The best way to learn Korean is a mix: mostly Korean you can understand, plus review and real conversation, with the balance set by your goal. Korean you can mostly understand is called comprehensible input. Below, you'll see what each way of learning builds and the mix that suits six common goals.
Which Ways of Learning Korean Work Best?
Reading and listening to Korean at your level works best, and each other method adds one skill on top of it.
| Method | What it builds | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Reading and listening at your level | Words, grammar and listening | Most of your time |
| A structured course | An order for the basics | Your first months |
| A tutor or conversation partner | Speaking and quick replies | Using what you know |
| Flashcards or other review | Words that stay with you | A few minutes each session |
| Shows and webtoons | Natural, everyday Korean | Fun, once you follow most of it |
| Grammar study | Why a sentence works | Patterns that confuse you |
Input is the base of the mix: a 2016 review of 49 studies in Reading in a Foreign Language, a University of Hawaii journal, found that reading a lot of easy material improves reading in a new language, and adults gained more than children.
What Is the Best Way to Learn Korean for Your Goal?
For every goal, the best way is the same base of reading and listening, with the rest of your time on the skill that goal needs most.
- Understand K-DramasPut most of your time into listening, starting with lessons about the shows and moving on to episodes with Korean subtitles.
- Talk With Family or FriendsRead and hear lots of everyday conversations, and spend the rest of your time talking with them or with a tutor.
- Travel to KoreaSpend most of your time on short dialogues about ordering food and getting around, and say each one out loud.
- Pass TOPIKRead and listen at your level most of the time, and try past test questions on the official TOPIK site as the test gets close.
- Read WebtoonsSpend most of your time reading short stories, and move on to webtoons once everyday conversations feel easy to follow.
- Work in KoreanRead and hear Korean about your field most of the time, and practice polite, formal speech with a tutor.
To see how many hours each stage takes, read how long it takes to learn Korean.
What Are the Best Resources for Each Part?
Each part of the mix has a good free option, such as HowtoStudyKorean for grammar or Anki for review, and an app or service for when you want more. Bubblegum, which appears in a few rows, is a language app where Poppy, an AI tutor, writes Korean lessons at your level about things you like.
| Part | Free option | App or service |
|---|---|---|
| Learning Hangul | Bubblegum's Hangul course | LingoDeer, whose course starts with the alphabet |
| Reading and listening at your level | Bubblegum's Korean lessons on this site | Bubblegum, TTMIK Stories or Dive Korean |
| Shows, news and webtoons | Language Reactor for shows, Todaii Korean for news | Kimchi Reader for books, shows and web pages you choose |
| Review | Anki, free on computers and Android | Bubblegum's Regenerative Review™, which brings saved words back in new lessons |
| Conversation | A language exchange on HelloTalk | A tutor on italki or Preply |
| Grammar | Free lessons on HowtoStudyKorean | TTMIK Courses or LingoDeer |
What Should You Avoid?
Avoid anything that keeps you from reading real Korean sentences you can follow.
- Korean in English LettersHangul spells Korean sounds better than English letters can, so read every Korean word in Hangul from the start.
- Lists With No SentencesSave words from lines you have read, so each one comes with an example of how it is used.
- Shows You Can't Follow YetSave dramas for when you can follow an episode with Korean subtitles on, and read lessons about the shows before that.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it better to learn Korean with an app or a teacher?
Use an app for the hours of reading and listening, and a teacher for speaking and corrections. Lessons with a tutor on italki or Preply are paid, so spend that time talking, and do your reading and listening on your own.
Should I learn Korean grammar first?
No. Learn Hangul first, then learn grammar from the Korean you read and hear, and look a pattern up when it confuses you. A rule is easier to learn once you have seen it a few times: after 먹고 싶어요 (I want to eat) and 가고 싶어요 (I want to go), the pattern for "I want to" is easy to spot.
Which Korean app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Korean, start with Bubblegum. Poppy writes lessons at your level about things you like. Our Korean app comparison covers courses, tutors and speaking apps too.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.
The Hangul course and the Korean lessons on this site are also free and need no account.
Sources
- Jeon and Day (2016), The effectiveness of ER on reading proficiency: A meta-analysis, Reading in a Foreign Language 28(2), University of Hawaii
- TOPIK, the official Test of Proficiency in Korean site (past test questions)
- Anki, official downloads (free computer version and AnkiDroid)
- HelloTalk, learn Korean (free language exchange)
- HowtoStudyKorean (free lessons)
