Course description

This course takes you from your very first Hangul letter to reading Korean with confidence and holding simple, polite conversations about yourself, food, shopping, travel and everyday life. It's written for adults in the UK who are starting Korean from scratch, perhaps drawn to it by Korean dramas, music, food or a trip.

Every lesson is written in plain English and explains each grammar word the first time it appears. Hangul is taught fully, letter by letter and block by block, with romanisation beside every Korean word, so you can read and say everything without audio while you learn to read. You'll practise out loud from the start, with short dialogues, sentences to read aloud and a practical task in every lesson. The grammar is kept to what beginners need: the polite -yo form, the main particles, the verbs for being and having, the present, past and future, questions, and describing words.

There are 10 sections and 50 written lessons, and each section ends with a short quiz. You follow Eglantine, a nurse from Kendal, as she learns Korean, practises every Sunday with a language exchange partner in Busan, and finally makes her first trip to Korea. Every section has a practice pack with a worksheet, example answers, extra practice with answers, a word list and flashcards, plus printable Hangul charts and handwriting sheets, phrase cards, grammar sheets, a numbers sheet, verb tables, role-play scripts and a printable phrase sheet where they help.

What you'll learn

• Hangul vowels and consonants: how the Korean alphabet works, how letters build syllable blocks, every consonant and vowel, and the difference between plain, aspirated and tense sounds, with romanisation alongside.
• Reading Hangul: final consonants and their seven end sounds, double finals, the main sound changes, borrowed words and signs, and writing your own name in Hangul.
• Greetings, polite speech and introductions: hello, thank you, sorry and goodbye, the -yo form with formal and casual speech in outline, your self-introduction, countries, jobs, names and titles.
• Numbers, prices, dates and time: both Korean number systems, prices in won, counters, telling the time, and days, months and dates.
• Sentences, particles, being and having: Korean word order, the particles 은/는, 이/가, 을/를, 도, 하고, 에 and 에서, and the verbs for being and having.
• Verbs in the present, past and future: the -yo form of any verb, 하다 verbs and irregular verbs, saying no with 안 and 못, the past tense, plans and wants.
• Questions, daily life and describing: question words, your daily routine, hobbies and likes, family, and describing people and things.
• Food and drink: food and drink words, ordering at a café and a restaurant, explaining an allergy, and buying from food stalls.
• Shopping, travel and directions: shops and paying, colours and sizes, asking the way, the subway, trains and taxis, checking in, feeling unwell and emergency numbers.
• Review and final projects: making plans with -(으)ㄹ까요, a phrase review with respectful habits, your own written and spoken self-introduction, a day out written as a role-play and a diary, and how to keep learning.

Who it's for

Adult beginners in the UK: complete beginners, and anyone who knows a few words and wants a structured start. It suits fans of Korean dramas, music and food, travellers planning a trip to Korea, people with Korean friends or colleagues, and anyone who'd like to learn a new language and a new alphabet for its own sake.

What this course is, and isn't

This is a text-based course with no audio or video: pronunciation is taught with Revised Romanisation and plain descriptions. It teaches standard Korean in the polite -yo form, with formal and casual speech in outline. It doesn't lead to a qualification, and it doesn't recommend any apps, books or brands. The story and characters are fictional.

What will I learn?

• Read and write every Hangul letter and syllable block, including final consonants and double finals
• Pronounce Korean clearly using Revised Romanisation as a guide, and know the main sound changes
• Greet people, introduce yourself and use the polite -yo form, and recognise formal and casual speech
• Use both Korean number systems for prices in won, counting, the time, days and dates
• Build simple sentences with the main particles and the verbs for being and having
• Talk about the present, the past and your plans with everyday verbs, and say no with 안 and 못
• Ask questions, describe your daily routine, hobbies and family, and describe people and things
• Order at a café, a restaurant and a food stall, and explain a food allergy clearly
• Shop, ask the way, use the subway, trains and taxis, check in and ask for help
• Make plans with friends, and write and say a longer self-introduction and an account of a day out

Frequently asked questions