4 comments about Teach Me Korean (Paperback & Audio Cd) (Teach Me ...).

1. My daughter refused to learn Korean or listen to any Korean music till I purchased this CD. Well thought-out and educational for pre-school students. (or younger)



2. This cd is wonderful! We love dancing to the music and singing along to familiar tunes in both English and Korean. Everytime my son hears the beginning song he gets very excited and starts to dance. We are very happy with this purchase.



3. I played this CD in the car for my 2 and 4 year olds.
   Since all the songs are both in English and Korean, my kids automatically picks up Korean words. The songs are cute and I am very pleased with this CD. I am buying one for my friend's daughter too. Great gift item!!!



4. My daughter is half korean and almost 3 years old, this is great for supporting the small ammount of korean language exposure she gets. She already knows most of the songs and automatically repeats the words that are spoken. I am going to order the next one too.

5 comments about Langenscheidt's Pocket Dictionary Korean/English English/Korean.

1. I recently moved to S. Korea knowing little more than hello and goodbye. This dictionary was extremely helpful in that the English section shows word usage and some phrases in both roman characters and Hangul. In the same way the Korean section is written alphabetically based on the English ALphabet and is listed by Romanization. This is really helpful when people are speaking to you. Also the dictionary has a great Proununciation chart for the Hangul letters, which helps when translating signs, and helped me learn to read Hangul.



2. I am a student of Korean and this pocket dictionary was the first Korean dictionary I bought to aid me in my studies. The compact size of this dictionary makes it very easy and convenient to carry around, and it’s perfect for people on the go. (That is, no more suffering under the weight of a full dictionary!) ^^
   
   The English-Korean, Korean-English dictionary format makes it handy to look up and translate words both ways. And the dictionary also comes with a pronunciation guide, which is also handy for beginners. I find the pronunciation guide extremely useful and convenient. In Korean, the way a word is pronounced depends on whether a particular consonant is in the front, middle or end of the word, the pronunciation guide somewhat answers this by telling you how placement of a consonant can affect the pronunciation. For example, “T” is “T” when at the start and end of the word and “D” in the middle of vowels.
   
   Also, this dictionary is arranged according to romanization, making it easy for beginners to lookup a word by “pronunciation”. The inclusion of Hangul is another major plus since you can check how to write a particular word in Korean. The vocabulary here are written in dictionary form rather than spoken form, so if you’re trying to use certain words to SAY something, you’ll need to convert it to the spoken form. For example, in this dictionary, “to watch” in the dictionary form is “poda”, so to say “I’m watching…” you’ll need to change it to “…pwayo”. Unfortunately, the dictionary doesn't address this but then again, it's a dictionary, not a textbook. ^^ I guess this is the same with most Korean dictionaries, so you’ll need to have some knowledge of the Korean language to be able to use this dictionary to your advantage.
   
   It’s also easy to look for phrasal verbs and vocabulary with the same “words” you’re looking for. For example, you can find under “watch” the noun and verb form (and explanation), as well as “watch for”, “watch out”, “watch out for” and so forth. This is extremely useful and convenient especially when looking out for common, everyday words. The only drawback I had with this dictionary is that certain Korean words can be really hard to find, especially in the “Korean-English” section if you don’t know the exact romanization letters.
   
   Although I wouldn’t say this is a perfect dictionary for fluent Korean speakers as it doesn’t provide as much words and extensive information as a complete dictionary do, it is, nevertheless, an excellent dictionary and guide for everyday use and people on the move as it covers useful and commonly used words. If you're tired of browsing through “thick” dictionaries just to find that simple, everyday word you want, give this a try. :)



3. The Langenscheidt Pocket Dictionary Korean is very good for a beginner in Korean. The introduction is very useful in helping the student understand pronunciation and formation of the characters. The print is easy to read, which can be a problem with some Korean dictionaries. I recommend is as a good introductory Korean-English and English-Korean dictionary.



4. Hey, Im not tryin to learn Korean, but my sister is and she hasn't complained....IT must be good.



5. We are both learning beginner's Korean, and find this dictionary an excellent resource. It's clear - yes you can read the characters - and the price was considerably cheaper than we could buy in Australia, even allowing for postage. Having the Korean-English section in romanization is also helpful, when you may not know the dictionary order of Korean characters.

5 comments about Elementary Korean (Tuttle Language Library).

1. Thank you for your review and the caution!
   Yes, learn Hangul...after all, it's not like Hanzi :)



2. I put this book in my "Required" list 'cause my most trusted friend who's Korean recommended it for me. He said it's a very good textbook, up-to-date and well structured. So let's say it was approved by a native speaker, and that's very important.
   One thing - it can be a little intimidating for beginners, but don't give up so easily! It's a great textbook so make sure you're making the most of it.
   
   Good luck with your Korean! *^.^*



3. Unlike Rosetta Stone software, which costs an arm and a leg and sucks, this resource is a great learning tool. It's very real world and the pacing is slow enough for a new learner. Love it.



4. As a basic textbook for students, "Elementary Korean" is detailed and besides offering you also some simple exercises for practice basics, it answers "friendly" to many questions and doubts one can have with regard to Korean language. Though it aims to university level learning (and it is effective), you can consider it almost as a kind of friendly "human" teacher, for its "voice" is really nice.



5. I bought this book for self study and spent some months using it.
   
   The structure is quite familiar to whom has already been studying languages, various lessons are divided into a text, vocabulary, grammar notes and excercises.
   
   Talking about the general structure, I think the lessons are too long (an average of about 20 pages per lesson) so that it is difficult to study them in small time portions (takes about a week to cover a lesson). Many lessons cover too many structures and grammar points so that the exercise can't focus on all of them.
   
   Anyway I'd like to analyze the lacking points in each section of an average lesson.
   
   The text is always too short, uses structures that are not going to be covered in the same lesson and in my opinion is something the authors barely took care of being generally frustrating to read and unuseful to memorize.
   
   Vocabulary section in each lesson cover a hundred or more words, the most part of wich never appears anywhere else in the lesson making it pointless to remember the as you're not going to see them anywhere else (it's like studying from a dictionary).
   
   Grammar notes are pointlessly complicated (especially when explaining verb endings) and stress futile points (like when to pause when using certain particles) while leaving the important explanations unclear.
   
   About the exercises, they are overwhelmingly numerous yet poor in variety.
   They are the kind of exercise you may find in a mid-80s textbook, with lots of meaningless writin to do.
   
   This all adds to odd translations and outdated korean spelling.
   
   I would never reccomend this book for studying Korean.
   I know it is one of the few being available in English, however I suggest to buy one of the textbooks that are printed in Korea by one of the many universities that hold korean summer courses.

5 comments about Basic Korean: Learn to Speak and Understand Korean with Pimsleur Language Programs (Simon & Schuster's Pimsleur).

1. I already have a basic understanding but wanted to have a tape to listen to any changes. Granted there is a lot of repetition, but the lessons are short spurts and the second lesson repeats the first. I've only listened to half the CD set because of my busy time. However, the pronunciation is articulate and breaks it down to syllables, but if you forget where you leave off, you may misunderstand how to actually pronounce the whole word. I like how the narrator explains the sentence structure. It would be nice to hear more about cultural formality differences as I know there are levels of speech depending on status, age, and profession. Overall, the money's worth it to have it. Reasonable price and convenient to listen to.



2. I purchased two different CDs at the same time. I started with the 2nd of my two purchases, leaving "Basic Korean: Learn to Speak and Understand Korean with Pimsleur Language Programs" aside, as it looked to be more daunting in appearance. I put in the other CD and after 5 minutes, ejected it, and replaced it with "Basic Korean: Learn to Speak and Understand Korean with Pimsleur Language Programs."
   
   Wow, what a difference between the two products!! Within five minutes, I was able to capture a couple of very useful phrases. The program breaks down each phrase into small bits that you repeat out loud. After a couple of repetitions of each bit of language, each one building into a complete phrase, you are asked to repeat the entire phrase. Phrases build upon themselves until you have mastered a situation like; "Excuse me, do you speak English?" I'm genuinely impressed with the quality of instruction provided on the CDs and I am looking forward to future lessons! The set comes in a nice CD case and is broken down into several separate lessons, two lessons to a CD. I'd recommend "Basic Korean: Learn to Speak and Understand Korean with Pimsleur Language Programs." to anyone who wants to learn with using a CD, without books and such.! I plan to continue to study each day during my commute to work.



3. The repetition provided in the CD, pace and style of teaching is truly helpful for a beginner who's learning the language for the very first time. Unlike some other programs which teaches at a very fast pace, making one feels lost and confused, this one allows you time to memorize and digest what you've learn. Overall, I am truly impressed and will recommend it to everyone!



4. So far I have only listened to one lesson. I feel like I learned the words and they were stored in my short term memory, but not my long term memory as it claims they will be. Maybe it is because I only heard the lesson once and didn't continue. Also the first lesson teaches you to say "excuse me do you speak English, no I speak Korean, and I come from America" I did retain the words for Korean and excuse me. When you are in town doing errands you don't really need to know these words first. First you need to know hello, goodbye, thank you, how much does it cost and other things like this. Maybe the CD is for people who are just visiting, but I moved here 2 weeks ago knowing no Korean. Now that I can use most of the words I listed above to actually interact with people maybe then I can start to use the words and phrases in the CD series. I reccommend you use this plus a dictionary and phrasebook so you can look up the words you are saying to see how they are spelled and get an idea of how to pronounce other words if you see them written. I think it is a good technique to learn by listening but for me the pace goes a bit fast and I have to pause the CD to repeat the phrase they are asking for. They ask you to repeat a phrase from the beginning of the lesson after they have just taught you a different phrase. This can be challenging and takes more time for me than the CD allows. I think it depends also on what type of learner you are: visual, auditory, kinesthetic, or reader/writer. Maybe I'm more of a kinesthetic learner. Once you find this out, it will help you pick out the best materials to learn anything, including Korean. Good luck learning Korean!



5. I downloaded lessons 1 through 5 (via Itunes) and while I wish it were more reasonably priced, I'm extremely satisfied with my purchase.
   
   My motivation for learning this language is so that I can communicate with the Korean side of my family (People are always surprised when they learn that I can't already, since I am first generation Korean.) So far, I am convinced that this audio is helping me reach my goal.
   
   The directions state that you should continue with the same lesson until you feel comfortable with about 80% of the course content. I reached an 80% comfort level after having participated in Lesson 1 about eight+ times over the course of several days. I know that sounds like a lot, but it really did not feel that way. I practiced while driving to and from the office, while doing light house work, and once while watching my step-sons soccer practice. I'm certain that if I were to dedicate time to focus on a lesson without distractions, it would not take me nearly as long.
   
   One problem that I have is that I can't fast forward through a lesson plan on my Ipod (you can only fast forward or rewind back to the very beginning of available lessons). There were a few instances where I was unable to complete the full lesson and later had to go through it all over again, just to reach the end. Sure.. it was great 'additional' reinforcement - but a little frustrating at times.
   
   Overall, my experience with this language tool has been a positive one. So much so that I went out and purchased my father his own Ipod so he too could learn Korean with this program (I just surprised him with it last night, so I'm anxiously awaiting his opinion of it.) My mother is very impressed with my pronunciation of the words and phrases I've learned, which I think is a very good sign indeed! As soon as I complete all 5 lessons, I will purchase more lessons for use. I would highly recommend this to anyone who is looking for an easy introduction to the Korean language.

5 comments about Roadmap to Korean.

1. Roadmap to Korean by Richard Harris takes a look at learning Korean from a historical, cultural, and pop linguistic point of view. There are twenty-two chapters, five sections and an extensive appendices that combined make this a book that the Korean language student will find invaluable. The value doesn't come from teaching you Korean as that is not what Harris is trying to do, but rather from providing a new perspective and insight into learning Korean and finding avenues to overcome obstacles and difficulties...

   (...)




2. Roadmap to Korean is a great book explaining the languistic structure, culture, and history of Korea(n). Richard Harris has done a great job explaining the most important parts of the language that no other book has bothered to cover. Harris explains the troubles that English speaks will have with the language and specific differences are explained in an English speaker's point of view. I have read over this book many times since I have been studying Korean and each time I get something else out of it. It is a definite buy for anyone wishing to learn the language or just want to simply learn what it's about. It makes an excellent reference for verb conjugations, phrases, numbers, and much more. If you want to learn Korean, this is the book to start with. You will not be disappointed.



3. This is an absolutely ESSENTIAL item for ANY student of the Korean language, especially those whose native language is English. Why? 1) It bridges a gap no Korean educator has ever thought (or perhaps known how) to address or even acknowledge. 2) It does the job superlatively well.
   While Korea has no shortage of well-meaning and skilled teachers of their language (including several I've had) they invariably fall short in one key area: understanding exactly what obstacles a foreigner faces in learning Korean, and how to help us past them. (In fairness, Korea is still relatively new to the game of exporting their language and culture on a major scale - compared to, say, America or Japan.) Richard Harris turns out to be just the guy for the job; a long-suffering yet enthusiastic student of the language, and a straightforwardly engaging writer to boot.
   Aside from drastically different grammar, most of the roadblocks turn out to be conceptual - areas of culture and living where Koreans and non-Koreans simply think differently, in ways that defy literal translation. (this is a language in which one might ask "How are you?" by saying "Have you eaten?" or "Where are you going?") It's in the illustration of these tricky areas that Harris truly excels; anyone who's spent much time in Korea, such as yours truly, has stumbled into more than one of these minefields!
   Bottom line: if you're learning Korean, BUY THIS BOOK. It'll save you an incalculable amount of time and frustration, and enlighten you about a lot more than just the language in the bargain.



4. This book gives tons of great advice on how to learn Korean. If it were up to me, it would be standard issue for students studying Korean at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, CA.



5. As a beginner in Korean, I was looking for something more than a dictionary, but with the understanding of an English
   speaking person who has learned Korean. This is it! Richard Harris explains the joys and pitfalls of learning
   Korean in an entertaining way. It's just shy of having a conversation with the author. Very enjoyable learning
   experience!

1 comments about Beginner's Korean (Hippocrene Beginner's Series).

1. I have been trying to learn Korean for almost two years and have built up quite a collection of Korean language book. My first question when I saw this book was: why bother? A few features made me change my mind.
   
   Most Korean language books focus on formal and polite speech. I have not found a book where they are covered in the same chapter, which leads to a lot of flipping pages. Casual and plain speech are usually only mentioned, not covered.
   
   This book has a handy chart just a few pages in that shows the four levels of speech, plus additional optional honorifics, all in one place. Questions, statements, commands, what to do it the verb ends in a vowel or a consonant, it's all there. The chart is worth the price of the book. There are more charts and lists throughout the book that are equally helpful. In fact, the authors deserve credit for such a thoughtful and intelligent layout of information.
   
   The entire book uses the Korean alphabet (hangul) as well as romanization. I cover the romanized words since learning the Korean alphabet is easy and well worth the time. After all, why go to all the trouble of learning a language only to be illiterate?
   
   One quip: each chapter begins with a huge chunk of dialogue. I find language book dialogues to be mind numbingly boring but I realize that many readers enjoy this way of learning.
   
   An extremely affordable book, I can easily recommend it to anyone learning Korean. If you can only afford one Korean language book, Beginner's Korean is an excellent choice that belongs on any beginner's bookshelf. More of my constant companions in learning Korean:
   
   Korean: Learn to Speak and Understand Korean with Pimsleur Language Programs (Comprehensive)
   Slams raw vocabulary into your head like nothing else. Worth the money if you can afford it.
   
   Sounds of Korean: A Pronunciation Guide
   Covers all the stickier aspects of Korean pronunciation.
   
   Minjungs Pocket English Korean and Korean English Dictionary
   Don't even bother with romanized dictionaries, you'll outgrow them immediately, save your pennies and buy this dictionary.
   
   Elementary Korean (Tuttle Language Library)
   Pricier but very good.
   
   Talk Now! Korean
   Dorky graphics, outdated software, no grammar but it will give you an opportunity to hear your voice against a native speaker's.

1 comments about Read & Speak Korean for Beginners (Book w/Audio CD) (Read & Speak for Beginners).

1. I absolutely love McGraw Hill's Read and Speak --- for Beginners series. It provides a reassuringly simple introduction to some of the more difficult languages for English speakers to learn.
   
   To anyone not familiar with the series, here is what you get: A book of games, puzzles, light grammar and useful vocabulary with a CD to help with pronunciation. You will not be fluent after finishing but you eill have some excellent knowledge under your belt and confidence to move on.
   
   The Korean entry into the series follows these lines. The book has a very brief section on the Korean alphabet (hangul) in the back but there are dozens of resources available online to quickly learn this easy script. The rest of the book is written in hangul with tranliterations to the side.
   
   I can easily recommend this book to anyone tackling the admittedly challenging Korean language. It gives the bare basics and some of the exercises reminded me of first grade but it will give a solid foundation. I do, however, have one caveat.
   
   The enclosed CD features native Korean speakers (their accents when speaking English are very charming) but they speak very.very.slowly. Each.syllable.sounded.out.
   
   Now, if you have heard Korean, you know that the language flows, almost to the point of slurring sounds together. While the slow pace of the speakers is good for hearing the pure sounds of the language, it will not show you how Korean ACTUALLY sounds. The speakers do speed up slightly later in the CD and I suggest listening ahead if you are not sure how the language sounds. Or better, tune into a K-Drama.
   
   In spite of this problem, I think this set is a good investment. It is affordable and is good for those days when a language learner just can't face the grammar books. It would be pretty useless to anyone who knows the basics already but any beginner can benefit from its easy pace and activities.

No comments about Korean: Lonely Planet Phrasebook.

5 comments about Integrated Korean: Beginning Level 1 Workbook (KLEAR Textbooks in Korean.

1. This is a really good series. Just an FYI, here's a site with all of the audio files for the Integrated Korean book series:

   http://www.korean.ucla.edu/textbook.htm




2. Excelent book, I'll recomended for student that not known Korean at all.



3. Frustrated with the dearth of good Korean language learning workbooks, I sent the following email to the publishers...
   
   .ram files? Really? Why bother making the files availiable if they are essentially useless? If they were mp3 and I could learn via my player on the go, then I would buy your book. I'm sure the irony is that you didn't make mp3s files out of fear of piracy which might affect sales. Gj.
   
   While were at it, why punish your customers by making them download each of 50+ files individually?



4. The workbook is meant to be compatible with a cd. The first exercise you are supposed to listen to is a conversation about everyday expressions and circle the expression you hear. Problem is... there is no cd to listen to the conversations!!!!!!! The textbook is well written but not including the cd is really stupid. Why not include the cd or make one available?? Extremely dissapointed with the workbook.



5. very useful if combine usage with the textbook.. alot of practices in terms of grammer, writing, reading and listening (files can be found online, troublesome though but it's better than nothing)..
   
   BUT.. the workbook doesnt come with answers.. you have to check it aganist your textbook... which can be kind of troublesome...
   
   This series of textbooks/workbooks are more inclined for classroom teaching.. nevertheless it's more than enough for DIY learning as well....

5 comments about Integrated Korean: Beginning Level 1 Textbook (KLEAR Textbooks in Korean.

1. I'm Korean and bought this to brush up on my language skills. Half the book is filled with a stupid introduction that has nothing to do with the language. The remaining portion teaches things you can learn on television. This is a commercial book for people who want to have it in their bookshelf to show off. This is not a good book to learn from. They don't even have the alphabets listed together on one page that can serve as a reference for writing skills!!!!!!! If you don't have something as basic as that, the glossary in the back isn't going to help you out very much. Returned the book as an unsatisfied customer. Don't get this book - waste of time and money (lost shipping costs).



2. Looking for more than an English transliteration of Korean phrases? Look no further. I must say though - GET THE WORKBOOK - it is from the same author/publisher. It's purple. It is vital.
   
   This book provides an approach that was challenging but not so difficult that you can learn at home. I understand that most people who own it had to purchase it because it was required for a class. I unfortunately live in an area with many Koreans but with no formal classes. This book (along with the workbook) finally got me over the barrier - the language barrier - that prevented me from learning Korean. Essentially, I learned to read, write, and speak Korean through this book (and separate workbook).
   
   Having said that, it didn't provide everything, but it laid the groundwork for me to use other sources to supplement my learning. Take the plunge - spend more than 10 bucks on a language book and buy this textbook.



3. This was the required textbook for my Korean class and I am amazed at how good it is. While you should still have a native Korean speaker help you out, the book actually shows you how to pronounce each sound in English phonetics. It also teaches you correct grammar, something lacking in many American-born Koreans. My wife is Korean and I'm not but now I have even better grammar than her! It's great that it teaches you properly, but also easily, with conversational phrases and common words. Korean is very methodical, consistent language so if you can master this book, you should be able to pick up Korean fairly quickly if you hang around people who can translate new words for you, because the conjugation is the same.



4. The Integrated Korean Series is the best overall textbook for learning Korean that I have found. I contains plenty of exercises, and even more in the separate workbook. There is more vocabulary than in most other books. Much of the vocabulary has to do with college and classes, but the book teaches more than enough vocabulary that an be used in all situations. Integrated Korean explains the grammar points well, and teaches different styles of speech that are useful for talking to seniors, people of the same age, and juniors. There are many useful cultural notes which help to understand how to act when with other Koreans in Korea. It would be difficult to understand many parts of the language without knowing about how Koreans relate to each other. There are helpful appendices for regular and irregular verb conjugations and vocabulary used throughout the book.
   
   Every chapter begins with the objectives for the following lesson. Next there are two conversations that use the new vocabulary for the chapter, and a narration which does the same. After that, there are lists of new words and expressions, sorted by the parts of speech. Next there are "Notes on New Words and Expressions" which explain specific grammar points from the conversations and the narration. Next are the notes about the culture, which help to understand what Koreans do that is different from the US culture, and the reasons why they do them. The next point is the grammar, where it explains about different styles of speech, and sentence structure. The last part of each chapter is translations for the conversations.
   
   Overall, this is the best book for self-teaching, or for learning Korean in a class, because of its high amount of useful vocabulary, its clear explanations of grammar, and its interesting cultural notes. My advice is do not stop at the start of the book if you feel discouraged, just keep going and practicing and doing the exercises.



5. what good is a text with no answers? I found the book almost unusable, as I study by myself. There was no way to check my answers. I emailed the publisher, and they said there were no answers or teacher's book. Can not recommend a book like this.