but in a nice, at least you tried, kind of way.   Fortunately, she spoke some English.

I sometimes wonder if my German would be better if I had not opted to take my second year of German as a six-week, immersive summer course.    What I remember most of that course involved a lot of extracurricularish activities, like German wine tasting and going on a hike where all conversations had to be in German.  Oh well.  Das ist alles.

Apps For Learning Korean

Today, learning a new language is much more accessible.   Sure, you can still sign up for a class at your local community college or find a place to practice a language with native speakers.  But now, there are apps, shows, movies, YouTube videos, chat rooms . . . you name it.

Once I decided to learn Korean, I realized that learning the alphabet and associated pronunciations first was a priority.  I had already picked up a smattering of words from Kdramas and listening to so much content helped get the sound and cadence of the language in my head.   With a little research, I learned the Korean alphabet has a logical design (hooray for my logical brain!) and does not include many more letters than the English alphabet.

The free site, 90 Day Korean, provides an excellent primer for an English speaker to learn the letters.  It includes how to write and pronounce each letter as well as tricks on how to remember them.  Within a few weeks, I had the majority of the letters down.  Consonants were the easiest to learn, followed by base vowels.  I’m still learning the double vowels.  90 Day Korean also has great articles on things like honorifics, culture and, of course,  Kdrama – The Complete Guide to the World of Korean Dramas (90daykorean.com)

Rocket Korean App

At this point, I wanted to try a language app for learning Korean.  I searched for apps, read reviews, consulted with my husband (who had used many apps while learning Spanish), and completed a few free app trials.  I selected Rocket Korean first, opting for the lifetime purchase when given the option for a discount after the trial.  Rocket Korean includes audio lessons, grammar, pronunciation, spelling, quizzes, and cultural sections.  I find the voices in the audio sections pleasant to listen to and I like that there are different types of quizzes.

Within a few weeks, I could not only remember phrases I learned from the app, but I could recognize them when spoken in Kdramas.  The first time this happened, I sat watching an episode of Mr. Queen and recognized the phrase “oraenmanieyo” (오랜만이에요) or “long time no see” spoken by the Queen (modern day chef, Jang Bong-won, in the body of the Queen Cheorin) to the King’s concubine, Jo Hwa-jin.  I realized two things in that moment:  1) that I knew what she asked and 2) that it was funny!  It was such a modern phrase to say and totally in character with Chef Bong-won.  I do find that I have to do lessons over and over again for things sink in.  I don’t think I’m a super-fast learner, but I am determined!

Drops Korean App

While Rocket Korean is great for many things, it’s not all that great for learning vocabulary fast.  I picked up the app, Drops, for vocabulary and do the free five minutes every day.  There is a lot of repetition with drops but for someone like me, I need a lot of repetition.  After three weeks of doing Drops daily, I can already pick out more words from Korean dramas – and even better, the words are starting to sink into my subconscious.

One day after having lunch at Inn and Out Burger, I walked into the restroom and the word “hwajangsil” (화장실) from my vocab popped into my head.  I nearly cried when I realized that the Korean word for “toilet/restroom” had found its way through my subconscious in a relevant moment.  My hard work learning Korean was paying off!

Listen to Kpop and Kdrama Songs

My Kdrama playlist grows with each new Kdrama I watch.  Some OSTs I listen to over and over again (primarily as I’m driving to and fro in my car) and have slowly been able to sing to a few of them.  I also like to check out songs and music videos from the many of the Kpop groups – a lot of whom have Kdrama stars as members.  One of my favorite things to do is study the lyrics of songs and see how much I can understand.  (Current answer – not much.)

Watch Kdramas!

The other big thing I do to learn Korean is — watch Kdramas!  I always watch in the native Korean with English subtitles turned on.  Maybe someday, I won’t have to do that anymore – like in eight years when I might be somewhat fluent.  Considering that back in March, the only Korean word I knew was “ramen” and now I know the alphabet, whole phrases, a bunch of words, and can recognize a small amount of what is being said in Kdramas, I think I’m doing pretty well.  Naturally, I wish for the potion from John Carter of Mars that would let me understand and speak Korean perfectly, but until then – my Korean language journey is just getting started!

Learning Korean Continues

As I continue to learn Korean, I hope to become even more versed in the language.  At some point, dare I try to watch a Kdrama without English subtitles?  Hm…  Maybe I’ll stick with short YouTube videos, or a Korean kids show.  Anyone know a good one for say, two-year-olds?