I started learning Korean a year before my first trip to South Korea. And here many people often ask this terribly embarrassing question: “Daria, how long have you been learning Korean?” People, why are you so cruel?!

I first started learning Korean in the fall of 2010. Yes, yes, I have been studying Korean for 7 years and still do not speak it. All! Confessed! And like a stone from the soul. For me, as a person who sincerely believes that, if desired, any language at an intermediate level can be learned in 6-12 months, it is painful to write about seven years. But in fact, we also had good times with the Korean language. Somehow I even passed TOPIK at level 2!

Difficulties in learning Korean

The Korean language is very strange! You can call me a polyglot and with others ( European languages) I have never experienced such difficulties as with the Korean language. What have I experienced Difficulties in learning Korean:

1. Pronunciation. I am still not given all the sounds and I do not always remember 100 and one rule for reading Korean words.
2. Korean words are not memorized. I cannot easily reproduce them (except for memorized phrases), I cannot easily write them (even memorized phrases).
3. Sometimes it seems to me that Korean grammar has more exceptions than rules.
4. I perceive written texts more or less well, I can even write (if I remember how a word is spelled), but spoken Korean is often just a set of sounds pleasant to my ear for me.
5. If I stop learning Korean for at least a week, that's it! I can start learning the alphabet again. It's horrible! I started to learn the Korean alphabet 10 times already. And I still haven't learned it.

But all this does not stop me in my desire to learn Korean someday to some decent conversational level. For this reason, from time to time I run the Korean Marathon with a group of enthusiasts (read more about what it is). The next one will start tomorrow, so if you want to learn Korean too, feel free to join to our Vkontakte group.

Korean learning apps

1. 세종한국어어휘학습 (or Sejong Korean Vocabulary - Basic) The application is developed by the King Sejong Institute, which promotes the Korean language around the world. It is designed for beginners and helps build vocabulary. What I especially like is the high-quality voice acting of words, phrases and sentences.
2. PopPopping Korean The application will help you put the correct Korean pronunciation. Suitable even for complete beginners, because the entire educational process built on pictures. In the sequel, there is also Poppopping Korean–Conversation, in which the simplest dialogues on everyday topics are voiced.
   
3. The unofficial app itself, in my opinion, interesting project, dedicated to learning Korean - Talk to me in Korean Everything is in English, but you can collect a huge amount colloquial phrases in Korean from the Koreans themselves for the most different levels language proficiency. What I also like is cultural references and funny videos.
   
4. Learn Korean 6000 Words by Fun Easy Learn The first of all applications translated into Russian. There are probably really 6000 words, but they are divided into normal semantic blocks and you can safely not learn what you consider unnecessary. Words are accompanied by pictures (as I like), pronunciation is voiced by living people, games of varying complexity are used for memorization. One of the nicest apps I've ever used.
   

How can you learn Korean on your own? And is it possible?

If you dig deeper, this question concerns not only the Korean language, but also any other foreign languages. I do not speak for all the languages ​​of the world, since I have not come across all of them in my life. But I can say for sure about Korean. Maybe. If you work hard, your hard work will pay off. Learning Korean is an exciting journey, because the language also reflects the culture of the whole people.

In order to easily master a language, you need to see its "skeleton", that is, to understand how it is built, what parts it consists of.

Simply put, language is a combination of VOCABULARY and GRAMMAR by and large.

Every time I give a lesson, I try to systematize knowledge as much as possible in order to help students see the whole picture. She even wrote a book on this occasion - "7 Doors".

I recommend going from simple to complex: alphabet - pronunciation - reading - writing - basic vocabulary and grammar. Formal style - case endings - informal polite style - tenses - complex sentences. Basic vocabulary - extended vocabulary.

It will take you much more time to master the language on your own than when studying in a group or individually with a teacher. Therefore, if you have the opportunity to take such lessons, go without hesitation! If you have the opportunity to attend a language course in - do not delay!

To help the inquisitive - books, manuals, the Internet, films, music ... Fortunately, in our technological age, everyone has access to these inexhaustible bowels. There are groups in in social networks, where you can replenish your Korean stock online, and completely free. And at the same time ask for advice from more advanced Korean lovers.

So, if nevertheless you have chosen to learn the language on your own, on your own, then be patient and preferably with textbooks. All textbooks are different, most use a professional linguistic language with very abstruse special terminology, incomprehensible to the common man.

You will have to start with the banal - and the rules of reading and writing. Then you can read texts and look up (and hopefully find) words in the dictionary. More about dictionaries

And also in the territory of the Chinese district of Yanban, which has autonomy, official language is Korean. Also, this language is alive within various other countries: from Kyrgyzstan to Canada and Japan. After all, a huge Korean diaspora lives on their territories, which has preserved its traditions.

In order to travel to a foreign country, you need to familiarize yourself with all the details that will be needed during your stay. Learning Korean from scratch will be useful for those who plan to move permanently to the corresponding country (or just visit it as a tourist), get acquainted with the culture and life, and it will also be useful for polyglots who are eager to learn a new one. foreign language. To speak this amazing dialect, you must follow simple rules and learn step by step.

First step

To begin with, as in the study of other languages, you need to learn the alphabet. It is essential for reading and writing. Learning Korean from scratch on your own can cause some difficulties at the first stage, but as soon as they are overcome, the language itself will attract the student.

It is worth talking a little about the alphabet. For people who use it in their speech, it will seem a little strange. However, among the trio of Asian languages ​​- Japanese, Chinese and Descriptive - it is the easiest. Korean invented in 1443. And since then it has 24 letters, 10 of them are vowels. In the early stages, this knowledge will be enough to master the basic language.

Korean has diphthongs, and hancha. There are 16 of the first two. Accordingly, the complete alphabet consists of 40 different letters. What is khancha? A few centuries ago, when the formation of the Korean language was going on, many Chinese words began to come into it, which have not found analogues in the described structure to this day. Therefore, the average Korean knows about 3 thousand. And if in Japanese words of foreign pronunciation have moved into everyday conversations, then Korean keeps a distance - they are used only in official letters, texts on religious topics, dictionaries and classics. It is worth noting that in the territory North Korea hancha is not used.

Why is the alphabet so easy? Knowing the basic information, of course, will help with such a laborious process as learning Korean from scratch on your own. Unlike Japanese and Chinese, which use hieroglyphs, its words are made up of letters. And the individual characters that make up the alphabet mean only one (sometimes two, if we are talking about a pair of voiced-deaf) letters.

step two

Having mastered the alphabet, you should begin to study the numerals. The main thing here is to immediately understand the difference when the Korean calculus is used, and when the Chinese one. The first, as a rule, is necessary for counting from 1 to 99 and when indicating the age of any matter. For example, one is “khana”, two are “tul”, three are “set”. The second is used by the population when counting after 100, in the names of streets, houses, dates, money and phone numbers. For example, one is “il”, two are “and”, three are “self”. At the same time, letters are used in their writing, and it may not seem complicated either, but it’s even more difficult, and without mastering this, it will be very difficult to develop further. After all, such a task as learning the Korean language from scratch cannot be compared with trying to master some Slavic system native to Russian.

step three

Step three involves learning small phrases and a few dozen basic words. You just have to start and it will immediately be noticeable how Korean combinations themselves begin to crawl into your head.

Be sure to have a small notebook with you, where you can write down how to pronounce certain words. A great way to learn Korean from scratch is to stick stickers with phrases in prominent places. So the brain will better absorb new information.

The most important process in the third step is to learn not only Korean-Russian translation, but also Russian-Korean. So after all, it will be possible to learn to speak the language, and not just understand it.

step four

When learning Korean from scratch on your own, you should not forget about base words, such as "hello" or "bye". They are necessary even for the most uneducated polyglots and will always help out when talking with a native speaker. Among the standard words, the following can be distinguished: yes (“ne”), no (“ani”), thank you (“kamsamnida”), hello (“annen”).

step five

There is a clear division in Korean culture into an official and an unofficial form of the language. Which one to use in communication with a certain person should be clarified from the following factors: the age of the interlocutor, his profession and achievements, social status. Formality in dialogue has three stages:

• Official. Used to talk with elders, boss and unfamiliar people.
• Unofficial. More suitable if the opponent is a close friend, relative or younger in age.
• Respectful. It is not used in everyday speech, but can often be heard on television in scientific and news programs, as well as in the army.

For those who are learning Korean from scratch, this division is important to understand. Those who do not adhere to formalities are considered impolite, and thus the person himself spoils relations with others.

step six

Now you need to master the grammar. It presents complexity only in one thing - in a huge number of different forms of the same verb. And they all need to be known.

Among the most common grammar rules are the following:

1. The verb in the sentence is placed at the very last place.
2. The subject is used only if it is impossible to understand from the context or from the previous sentence what or who is being discussed.

step seven

Practice is an important step. The more a person speaks and writes, the better his skills become.

Don't be afraid to start learning Korean from scratch. It is morally difficult, although technically easy. The main thing is desire and perseverance. Good luck!

My first acquaintance with the Korean language took place almost 8 years ago, when my son Grisha entered the Belarusian State University in the Oriental Department of the Faculty international relations and he got the Korean language. I remember well how I tried to help him remember the words. He wrote in Korean, I dictated in Russian. All the words were like hedgehogs, prickly and alien...

Only with time did we learn that in ancient times, Koreans did not have a written language and were forced to use Chinese characters which was inaccessible to most ordinary people. That is why in 1446, King Sejong, who ruled the state of Joseon, invented the Korean alphabet, which was originally called "Hunmin jongum" (Instruction to the people on the correct pronunciation).

In October 1997, the book "Hongmin jongum harebong" (Hongmin jongum interpretation), which explained the purpose of creating the Hangul script, the meaning of words and the rules for their recording, was included in the UNESCO World Memory Register. In honor of this invention in the education system, UNESCO annually awards two King Sejong Prizes. The prizes are funded by the Government of the Republic of Korea and are awarded educational programs and projects.

More than five centuries have passed since the creation of "Hangul", but only relatively recently, contemporary artists and designers of various directions began to consider the possibility of using its potential as the leitmotif of their works.

Sculpture made of steel Kang Byung In

in the form of the Korean word for "flower"

As for me, I can say that I became interested in Korea, its people and language only after Grisha brought home the Korean drama "Prince's First Cafe" in his second year. I accidentally looked in, passing by the computer and ... stayed until the end of the viewing. Sixteen days and sixteen episodes. She begged Grisha to translate at least something, but he said that he himself knew little. Therefore, I looked at how paintings are looked at and ... fell in love with the sincerity emanating from the screen. The story left a mark on my soul. Time passed and two years later Grisha got subtitles for this drama especially for me. It was a holiday!!! Day after day, my passion for Korean cinema led to a state of falling in love with the Korean language. I discovered the beauty of this language, but the desire to start learning it did not arise.

About a year ago, when I was visiting my son in Seoul, Grisha once said to me: “Mom, it’s time for you to start learning Korean! There are museums where you can only go by bus. But I can’t let you go alone, but I work If you just learn to read, I can let you go on the bus as well." Setting a mini-task at the beginning is his way of encouraging me to start something new. And it works! But, to be honest, the point has already come when I wanted to go beyond 감사합니다 ( "thank you") I easily agreed and we agreed to go the next day to buy me a textbook.

We immediately went to this display to find exactly the textbook that is considered one of the best for foreigners. And when we found what we were looking for, on the check that we printed out, there was all the necessary information: the sector in which the textbook is located and the route to it.

The author of the textbook smiled temptingly at me (or maybe not the author, but then I thought so), pointing with her finger at the title, saying that learning Korean is easy! I am happy to bring it home. Opened and found information about the author:

And then I finally realized: in this tutorial, everything is explained in English language. But I have been learning English on my own from scratch for only two years, before that I studied German for many years, first at school and university, and then at the Goete-Institute. Grisha reassured me and offered to start exercising immediately, although it was past midnight. And it was good! The first lesson with a teacher like Grisha saved me from fear. He was right! The textbook suggests learning by playing. The exercises are varied. EVERYONE has an audio recording. I did the exercises, but there was no feeling that I was learning. Grammar is not overloaded. The rules are shown in examples highlighted in font and color. And, of course, it is worth noting the design of the publication, which helps to immerse yourself in the elements of the language and learn with pleasure, as it happens probably only in early period childhood.

A few days later I returned to Minsk and postponed the study of the Korean language, it just so happened. I learned a little the alphabet and my enthusiasm faded.

The hour has struck only with the appearance in our familyin the month of FebruaryJuho (주호), a student from Busan who came to gain experience at the Korean company "KOTRA".

• Then all the words written here. I got excited and, turning the package over, began to read everything that was written in small print. Accidentally discovering in such a way that I already stumble much less, from there I took into the dictionary, as it turned out later, several new words that were important to me. And it was this experience of yesterday that helped me once again make sure that a great mood is the main key to success! In such an unexpected way, I replenished my vocabulary with 25 new words, but at the same time I was not pierced by the thought "Oh, study again! When will this be over and it will be possible to rest?"
• Mistakes. They accompany me, there's nothing to be done. One of the most common is that I always try to make one of the syllables stressed, and the peculiarity of the Korean language is that all syllables are equally stressed. And only when I ask do I highlight the last syllable. When Grisha told me about it, I also started to pay attention to it when listening and learn how to pronounce it correctly. But for now, this is not easy for me to do.
• What else do I do to make my habit of learning Korean more stable, so that words are remembered more easily and so as not to lose heart? I include Korean expressions in my Facebook friends' birthday greetings and send them voice messages. I use some of them at work when I suggest something to colleagues or thank them. But most of the time I say them to Juho. Thanks to him, some of them have become a part of me. In other words, I use them wherever possible. But in Belarus, unfortunately, there are not many opportunities to speak in Korean.
• And one more thing I want to talk about. Juho once told me that the Korean education system is different from ours. When learning a foreign language, the emphasis is on creating a powerful vocabulary. And he added that he learned 30.000 at school English words. I was surprised how it is possible to know the number so accurately, but he said that in the Republic of Korea, a dictionary of English words was specially created and published for schoolchildren, which they must learn. And he learned them, it's true. From any area, no matter what word I say, he will immediately tell me what it means. I observe the same picture every day regarding the Russian language. He knows just an incredible amount of Russian words. I asked him if words really matter? He replied that thirty percent, yes. And these observations also help me, at least for the time being, not to lose motivation. But most importantly, what I would like to say about this moment: you should never be afraid to start learning a foreign language, on the contrary, you should use this chance. Language is part of the culture of a people. Therefore, it helps us to enrich our internal culture and expand our understanding of the world as a whole, as well as of an individual people, as part of it.

Living in the Far East, we were the first to feel the demand and relevance of knowledge of oriental languages. Today it is much less common to meet a student who has chosen to study German language than, say, Chinese.

In fact, there are a lot of languages ​​that are generically called "Eastern" in the world. These are the languages ​​of Central Asia - Tajik, Turkic, Kazakh, Tatar, and the Arabic group - Hindi, Urdu, Farsi, Persian, and the languages ​​\u200b\u200bof South and Southeast Asia - Vietnamese, Thai, Indonesian, Filipino and others. But, of course, most often the inhabitants Far East choose to study one of the top three - Korean, Japanese or Chinese.

Why Korean?

Today we will talk about a language that is not in the greatest demand, but is stable - this is the Korean language. A trip to Korea today has become easier than to the same China (we do not take into account the border one) - tickets cost a penny, a visa is not needed, foreigners are treated peacefully there, the food is tasty, and there is always something to do. Many Russians cooperate with Koreans in business, medicine, choose Korean educational establishments or emigrate.

If you are thinking of connecting your life with South Korea in one way or another, you probably have a natural question - is it difficult to learn Korean? Let us turn to the difficulties that may await you along the way.

Difficulties in Korean

The first is pronunciation. Many mistakenly think that since the language does not have tones, like in Chinese, then it is easy to speak it. In fact, less than half of Korean sounds have analogues in Russian. That is, you actually have to learn to pronounce the sounds to which your speech apparatus unfit since childhood.

For example, vowels can have 2 pronunciation options, and the difference between them is minimal by ear and very important at the same time - an incorrect sound turns one word into another. Consonants, in general, can be pronounced in three different ways - strong, weak and aspirated, and none of them coincides with the sounds familiar to a Russian person.

The second is grammar. The word order in a sentence is so illogical for Slavic speakers that not everyone is able to accept it even after several years of study. Also, in Korean there are no forms of verbs familiar to us, but there are various categories of politeness, the need for which depends on what your status is and what the status of your interlocutor! It's time to decide that learning German with its many consonants is a more attractive prospect.

The third is vocabulary. Three types of vocabulary - native Korean, Chinese and borrowed from other languages ​​- lead to the fact that the word can be pronounced and written differently, but at the same time mean the same thing. Moreover, not a single course will help you understand this issue - everything is comprehended only in communication with native speakers and in complete immersion in the language environment.

Why you should take up Korean

Now that you're scared enough, allow yourself a spoonful of honey: yes, all these difficulties await beginners in learning Korean. But as soon as your mind adjusts to the previously unfamiliar logic of the inhabitants of the Land of the Morning Calm, as South Korea is poetically called, the language will go like clockwork.

The most important thing you should do is forget about everything you have been taught in English and even Russian and stop trying to match Korean with other languages ​​you know. Then you will be completely open to new knowledge, get acquainted with the structure of the language, which is unusual for you, and you will only have to love it with all your heart and want to speak Korean. Caution: in this case, you are in danger of complete "Koreanization"!

If you are still hesitant between Chinese, Korean and Japanese, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with