In this article, I will bring you something that you may have been looking for, so keep reading to find out the top 3 books in my list to learn Korean. Since this language is very different from many western languages, choosing the right guide book for you may be one of the most important things before diving into learning it.
I started, like many people, studying by myself. I used some different apps, but when it comes to learning grammar and some other important parts of the language, I realized I couldnโt really rely on my so loved vocabulary oriented applications.
So, when the time came to start forming phrases and to do more than phonetically reading a sentence without knowing the meaning of it, I bought a lot of books. It was kind of a mistake, because apart from me buying books that were way too advanced for my level, some of them didnโt suit my studying style.
Of course I am starting this list with my universityโs official language learning books. You see, before I opened these books, I didnโt have much faith in them. I thought it was just a way Korea University wanted to be on board with the language-learning market. But once I started studying with a used book my friend handed to me to try learning with, my perception completely changed.
It is a very compact, very straightforward book. It comes in all different colors, each for a specific level. Also, these books supposedly prepare you to take the TOPIK test, since they teach you the essentials of the Korean language โin the first levelsโ and it levels up to more detailed TOPIK-related content.
This University also offers books for all levels, but I can only testify in favor of the basic levels (1 and 2). It is a very interesting book, and the books I liked the most are the workbooks, since they help a lot with practicing everything that you learn through the other books.
The book I purchased, in particular, came with a small, compact book of all of the vocabulary and grammar that the level comprised. It is a way to keep all the grammar rules in a small space, and after I was done with the main book, I kept โand still keepโ the mini book and to this day I guard it with my life. It has everything you need, in a small and accessible place.
This book was especially important for me to develop my writing skills. I bought the Writing 2 book, and it had activities to learn vocabulary and grammar, and it had activities that made you put all your newly learned skills to practice. It was a very good book for me, since it taught me to write things that I would definitely need to write in the future โemails, complaints, self-introductions.
It was also a good thing that I have taken Korean lessons, because some essentials of the different books just cannot be learned by yourself โat least, that was my case.
I follow several instagram accounts that have self-studied Korean and are very fluent and have improved their skills a lot by themselves, but to me it was not so easy at the beginning.
The good thing about all the books I mentioned earlier is that, if you canโt take a course/lesson for whatever reason, they are structured so you can take the book and motivation and learn from it if you put in the effort and time.
Are you learning Korean? How has it been your language learning journey?
