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While there are many ideas and theories as to the best way to learn Korean or any other language, these ideas below will serve as some good ideas:
Study formally in a classroom setting --- While studying Korean independently may help for time management and to learn Korean on the spot, it sometimes can lead to disaster, especially if you sentences sound unstructured or you end up pronouncing a phrase or a word the wrong way. That is where the classroom comes in. Not only do you learn proper structure, but you also learn proper grammar, pronunciation, writing, and a little bit about the culture and history.
Travel to Korea or live there for a few years. --- Oftentimes, in order to truly absorb what you’ve learned in the classroom, by yourself, amongst friends or otherwise, it is best to experience Korean language and culture firsthand. You can go there as a tourist to see famous temples and palaces, study abroad on a language exchange program as a university student, or work in the field of textiles, electronics or English teaching. Living in Korea is pretty cheap, and while you might see a few signs in English, don’t expect everyone to speak the English language to you unless they feel the need to practice with you on the street or as a homework assignment if you’re visiting a temple or palace. In addition, you learn not only to do what the Koreans do, but have lasting memories of your time in the country.
Learn New Vocabulary – When learning Korean its good to learn new vocabulary everyday and as much as you can. It’s often good to learn the roots of Chinese words that have been converted into Korean. This would mean that you need to buy a Hanja dictionary but also a regular Korean one. Some Korean websites such as naver.com have a Korean/English dictionary link where you can type in either an English or Korean word and get the opposite meaning as well as its use in a sentence.
Often this can be done by reading Korean newspapers, magazines or advertisements that you see either in a Korean town, on the streets of Korea, or online. Since the Korean language is so logical and one of the easier languages to read, reading these materials will be helpful to become more familiar with structure and vocabulary as well.
If possible, try to obtain a Korean language computer program that will allow you to practice typing in Korean. It is also helpful to check and see if your laptop or PC allows the use of Korean to be used and typed. Either way, if this option is possible, make sure to buy Hangeul stickers that can be put on the keyboard as guides. They can be found on sites such as Amazon.com.
When learning any kind of new vocabulary it is often helpful to write it down on flashcards or a notebook using it in a sentence for future reference.
Find a study partner ---- It is often good to find a study partner either in your class or as part of a language exchange with a Korean speaker who is learning English. If you do a website search on language exchanges, you can find many forums online of people looking for pen pals who want to exchange English lessons for Korean ones. When you do this, you will be able to ask your Korean counterpart about words or phrases that they can teach you to help you practice pronunciation and to better understand their meanings.
Look into Korean popular culture such as movies, music, and video games --- Sometimes the best way to see a language in action and to understand the psychology of the Korean people is to indulge in Korean popular culture products. While you might not understand everything, it’s ok. By watching Korean movies and television for example, you can not only learn slang and conversation between friends and family, you can also learn how to get used to the way that the language is spoken, so that way when you encounter your Korean friends, go shopping, or even take a taxi in Korea, you’ll be used to the speed.
Don’t be scared to speak or practice the language ---- Oftentimes, as with those who are trying to learn our language, it is sometimes difficult to practice what we learned either because we are too shy or we are not sure if the vocabulary or phrase we are using is right. Usually this is because the speaker is shy or just has low self esteem. It is the only way to learn and become confident with language use. In addition, even if you make a mistake, the listener, if patient enough, will help you and sometimes teach you the right way. For learning Korean, this is especially true, because most Koreans don’t expect non-Koreans to learn, let alone speak their mother tongue.
Lastly, don’t give up ---- While it can sometimes be frustrating learning a new language, keep going and keep trying. You’ll never learn if you stop.
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