Korean Lessons in Christchurch

“아리랑” (Arirang)

Using songs is a great strategy to acquire more Korean vocabulary and to get familiar with pronunciation in an effortless way. For example, you can listen to Arirang, one of the most popular Korean songs of all time. This track talks about a woman who complains all the time about her partner, who doesn’t seem to feel anything for her and ultimately leaves her. In addition to learning words about love, sorrow and breakups, you will get familiar with terms related to geography and travelling, as the poetic persona vividly describes all the places in Korean she went to while looking for her lost love. Listen and susbcribe here!

“곰 세 마리” (Three Bears)

There is no better way to practise your Korean listening skills than by using children’s songs, especially if you are a beginner-level student. Three Bears, for example, is an incredibly popular piece in Korea. Its straightforward lyrics and constant repetition are good for elementary-level learners to develop their Korean pronunciation, cadence, and vocabulary range. As the name suggests, this song is about a family of three bears, who live happily together. Some words you will acquire include descriptive adjectives, such as big (keun), fat (jibang), slim (nalssinhan), while you will also develop an ear for Korean sentence structure and word order. Listen and susbcribe here!

“시간아” (Time)

If you are a fan of K-pop, using such songs to improve your Korean skills is a great idea! For example, Time by Nam Woo-hyun can teach you a lot of new terms and expressions related to love and relationships. The track is about a man who is dumped by his girlfriend, left to reflect on what happened between them. Intermediate and advanced students of Korean will find new idioms and words to express sadness and nostalgia together with complex connectors. With the song stuck in your head, you will acquire vocabulary and collocations in a fun and engaging manner! Listen and susbcribe here!

Talk to me in Korean

Talk to me in Korean is a premium website that sells language courses to people of different backgrounds and levels. It also offers a free YouTube channel with additional materials that any intermediate or advanced student can use to take their language skills to the next level. Some videos include quick tutorials on grammar rules, listening comprehension exercises, vocabulary lists with their use, meaning and pronunciation, and real conversations between native Korean speakers. For instance, you can learn to greet others formally and informally, how to make polite requests at a bar, and useful phrases. Subscribe to the channel here!

Motivate Korean

Different from most YouTube channels that help others learn the language, this one is run by a native English speaker who has been living in Korea for the past 15 years. As a result, he can give you tips to master this Asian language, such as how to triumph over the most difficult sounds and intonation patterns or how to remember vocabulary. So, in addition to grammar explanations about the differences of meaning in tenses or tips to sound like a native when having a conversation, you will also find motivational videos that help you to continue learning this fascinating language even when you might feel like giving up. Subscribe to the channel here!

EBS Documentary

EBS Documentary is a great YouTube channel for those who want to improve their Korean ability while watching high-quality, educational content about the entertainment industry, food, sustainable development, international news, and more. While beginner and intermediate students can watch these videos and try to pick up some words and expressions, this channel is more suitable for advanced students. This is not only because of the fast speed of delivery and sophisticated vocabulary that is used, but also because the only subtitles they show are in Korean. This means you will need to be familiar with the Hangul to truly understand what is being discussed. Subscribe to the channel here!