So you love K-pop or K-dramas? So do I! And now you’re interested in understanding a little bit of Korean? I’m totally with you. Here’s a little bit about how I got started and what resources have worked well for me.

1. YouTube: You can learn anything on YouTube. Really. I used YouTube to learn Hangul (한글), the Korean Alphabet. Here’s the video I used, but there are many great options. I’d start by learning Hangul before you go too far on any other topic.
2. 세종학당, The King Sejong Institute: The King Sejong Institute (https://www.iksi.or.kr/)  is a Korean-language institute established by the South Korean government. There are many branches of the institute around the world that teach Korean language classes. I have taken online group classes through the Korean American Center in Irvine, California. Their classes are described here. There are also other centers around the US that offer online group classes, or if you’re lucky enough to live close to a center, you may be able to join a class in-person.
3. Talk To Me In Korean: A website and YouTube channel full of great Korean learning content. I ordered their print books and workbooks, and have found the workbooks especially helpful in practicing the skills covered in their books.
4. italki: italki is a tutoring platform that connects learners with teachers who can guide them in live private lessons. I worked with a private tutor on italki weekly for about 2 years and found the experience a really positive one.
5. Duolingo: I’m a huge Duolingo fan, because I find the daily practice model really helpful in establishing good practice habits. I have completed the Korean course on Duolingo several times over (1,000+ day learning streak!), but I’m still hanging out in the app and completing at least one daily lesson because sometimes they drop new Korean content in. They used to have Korean short stories, but those disappeared a little while ago. I’m hopeful they’ll be returning soon. The biggest downside to Duolingo is the lack of a conversational speaking opportunity.
6. Netflix and Viki: I could watch K-dramas all day long, but I make a point of really trying to use them to improve my listening comprehension. Netflix and Viki are the two streaming services I tune into most regularly. If you’re new to K-dramas, I recommend starting with Crash Landing on You on Netflix.
7. HelloTalk: I really like the concept of HelloTalk, an app to find language exchange partners, but in practice I’ve found it somewhat awkward to use. You can connect with native Korean speakers on here who are interested in practicing English (or any other language) but after you’ve made the connection, you’re on your own to figure out what to talk about and when to connect.
8. How to Study Korean: How to Study Korean (https://www.howtostudykorean.com/) is a website full of Korean learning content. This is a great site to use to get vocabulary lists or to study a point of grammar. I keep this one bookmarked so I can refer back to it when I have a question about something new I’ve learned elsewhere.

If you’re learning Korean, what resources have you been using? I’m always looking for new sources of inspiration, so leave a comment below!