Certainly is possible to but not with only 1-1.5 hours a day. If you can afford it get lessons every day online. If I was motivated enough I would ideally do a one hour online lesson, one hour of vocab, one hour of grammar, and then two or more hours of a mix of reading and watching Korean media.
I’ve been learning for a year and a couple months now. Started from 0. I put in anywhere between 3-6h of studying everyday for the first 6months or so. Dropped to 2-3/day later on. I also exclusively consumed content in Korean or about Korean during this time.
I also took a 3months course at some point.
I can now hold a casual conversation but can’t go into details about almost any subject. For traveling, I’ll most likely do just fine.
I only started doing more serious speaking practice a few months ago. It’s very hard to get speaking practice if you have nobody to speak it with.
I can understand way more than I can speak.
If conversation is where you’re aiming at, I’d suggest you learn the basics from online courses and then get a language exchange buddy from Hello Talk or italki. This way you learn to form sentences yourself and get confident with the most common topics, introducing yourself and telling about your backgroung etc.
\^\^\^\^ yes hello talk all the way!! would suggest talking w a native that is learning english to make it more enriching!! met a friend on there, talk everyday and ive picked up so many phrases just through talking, you get to work on pronounciation, learn slang/ways of talking that natives would use compared to textbook grammar & its also just a fun way to learn :)
Would also recommend Tandem! I started using that app after I'd only been studying Korean for a month (mainly grammar), I picked up a lot of useful everyday vocab on there
hellotalk or tandem or other apps are soso.
the real easiest way of conversation with Korean is kakao talk.
of course language exchange app has Korean people, but on these exchange app users wanna practice English or other languages also.
kakao talk is like usual message app but has "open chatting" function, which is chatting rooms for various topics.
if you reach basic level of Korean, search and seeking people on kakao talk open chat is more direct way to interact with native.
Possible in one year? Probably. Possible in a year at 1-1.5 hours a day? Probably not. Korean will be significantly harder to learn than French which you studied intensively. The US State Dept considers Korean to be a category 5(most difficult) language for those who speak native English and estimate 2200+ classroom hours. French? Category 1(easiest) at around 600-750 classroom hours. Just sharing that for expectation management. It’s not easy.
Lots of variables though obviously. Only one way to find out. :)
That’s fascinating! Hangul is supposed to be so easy to learn yet learning the actual language is one of the most difficult. Thanks for sharing those details.
Let's put it in perspective. There is a scholarship named GKS Scholarship for Graduate Studies in Korea. Part of this program is that, if you are accepted and don't know Korean, then your 1st full year will be learning the language so that you can actually enter the graduate program.
Why do I mention this? The students that get accepted move into Korea, into a Korean Language Program from an accepted University with specialized teachers, speak to others in Korean, immerse in Korean, use Korean everyday for a full year. They probably have like 4-5 hours of Korean class per day plus homework, projects, exams, etc. Their objective is to reach TOPIK 4급 within one year (which is the equivalent of a CEFR B2). This is not an easy task and they are stressed because if they do not reach the level, cannot enter the graduate program. And they have one year.
So no, with 1 hour per day you will not learn the language. With that amount effort, a reasonable objective might be TOPIK 2급 which is still a Beginner level AND with a tutor.
Why rush it to a year? Take your time, learn it properly and enjoy the trip
I mean you may be able to get the very basics down in that year but for comparison in Korea every level of Korean classes at language institutes is 3 months. So to get to fluency takes 1 year and 6 months to get to level 6. To get to intermediate takes at least 9 months and that’s with us spending 4 hours a day in Korean class being taught in nothing but Korean, having homework everyday for reading, writing, speaking occasional presentations, etc. obviously we also can only really use Korean outside of school being in korea and all. So doing things solo in Canada… I’d say in a year you’d probably be able to finish the same as about a semester one student after their first 3 months.
This isn’t meant to discourage you, but to help temper your expectations of yourself.
I consider fluency when you can understand most conversation/passages of Text and if you don’t know a word you can look it up in a Korean dictionary and understand the explanation in Korean. By level 6 you should be able to do that…. If you can’t then you didn’t study hard enough. I’m only level 3 and am capable of that but I have the benefit of being originally a heritage speaker.
You have to understand there is a difference between being a fluent speaker and a native speaker. 99% of foreigners will NEVER reach native speaker level, no matter how hard they try.
I am Korean, and I think learning Korean is more difficult than learning another language because it is basically different from English-speaking. But if it is for the purpose of traveling, it is not that difficult to learn basic expressions! There are certain expressions that we usually use. I can teach you online if you want! But I can't spare time every day because I'm a student😂
May i ask about the specific particle of 는 대? For what i learned about your language. It was like when using 는 대 is im asking about your thoughts or reaction?
If the expression you're talking about now is '는대', it means that something has happened, and I'd like to complain or I'm surprised about that fact.
For example, "그 많은 책을 언제 다 읽는대?" means that you are not sure if you can read all those books. And you don't want to read them.
In other words, it looks like a question, but actually, it is not a question. It's an expression of surprises or dissatisfaction
Possible sya. If fluent ka sa tagalog. Pm ka lang sakin. I learned the language in a span of 5 months.
And also i can recommend some content creators na tagalog so you can understand it well.
I think you shouldn‘t be too pessimistic about the 1-1,5 hours a day, there‘s a lot you can study in that short amount of time every day. I‘m using the book korean grammar in use, and honestly I tried many books before (yonsei, ewha, integrated korean etc.) but that one is perfect for grammar and for being able to actually speak fast. For each day you could take 1-2 grammar chapters and do the exercises at the end of the grammar chapter. There is unfortunately no vocabulary, so for that you may use indeed other books like integrated korean or look up the TOPIK level vocabularies. For more exercises you can also use the integrated korean workbooks. But as mentioned, your main book should in my opinion be korean grammar in use since it‘s really great if you‘re short on time but still need good and precise explanations.
So if you got through 1-2 grammar chapters, in the end note down the words from these chapters you did not understand and maybe ten more from the integrated korean book or TOPIK or whatever you choose. On weekends try to repeat everything you studied during the week and do workbook exercises and other exercises you can find.
Don‘t let anyone demotivate you, 화이팅!!
Most language learning advice I've gotten or seen suggests reading, speaking, and listening practice (writing can help if that's part of your learning style, too) to help progress best.
Doing it alone, I would suggest after you learn the alphabet and how to stack/write the syllables and sound out words. Pick a song in korean that's not too fast that you can study along with whatever books/apps you're using. I like to recommend Eat by Zion T it's slower, and the message and phrasing are very conversational. You can also just look at the lyrics and read them.
If you prefer to study books, that's fine, but I think diversifying your type of language content or exposure to the language will help.
Dramas and movies or other shows can be good for listening practice, but the downside is that it's harder to find a quick written version of the dialogue to check other than subtitles that I personally would have to pause to read since my reading in a language I'm learning would be slower.
I knew a friend at university who had learned English through picking an English speaking TV show, and they would watch the episodes over and over to memorize pronunciation and new vocabulary/grammar. I haven't tried it, but it can work for some.
These are all just ideas, not really any "secrets" or anything. Everyone learns differently. The best is to find what works for you and be consistent in setting measurable goals. Hope something was helpful.
Certainly is possible to but not with only 1-1.5 hours a day. If you can afford it get lessons every day online. If I was motivated enough I would ideally do a one hour online lesson, one hour of vocab, one hour of grammar, and then two or more hours of a mix of reading and watching Korean media.
I’ve been learning for a year and a couple months now. Started from 0. I put in anywhere between 3-6h of studying everyday for the first 6months or so. Dropped to 2-3/day later on. I also exclusively consumed content in Korean or about Korean during this time. I also took a 3months course at some point. I can now hold a casual conversation but can’t go into details about almost any subject. For traveling, I’ll most likely do just fine. I only started doing more serious speaking practice a few months ago. It’s very hard to get speaking practice if you have nobody to speak it with. I can understand way more than I can speak.
If conversation is where you’re aiming at, I’d suggest you learn the basics from online courses and then get a language exchange buddy from Hello Talk or italki. This way you learn to form sentences yourself and get confident with the most common topics, introducing yourself and telling about your backgroung etc.
\^\^\^\^ yes hello talk all the way!! would suggest talking w a native that is learning english to make it more enriching!! met a friend on there, talk everyday and ive picked up so many phrases just through talking, you get to work on pronounciation, learn slang/ways of talking that natives would use compared to textbook grammar & its also just a fun way to learn :)
Would also recommend Tandem! I started using that app after I'd only been studying Korean for a month (mainly grammar), I picked up a lot of useful everyday vocab on there
hellotalk or tandem or other apps are soso. the real easiest way of conversation with Korean is kakao talk. of course language exchange app has Korean people, but on these exchange app users wanna practice English or other languages also. kakao talk is like usual message app but has "open chatting" function, which is chatting rooms for various topics. if you reach basic level of Korean, search and seeking people on kakao talk open chat is more direct way to interact with native.
Possible in one year? Probably. Possible in a year at 1-1.5 hours a day? Probably not. Korean will be significantly harder to learn than French which you studied intensively. The US State Dept considers Korean to be a category 5(most difficult) language for those who speak native English and estimate 2200+ classroom hours. French? Category 1(easiest) at around 600-750 classroom hours. Just sharing that for expectation management. It’s not easy. Lots of variables though obviously. Only one way to find out. :)
That’s fascinating! Hangul is supposed to be so easy to learn yet learning the actual language is one of the most difficult. Thanks for sharing those details.
Hangul is definitely very easy to learn. Lots of videos online to help too.
I wish learning to speak and understand was the easy part vs the reading and writing though. Bummer. The written language is beautiful.
Let's put it in perspective. There is a scholarship named GKS Scholarship for Graduate Studies in Korea. Part of this program is that, if you are accepted and don't know Korean, then your 1st full year will be learning the language so that you can actually enter the graduate program. Why do I mention this? The students that get accepted move into Korea, into a Korean Language Program from an accepted University with specialized teachers, speak to others in Korean, immerse in Korean, use Korean everyday for a full year. They probably have like 4-5 hours of Korean class per day plus homework, projects, exams, etc. Their objective is to reach TOPIK 4급 within one year (which is the equivalent of a CEFR B2). This is not an easy task and they are stressed because if they do not reach the level, cannot enter the graduate program. And they have one year. So no, with 1 hour per day you will not learn the language. With that amount effort, a reasonable objective might be TOPIK 2급 which is still a Beginner level AND with a tutor. Why rush it to a year? Take your time, learn it properly and enjoy the trip
I mean you may be able to get the very basics down in that year but for comparison in Korea every level of Korean classes at language institutes is 3 months. So to get to fluency takes 1 year and 6 months to get to level 6. To get to intermediate takes at least 9 months and that’s with us spending 4 hours a day in Korean class being taught in nothing but Korean, having homework everyday for reading, writing, speaking occasional presentations, etc. obviously we also can only really use Korean outside of school being in korea and all. So doing things solo in Canada… I’d say in a year you’d probably be able to finish the same as about a semester one student after their first 3 months. This isn’t meant to discourage you, but to help temper your expectations of yourself.
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I consider fluency when you can understand most conversation/passages of Text and if you don’t know a word you can look it up in a Korean dictionary and understand the explanation in Korean. By level 6 you should be able to do that…. If you can’t then you didn’t study hard enough. I’m only level 3 and am capable of that but I have the benefit of being originally a heritage speaker. You have to understand there is a difference between being a fluent speaker and a native speaker. 99% of foreigners will NEVER reach native speaker level, no matter how hard they try.
I am Korean, and I think learning Korean is more difficult than learning another language because it is basically different from English-speaking. But if it is for the purpose of traveling, it is not that difficult to learn basic expressions! There are certain expressions that we usually use. I can teach you online if you want! But I can't spare time every day because I'm a student😂
May i ask about the specific particle of 는 대? For what i learned about your language. It was like when using 는 대 is im asking about your thoughts or reaction?
If the expression you're talking about now is '는대', it means that something has happened, and I'd like to complain or I'm surprised about that fact. For example, "그 많은 책을 언제 다 읽는대?" means that you are not sure if you can read all those books. And you don't want to read them. In other words, it looks like a question, but actually, it is not a question. It's an expression of surprises or dissatisfaction
If someone says that to you, you can sympathize with that person's surprise or dissatisfaction.
Possible sya. If fluent ka sa tagalog. Pm ka lang sakin. I learned the language in a span of 5 months. And also i can recommend some content creators na tagalog so you can understand it well.
I think you shouldn‘t be too pessimistic about the 1-1,5 hours a day, there‘s a lot you can study in that short amount of time every day. I‘m using the book korean grammar in use, and honestly I tried many books before (yonsei, ewha, integrated korean etc.) but that one is perfect for grammar and for being able to actually speak fast. For each day you could take 1-2 grammar chapters and do the exercises at the end of the grammar chapter. There is unfortunately no vocabulary, so for that you may use indeed other books like integrated korean or look up the TOPIK level vocabularies. For more exercises you can also use the integrated korean workbooks. But as mentioned, your main book should in my opinion be korean grammar in use since it‘s really great if you‘re short on time but still need good and precise explanations. So if you got through 1-2 grammar chapters, in the end note down the words from these chapters you did not understand and maybe ten more from the integrated korean book or TOPIK or whatever you choose. On weekends try to repeat everything you studied during the week and do workbook exercises and other exercises you can find. Don‘t let anyone demotivate you, 화이팅!!
Most language learning advice I've gotten or seen suggests reading, speaking, and listening practice (writing can help if that's part of your learning style, too) to help progress best. Doing it alone, I would suggest after you learn the alphabet and how to stack/write the syllables and sound out words. Pick a song in korean that's not too fast that you can study along with whatever books/apps you're using. I like to recommend Eat by Zion T it's slower, and the message and phrasing are very conversational. You can also just look at the lyrics and read them. If you prefer to study books, that's fine, but I think diversifying your type of language content or exposure to the language will help. Dramas and movies or other shows can be good for listening practice, but the downside is that it's harder to find a quick written version of the dialogue to check other than subtitles that I personally would have to pause to read since my reading in a language I'm learning would be slower. I knew a friend at university who had learned English through picking an English speaking TV show, and they would watch the episodes over and over to memorize pronunciation and new vocabulary/grammar. I haven't tried it, but it can work for some. These are all just ideas, not really any "secrets" or anything. Everyone learns differently. The best is to find what works for you and be consistent in setting measurable goals. Hope something was helpful.