Learning a new language can be agreat experience e difficult at the same time, especially if you decide to get it from self-taught - and if you choose a language like Japanese, Chinese or Korean. Months ago, taken by boredom and curiosity, I decided to catapult myself into this masterful enterprise and try to learn Korean on her own.
I said to myself, to myself: “Come on, you understand the language a bit with all those damn TV series you watch every day. Then, as if that weren't enough, you also threw yourself into music and K-Pop so, what will it ever be? "
My dear friends, the undertaking was - and still is - very difficult but with steadiness, some little hysterical crying e determination, we will be able to do it. The advice I will give you can be applied more or less ad any language, both western and eastern. The fundamentals remain those: steadiness, commitment e practice. The only difference is the apps, but now we see everything calmly and together.
Self-taught Korean? It can be done!
Let's start with the basics: First you need to motivation e desire to learn. Know that learning a new language is not easy, especially if it is an oriental language. Why am I saying this? Because we have to deal with an alphabet completely different from ours, characterized by strange signs, precise movements and other difficulties.
I decided to learn Korean because I have been in the Korean language for years now world of kdrama and oriental music. Over time I realized that I really liked these new sounds and at some point some of them I also recognized.
Learning a language, for me who have followed language studies, is a beautiful thing. So I rolled up my sleeves and started researching the internet.
One of the main disadvantages, in regards to the use of dedicated apps, is that Korean - as well as Chinese or Japanese - there are no in Italian. Let me explain: if you want to learn one of these languages, you obviously want to do it in the "Italian-Korean" mode. Here, unfortunately, these oriental languages are still far away and only available in the "English-Korean" mode.
So if, like me, you chew English well, you won't have any problems with these apps. If, on the other hand, you prefer to learn a new language starting fromItalian, you can skip the applications section and go to the next one, where we will talk about books and TV series.
Duolingo, the best application out there?
There are applications for learning Korean really many. You have no idea how many times he clicked “install / uninstall” over the months. But if I had to recommend the app that I have never uninstalled and that it has never let me down, I would name without a doubt Duolingo.
Of course you have to set the phone in English, so that it can offer you the possibility to learn Korean - unfortunately the language, as we said before, is not available in those that you can learn if you are Italian mother tongue.
I have always appreciated this application, both for theminimal look that for what it offers. The first thing I recommend to learn a new Oriental language, in this case Korean, is to learn the alphabet perfectly. In a certain sense it must become like the Hail Mary.
The alphabet in question is called hangul (한글) and the Korean script, unlike the Chinese or Japanese, is not characterized by the use of ideograms but uses a phonetic alphabet, in which each symbol corresponds to a sound. My advice is to lend pay attention to each of them and to learn them best.
Once you get over the hangul problem, the rest will be much easier. The mistake people often make is to rely on the Romanization System or write their own next to each letter of the alphabet specific sound with our alphabet, to feel more at home.
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For example, this symbolㅏrepresents the A and is therefore a vowel. Avoid doing what I did a little while ago, because what you have to be able to do is recognize immediately if that symbol is a consonant, a vowel and which one. This way, when you start reading, you will be able to do it with much easier.
An interesting aspect of Duolingo is precisely this, the app offers in fact numerous lessons on the alphabet. Lessons on consonants, vowels and then on the various combinations in syllabic groups. Duolingo also offers a lot of listening aids.
By clicking on each symbol - let's call them that to simplify - the app will tell us the way it reads. In the long run this system will help us distinguish the various sounds, particularly because many look alike. As new sections unlock, we come to certain checkpoint which in turn unlock others - for example verbs, adjectives etc.
Make sure you learn the alphabet well. Without it, you go nowhere. Another tip is to take a notebook ed pin you up the lessons you take on Duolingo or other applications. This way, before starting a new lesson, you can quickly review the previous one. Plus it's also a great way to practice writing and improve.
Duolingo and un'app free but there is also the Plus version that offers you other features - for example, it eliminates advertising, offers lessons in offline mode and more. I use the free one and honestly I am very happy with it. Advertising is not stressful at all and I manage to finish my lessons in the best possible way.
Another point in favor of Duolingo is that sweet little green bird che motivates us more and more when we guess the answers several times in a row. Did you know you can too set a reminder? This way, at the same time every day, the little Duo will remind you that it's time to study Korean.
Other apps to learn Korean on your own
Another very interesting app is JohnKorean (also known as Patchim Training: Learning Korean Language). It is a very simple application, with graphics almost like a video game, definitely carina e stimulant.
JohnKorean behaves a bit like Duolingo, that is, it is broken down into numerous sections. Each section is then divided into four groups and each group, in turn, contains many lessons.
To give you an example, the section Hangul Training (therefore training with the alphabet) is divided into four groups: Beginner (beginners), Construct (constructions in syllabic groups), Basic e Words. The first group - Beginner - counts approx 168 lessons, The second one 228 and so on.
The peculiarity of this application is the ttime required to finish the lessons: with approx 3 minutes you finish a lesson, learn and have fun too.
Within this application you will find numerous sections including illustrations, USEFULL ed listening exercises e writing. Each lesson lasts a short time, just to allow the user to learn quickly and easy way. Another nice element concerns the possibility of receiving flash card at the end of each lesson: each of them represents a specific ingredient.
When you have finished a certain number of lessons and obtained the same number of flash cards, you will unlock some tasty recipes. Obviously you have to guess everything e make no mistake if you want to get your flash card.
Download
QR-Code
Patchim Training:Learning Korean Language in 3min!
Developer:
Hikari Nakashima（中島光）
Price:
Free+
Another application that I recommend is Simply, whose name already says it all. It's actually not one of the best apps, I use it when I want to get it notes in my notebook or learn new ways of speaking.
For example, inside the app there is the numbers section in which, by clicking on one of them, we get the the way you write and we hear the the way it is pronounced. If we want we can also click on little snail icon right, which allows us to listen to more slow pronounce it.
This is what it offers.
Simply I use it mainly for integrate other terms e words, very useful when learning a new language. There are no games or exercises, there are more terms, idioms, expressions that can be used to broaden our vocabulary. Simple, as the title suggests, but very useful.
Download QR-Code Learn Korean Developer: Simya Solutions Ltd. Price: Free +
Books, websites, TV series and music: the perfect ingredients for learning a language
Let's now move on to the websites, books, TV series and much more. If you want to expand your network of acquaintances and have new ways to learn a foreign language, I recommend you the use of some websites.
Obviously, compared to applications, you will have to take more notes, write more and work hard. The first site with which I started this adventure is How To Study Korean. The site is mainly in English but you will have the option of choose the language to start with because the present lessons are available in multiple languages including Italian, German, Spanish, Russian and even French.
The site offers you approx 158 lessons divided into 7 units: grammar, verbs, adjectives, everything you need to learn Korean on a self-taught basis. Grab your favorite notebook and start learning. The advantage of this site is that if you want, you can too download the various lessons in PDF so you can save them in a folder on your PC and watch them whenever you want.
Obviously all the material available is free.
Another, perhaps slightly more complicated site is Talk to me in Korean - of which there is also theapplication for iOS e Android but I haven't tried yet. This site offers free material e premium material, therefore for a fee.
I have always used the free one and I must admit that there are a lot of lessons present varied, NUMBERS and well structured. Here too we have the opportunity to work a lot on grammar and, in particular, onlistening. Unfortunately the site in question is available only in English but it is definitely one of the best around.
Talk to me in Korean offre many subtitled videos with hangul that allow us to practice listening and words. They help us with the Pronounce and they are also useful for increasing the cultural baggage we carry on our shoulders. The site also offers special books which I have not yet had the opportunity to buy: however, based on what I learned on the site, I believe they are reliable.
Besides, the site also offers advice from experts to learn the language. Another very interesting element is the possibility of access the Discord channel of the site and talk to people who, like you, are learning the language and also with experts. At the moment the group counts approx 8,000 members and I admit I had a lot of fun: despite the mistakes and the time zone, it's an experience to live.
As for the books section, at the moment I have bought a few but I am reporting them below so that you can take a look at them. Having something concrete on hand is very helpful, so some of you may feel more comfortable.
- Korean for Italians, three volumes available;
-
Korean lingua. With Audio CD: Korean language level 1.
Discount
Korean language 1. With MP3 audio CD: Vol. 1
- De Benedittis, Andrea (Author)
TV series and K-Pop, the winning key to learning Korean on a self-taught basis?
We finally got to the reason why I decided to learn Korean on my own and also one of the best ways to improve the language: I'm talking about K-Drama, also commonly known as Asian TV series. I watch them both up Netflix that of Viki.com but this site is much more comfortable.
Viki.com is a website that broadcasts only TV series asian, film and also reality show (Chinese, Japanese, Korean etc). Like almost everything on this planet, it is available there free mode is that premium. Despite my undisputed love for Korea, I use the free mode.
With the premium one advertising is eliminated, you can see the series in HD and you have access to some exclusive content - rest assured that, however, they will also become available to us mere mortals. The free version is actually very good, the quality is not bad at all and sometimes approaches HD.
The only downside is every advertising 10 / 15 minutes but after a while you will get used to it.
Why do I say this site is great for improving the language? First you will hear real people and of that specific country speak the language you are learning. Then, in addition to the Italian subtitles, you can activate a help. Above these subtitles you will have others, in Korean, which will help you link each sound to the symbol.
If you decide to watch a TV series on your pc you can also click on the symbol you don't understand and, next to it, a translation and some examples will appear. Of course, at first it can be complicated to keep up with everything but slowly you will make it.
The last way to learn new terms and practice is definitely the K pop. In a nutshell it is Korean music made, in fact, by Korean people. The advantage of living in a technologically advanced period is the possibility of search for song lyrics and find them written in hangul e translated. I know you will be tempted to read the simplified versions, for a short period of time I did too, but go straight to the hangul. You will thank me later.
In general there is a lot of material: give it to band most famous at OST by K-Drama - the ones I started with. There are many bands and songs out there on YouTube, just search and find the genre that suits you best. For now I just listen to the thousand OST (original soundtrack) of the TV series that I have seen over the years. As for the bands, however, at the moment I only have two, i BTS and BlackPink.
These are my tips for you. Obviously you have to keep that in mind it is not an easy undertaking, you must be able to organize your time well and get the best out of each application, divide yourself between notebook and PC and get involved.
Even now I find it hard to reconcile everything, when you have too much freedom it often is difficult to obtain excellent results but I repeat: steadiness, commitment e you will make it. In about four months my level has improved quite a lot and I am sure it will continue to do so. Now I am only waiting for you to conquer the world to the sound of K-Drama and K-Pop.
Discount
Korean language course. With 2 Audio CDs
- Bruno, Antonetta Lucia (Author)
