Learn Korean Online: 10 Affordable Online Classes to Start Now
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Reviewed by Angelique Geehan
- Learn about the benefits of taking Korean language classes online.
- Discover free and affordable online Korean classes.
- Find the best Korean language class or learning program for you.
There are about 76 million native Korean speakers across the globe. Korean is the dominant language in South Korea and North Korea; however, there are also large Korean-speaking populations in China, Japan, and the United States.
Learning Korean can provide a boost to your career, especially if you are interested in working in tourism, international relations, or translation. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that demand for interpreters and translators will grow by 20% between 2019 and 2029 — this is about five times faster than the average projected growth rate across industries over this timespan.
Korean is also a great language to learn if you're interested in a career in business or a technology career. South Korea houses a booming tech economy and several multinational companies, including Samsung, Hyundai, and LG. By learning Korean, you may be better able to communicate with South Korean business partners in the tech industry.
Finally, learning another language can improve your memory, boost your brain function, and expand your knowledge of the world. Whether you want to gain a richer understanding of your heritage or learn about a society and culture different from your own, studying Korean can broaden your cultural horizons.
Affordable Online Korean Classes
5 Free Online Korean Classes
How to Study Korean
How to Study Korean offers eight free learning units beginning with how to read Korean and progressing to upper-advanced grammar lessons. Each unit introduces students to 20-30 vocabulary words and includes grammar lessons to match a student's competency level.
In addition to core study units, How to Study Korean also features workbooks with practice exercises, Hanja lessons, vocabulary lists, and listening practice.
Coursera - First Step Korean
Coursera's First Step Korean course provides an elementary-level introduction to Korean. Over the course of five lessons — comprising four units each — students develop their reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. If you're preparing to study abroad and want to learn the basics of everyday conversation, this course may be a good option for you.
First Step Korean is a free course offered through Yonsei University. Students also have the option to pay for a certificate of completion after finishing the course.
Dom & Hyo
If you're a visual learner, you may enjoy Dom & Hyo's Korean language study materials. Dom (an English as a second language instructor) and Hyo (his wife and a native Korean speaker) created this site for beginners who enjoy learning through colorful illustrations.
Although Dom & Hyo offers some paid content, the site features a lot of free material to get you started. Free infographics and articles cover subjects like basic Korean adverbs, Korean holidays, and the Korean names of 15 different colors.
Learn With Oliver
Learn With Oliver uses audio flashcards to help students learn vocabulary. Learners can check their progress by taking multiple-choice tests. Other exercises help Korean language learners improve their writing and listening skills.
Students receive a daily newsletter with exercises and a word of the day. Learn With Oliver also features games that let you compete with others. You can try Learn With Oliver for free or sign up for a premium account.
Learn Langs
Learn Langs offers a free, six-unit course on Hangul — the Korean alphabet. The site introduces students to the basics of Hangul. Each lesson covers four Korean letters and provides instructions on how to make characters. The site also provides links to recommended free and paid resources across the internet.
Judith Meyer, who established Learn Langs, also published an improved version of the course as a book. While she is no longer updating the Learn Langs site, students can still access its content.
5 Low-Cost Online Korean Classes
Talk to Me in Korean
Talk to Me in Korean offers both free and paid learning materials. Students with paid memberships can access over 50 courses and hundreds of lessons. Study materials include courses, lesson notes, and dialogue videos.
Premium courses include 20 essential Korean phrases for beginners and a beginner's guide to living in Korea. Talk to Me in Korean recommends that students who want to achieve fluency devote at least 10 minutes a day to studying Korean using its learning materials.
90 Day Korean
90 Day Korean consists of four 90-day modules. The first module focuses on basic conversation skills, while the second module hones those skills so you can participate in more complex discussions. Module three covers Korean slang and helps students better understand Korean pop culture, and module four explores the complexities of Korean to further improve your speaking abilities.
If you need to learn Korean fast, the makers of 90 Day Korean say their course provides the quickest way to learn online.
Korean From Zero!
With Korean From Zero, students can complete three online courses for free or purchase a book corresponding to each online lesson. If you can read Korean, you should start on lesson one of the first course. If you're entirely new to studying Korean, the site offers alphabetized lessons on Hangul characters that you should complete before diving into your first lesson.
Korean Class 101
Korean Class 101 helps students learn Korean using word lists, slideshows, and flashcards. Slowed-down audio allows students to catch every word in a lesson, and students can choose lessons based on their interests and goals.
Students who sign up for a premium subscription work with a Korean tutor who provides personalized feedback and customized learning options.
Rosetta Stone
Rosetta Stone is a widely respected language-learning software that uses dynamic immersion, mimicking how you learned your first language. Rosetta Stone strengthens students' language-learning skills, such as pattern recognition, correlation, and deduction. This can help you learn Korean through context, not memorization.
Students who sign up for a lifetime plus membership gain access to unlimited language courses and 12 months of live coaching in a small group setting.
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Reviewed by:
Angelique Geehan
Angelique Geehan works to support and repair the connections people have to themselves and their families, communities, and cultural practices. A queer, Asian, gender-binary, nonconforming parent, Geehan founded Interchange, a consulting group that offers anti-oppression support. She organizes as part of several groups, including National Perinatal Association's Health Equity Workgroup, the Health and Healing Justice Committee of the National Queer and Trans Asian and Pacific Islander Alliance, QTPOC+ Family Circle, and Batalá Houston.
Feature Image: eikotsuttiy / 500Px Plus / Getty Images
