한글을 배우고 싶나요? **
If you have no idea where to start with this sentence, would you believe me if I said you'd be able to read it in a matter of minutes? Now don't get me wrong, you may not know what it means, but you will be able to read it out loud with a little help from the following 4 sources.
The good news is, Hangeul* is one of the easiest alphabets to learn. Being relatively modern in the world of languages, its scientific approach and symbol relationships were well thought out. Many programs claim you can learn it in under an hour. Correct pronunciation will take practice, but you'll have the basics down and be reading and writing in no time.
Today's reviews are free online sources to learn to read and write Hangeul. We will be reviewing as follows:
If you have no idea where to start with this sentence, would you believe me if I said you'd be able to read it in a matter of minutes? Now don't get me wrong, you may not know what it means, but you will be able to read it out loud with a little help from the following 4 sources.
The good news is, Hangeul* is one of the easiest alphabets to learn. Being relatively modern in the world of languages, its scientific approach and symbol relationships were well thought out. Many programs claim you can learn it in under an hour. Correct pronunciation will take practice, but you'll have the basics down and be reading and writing in no time.
Today's reviews are free online sources to learn to read and write Hangeul. We will be reviewing as follows:
- User Friendly
- Fast Track vs. In Depth
- Free vs. Fee
Click on picture to link you to this page. This is where I started. When I am super excited, my personality is sometimes, "I want it and I want it NOW!". The claim that it could be done in 15 minutes AND it had pictures had me clicking away with eager expectations.
I wasn't disappointed. Ryan Estrada created 8 frames of delightful webtoon that introduces the Korean Alphabet in an entertaining and easily understood way.
No matter what your goal is, this is a fast track, confidence building intro to reading and writing Hangeul.
Overall review: Very easy to use. In 15 minutes, you will have a wonderful intro to the Korean Alphabet and it's totally free. I recommend this as a first step for absolute beginners. It's just fun!
I wasn't disappointed. Ryan Estrada created 8 frames of delightful webtoon that introduces the Korean Alphabet in an entertaining and easily understood way.
No matter what your goal is, this is a fast track, confidence building intro to reading and writing Hangeul.
Overall review: Very easy to use. In 15 minutes, you will have a wonderful intro to the Korean Alphabet and it's totally free. I recommend this as a first step for absolute beginners. It's just fun!
Click on picture to take you to the KTO website. This is a program found in the Official Korea Tourism Organization website. Charm Lee is actually Bernhard Quandt from Germany who first visited Korea over 30 years ago and is the founder of KTO.
There are three sections:
First, Get Ready includes an intro to program, the History of King Sejong's creation of Hangeul, Fun Facts and the Oriental Philosophy of Hangeul.
Second, Get Started teaches consonant, vowels, and the harmony of bringing it all together. You will learn the symbols in "families". A lot of information is packed into the flashcard sized boxes.
Third, Get Comfortable gives you practice, Hangeul Chart, a Cheat Sheet and links to other sources.
Overall review: Simple click and go navigation. My only complaint is that once you get into a section, there is no way to toggle to other sections. You have to use the back button multiple times. The compact information within the lessons can be taken in at a glance without having to scroll. The 30 minute investment here will give you not only the mechanics of writing and phonics, it will also give you the history and philosophy behind the creation of the characters. Free from fees and membership.
There are three sections:
First, Get Ready includes an intro to program, the History of King Sejong's creation of Hangeul, Fun Facts and the Oriental Philosophy of Hangeul.
Second, Get Started teaches consonant, vowels, and the harmony of bringing it all together. You will learn the symbols in "families". A lot of information is packed into the flashcard sized boxes.
Third, Get Comfortable gives you practice, Hangeul Chart, a Cheat Sheet and links to other sources.
Overall review: Simple click and go navigation. My only complaint is that once you get into a section, there is no way to toggle to other sections. You have to use the back button multiple times. The compact information within the lessons can be taken in at a glance without having to scroll. The 30 minute investment here will give you not only the mechanics of writing and phonics, it will also give you the history and philosophy behind the creation of the characters. Free from fees and membership.
Hangeul was first introduced in 1446 but not commonly used until about 500 years later.
--Charm Lee's Beginner Korean Class - Hangeul Quick Facts
Click on logo to take you to this app. This site is geared for the more academic types with its textbook feel. It has a detailed guide, intro including history and syllable structures, and 7 lessons. It is designed to study over a period of time with repetitive practice. The audio is good. You will learn to read, pronounce and write at the same time. Estimated time investment 3 - 4 hours with lessons and practice.
Overall review: Very easy to navigate without scrolling. All parts of the instruction are tabbed. For the competitive types, there is a timer. (I never figured out what it was for, but you might!) There are no cute pictures like the first two sites, but this is a comprehensive program that will give you detailed instruction in the Korean Alphabet. This is free. It does require entering your email to use app, but I have yet to receive anything from this. Fee services are offered from this website for 1:1 instruction using Korean textbooks designed by Kunkook University which have no English for an immersive environment.
Overall review: Very easy to navigate without scrolling. All parts of the instruction are tabbed. For the competitive types, there is a timer. (I never figured out what it was for, but you might!) There are no cute pictures like the first two sites, but this is a comprehensive program that will give you detailed instruction in the Korean Alphabet. This is free. It does require entering your email to use app, but I have yet to receive anything from this. Fee services are offered from this website for 1:1 instruction using Korean textbooks designed by Kunkook University which have no English for an immersive environment.
Due to the difficulty in reading Chinese characters, the literacy rate before Hangeul was a mere 5%. Now, the literacy rate in both North and South Korea stands at about 99%.
--Charm Lee's Beginner Korean Class - Hangeul Quick Facts
Check out the Korean Wiki Project. The Korean Wiki Project has programs from beginner to advanced. The 6 step beginner takes you through the complete Hangeul alphabet. If you like to learn with audio/visual, Talk to me in Korean teamed up with this project offering 5 You Tube videos. TTMIK also offers a book that teaches Hangeul. See book here: Become a Hangeul Master. Also available in Spanish.
Overall review: The layout is typical Wiki format. It includes written instruction with audio samples. Click and go navigation. This is a free collaborative project. (Also on Wiki, encyclopedia coverage here.)
Overall review: The layout is typical Wiki format. It includes written instruction with audio samples. Click and go navigation. This is a free collaborative project. (Also on Wiki, encyclopedia coverage here.)
Check out these sources and give us your feedback. If you have any sites you have found useful, please comment below so we can add them to our list. Happy Learning!
by Melodie Everson
Determined Korean Language Learner
by Melodie Everson
Determined Korean Language Learner
* Hangul is the more common spelling, but Hangeul is the romanization that more closely sounds correct. It is gaining in usage. The government updated the spelling of this word during the big romanization changes in the early 2000's.
** disclaimer - to those of you more advanced in Korean, this is an attempt of a level two dropout with the help of google translate to say "So, you want to learn Hangeul?". If you have a better translation, please submit in the comments. Thank you Park for the update!
** disclaimer - to those of you more advanced in Korean, this is an attempt of a level two dropout with the help of google translate to say "So, you want to learn Hangeul?". If you have a better translation, please submit in the comments. Thank you Park for the update!
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