[FEATURE] 6 Online Language Websites To Improve Your Korean

It is undeniable that South Korea reigns as one of the cultural powerhouses of the world and much of this influence is largely attributed to the immense reach and popularity of Korean entertainment such as their television and web dramas, films, and of course, K-Pop, not just in Asia but also all around the globe.

With the rising popularity, more people are getting interested in learning further about Korean culture, most especially their language.

We know that not everyone can go to formal language classes due to various reasons, but don’t worry! The Seoul Story has put together a comprehensive list of six online language websites that can get you started in learning  the Korean language. 🙂

How To Study Korean
Website: How To Study Korean

How To Study Korean was started by a native English speaker who taught himself Korean using the same exact lessons available on their website and they have everything you need to study and learn Korean, and when they say everything, they really mean everything.

They offer seven units for learning Korean: Unit 0 for learning how to read and write Hangeul, and Units 1 to 6 for grammar ranging from basic to advanced. Units one to six each has 25 lessons, 3 quizzes, and a unit test and each lesson includes grammar points with in-depth explanations, vocabulary lists divided into the different parts of speech, application of words and grammar learned into common sentences, and audio recordings of a Korean local pronouncing the words and sentences you learn.

The first few lessons come with a free PDF version of the entire lesson for offline and easier reading, while the rest cost USD$5.00 per lesson bundle. Note that all units are free for viewing online and only the PDF versions of the lessons are for sale, so no worries! You can still learn a lot without paying for anything. 🙂

The website also offers 2 units of Hanja, or the Chinese characters borrowed and incorporated into the Korean language with Korean pronunciation. Like the other units, the Hanja lessons are free for viewing online while their PDF versions cost USD$5.00.

For those who want more materials to supplement their learning, How To Study Korean also has workbooks for each lesson bundle of Units 1 to 5 (USD$5.00 each) and short stories to improve reading skills for intermediate-level learners (the first story is free while the rest cost USD$3.00 each or USD$10 altogether).

They also have a YouTube channel dedicated to teaching Korean but also to understand parts of Korean culture that can’t be perfectly described with words.

Talk To Me In Korean
Website: Talk To Me In Korean

Based in Seoul, the South Korea capital, Talk To Me In Korean is a website that offers supplemental lessons for those already taking formal classes or those who are studying completely on their own. They offer more than a thousand free learning materials learners can use right away as well as textbooks, workbooks, e-books, audio books, and video courses.

The Talk To Me In Korean curriculum has 9 levels ranging from basic to advanced lessons. At the end of Levels 1 to 5, an audio book of a dialog in 100% Korean is available to test the listening and comprehension skills of the learner. The learner is encouraged to listen to the dialog alone without looking at the transcript or translation from the accompanying PDF material and then compare their understanding with the actual translation.

Level 1 of the curriculum covers basic greetings, expressions, phrases, grammar, and numbers, and is designed for those who already know how to read Hangeul. For people who have yet to learn the Korean alphabets, Talk To Me In Korean has a Hangeul Master Book (USD$19.00) from their online bookstore and a Hangeul Video Course (USD$19.99) on Vimeo. Their online bookstore has more e-books, audio programs, and video courses, and they also ship internationally.

They also have a fun video series available on their YouTube channel about topics like Korean idiomatic expressions, learning Korean with K-pop, K-drama phrases and more!

Linguti
Website: Linguti

For those who want to combine learn and play, Linguti is a language learning platform that strongly relies on the gamification of learning.

Their lessons bring a game-like feeling and keep learners entertained while studying a new language. Much like a video game where a player loses a life when they make a mistake and a restart is needed when the player reaches game over, in Linguti, learners lose a heart when they choose an incorrect answer and repeat a lesson when they run out of hearts.

Solving tasks and exercises correctly are awarded with coins and experience points which can be used to buy power-ups that boost the learning experience and to level up and unlock new lessons and perks, respectively.

Linguti’s course structure is divided into units, then chapters, and then lessons. There are 4 chapters in a unit that each contains diverse materials with different themed vocabulary and grammar and ends with a chapter review which tests the learners’ knowledge. In a chapter, there are 4 lessons that present and teach new materials like phrases, new vocabulary, and grammar structures.

The Korean course offered by Linguti is intended for those who already know Hangeul and Korean pronunciations so this website is not recommended for those who are just beginning to learn Korean.

On the bright side, everything is free, staying true to Linguti’s claim to be a free and fun way of learning languages. 🙂

Memrise
Website: Memrise
Mobile: Memrise for iOS / Memrise for Android

Memrise is also a learning platform that uses a game-like interface which uses flashcards as memory aids. It was launched in 2010 and has amassed millions of registered users worldwide.

It follows 3 simple ingredients for effortless learning: science, fun, and community.

Memrise uses brain science to help users learn faster as its interface is designed to help form vivid, sensory memories by testing users continuously to give the mind just the right workout.

The fun ingredient comes from the gamification of learning with the belief that people learn best when they are relaxed. Memrise equates learning a new word to “planting a seed” in your memory and reviewing these words over and over causes that seed to grow, much like watering a flower or a plant.

Language is used to maintain and convey a culture and learning a new language should be as rich and diverse as the culture iT comes from. This is where Memrise’s community ingredient comes in, using multimedia such as videos, audio, menmonics, etymologies, and much more to concretise and bring the culture a user is learning about to life.

Memrise’s Korean 1 course has 14 levels with 222 words to learn ranging from the Korean alphabet, greetings, phrases, food, places, vocabulary and more.

The courses are generally free, but for those who don’t mind spending, Memrise Pro unlocks a bunch of extra features that enrich learning like difficult words, listening skills, learning with locals, chatbots, and grammarbots. Memrise Pro ranges from USD$9.00 (monthly) to USD$129.00 (lifetime), depending on your subscription plan.

Duolingo
Website: Duolingo
Mobile: Duolingo for iOS / Duolingo for Android / Duolingo for Windows

Arguably the most popular language learning platform, Duolingo makes learning fun by making users pick up skills over playing a game with the goal to give everyone access to a private tutor through the use of technology as learning a new language is expensive and inaccessible to most.

In Duolingo, there are levels on alphabet, basics, phrases, and more, and learners must clear a certain level set to move further in the course and unlock new levels. Users can also set their daily goal of how much experience points they aim to achieve and motivate them in learning. Streaks show the consecutive days a learner is active in the course as learning is easier when words are reviewed every day.

Users are also notified of their achievements in the course like completing lessons without getting anything wrong, exceeding daily goals, and maintaining streaks to name a few.

Although Duolingo’s Korean course is still in beta mode, it already has over 2 million learners worldwide. In starting the course, users have the option to go through the basics of Hangeul or take a placement exam to see which level they are on in Duolingo standards.

There are 65 levels in the Korean course, starting with the Korean alphabet up until more difficult yet interesting lessons such as Korean words on travel, pop culture, and even sports.

The best part of Duolingo is that the courses and all their content are completely free! The pro version, Duolingo Plus, however, removes advertisements, downloads lessons for offline learning, repairs broken streaks monthly, and supports Duolingo’s mission of making language learning universally accessible. Duolingo Plus costs USD$9.99 monthly, USD$7.99 monthly for 6 months, and USD$6.99 monthly for 1 year.

Dom & Hyo
Website: Dom & Hyo

Dom & Hyo is a couple-run blog that is dedicated to teaching anyone basic Korean words in a fun way through infographics.

Dom is an English teacher who came to Korea where he met his wife, Hyo. The blog was initially used to share funny comic strips about their relationship until Hyo came up with the idea to make infographics about Korea and to teach basic Korean for beginners or casual learners who wanted a bit of exposure to the language.

Since then, the blog has been filled with posts about easy and common Korean vocabulary words that can help anyone get a good foundation with building their personal word database in Korean. At the same time, Dom & Hyo post comics about them and interesting things about Korean language and culture.

All of their infographics are free to view on their blog, but for those who want to save the hassle of scrolling through webpages, they have compiled their infographics and other lessons they have made themselves and put them up at the Dom & Hyo Store.

They offer Korean Vocabulary Flash Cards for USD$9.00, All Korean Language Graphics with 2 free e-books on vocabulary cheat sheets and more for USD$4.99, and the Korean Language and Culture with Dom & Hyo Volume 1 E-Book for USD$5.00.

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As the reach of Hallyu continuously grows, numerous Korean language websites pop up to meet the huge demand of people who are interested in learning Korean, and this list is just the tip of the iceberg for those who want to learn. If you have tried these websites out because of our suggestion or know other language learning websites, do share your experience with them by leaving comments below! 🙂

*This article is not a paid post and is strictly based on the writer’s personal preferences.

Written by: Sai Daquigan

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