Korean Lessons in Melbourne

The Korean community in Melbourne makes up about 14% of the total Korean population in Australia, with an estimated amount of 14,074 people. Most of these residents came to the city after 2001 and according to the 2016 census, 87% of members of the local Korean community speak Korean at home, and not English. As a result of this, if you truly want to get to know this portion of the society, the smartest thing you can do is learn their language, which in addition to expanding your social life, will bring many additional benefits that will improve your experience in Melbourne. In fact, due to the fast spread of K-entertainment, which includes K-pop music, Korean series and films, the Korean language is quickly spreading throughout the city and the world, which means the number of opportunities for Korean speakers is expected to rise in the years to come. This makes it the perfect moment to start learning the language, so take the first step to become a fluent speaker today and enjoy the amazing advantages exclusive to Korean speakers!

Learn Korean for Work and Travel

Many people in Melbourne are learning Korean to advance their careers. If that’s your case, you’ll be glad to know that there are many job opportunities in the city available for bilinguals, such as Korean-speaking Associate Buyer for Lotte Duty-Free Oceania, Restaurant Manager for Mansae Korean BBQ and Multilingual Medical Information Specialist for ProPharma Group. What’s more, if you have Korean on your CV, you’ll impress most local tech companies like Envato, Zendesk and Cogent, even if the job you’re applying for doesn’t require you to be bilingual. This is mainly because they know that as a multilingual person you can help them reach international markets, and deal with a wider range of clients and customers from all over the world.

Learn Korean for Social

If you want to explore Korean cinema, every December you have the chance to do so thanks to The Korean Film Festival in Australia. This wonderful festival presents the most eclectic selection of Korean films every year that go from big-budget blockbusters and rom-coms suitable for the whole family to gripping indie flicks that cinema lovers simply can’t miss. Every film at the festival is in its original language, which makes it a great opportunity for local learners to get exposed to the language and listen to different Korean dialects. The screenings take place at ACMI cinemas, located at Fed Square, a beautiful venue for arts, culture and public events at Swanston Street and Flinders Street.

Another way to experience Korean culture is by trying some of its traditional food. Luckily, there are many wonderful restaurants in the city you can check out. Jan Chi Korean Feast, located at 362 Bridge Road, is named after the Korean verb jan chi which means ‘to feast’ and offers incredible dishes such as braised short ribs and house-made kimchi that will make you fall in love with Korean cuisine. Another great place is Chae, located at 288 Albert Street, an intimate restaurant where you’ll be able to try five courses of homestyle Korean food that include bugak, which are deep-fried vegetables, makgeolli, which is a special kind of Korean rice wine and ferments like kombucha.

Learn Korean for Culture

Learning Korean will help you expand your social circle and make friends from all over the world. In the city, you’ll find many groups such as Melbourne Korean 한국어 Meetup, where Koreans, locals and foreigners gather to celebrate Korean culture in Melbourne. This particular group is known for organizing the best K-Pop parties in the city every month at Jack & Bones Island Bar, located at 107 Flinders Lane. It’s a great way to socialize with other people who love the same bands as you do and enjoy show-stopping live performances by a local dance crew.

On the other hand, if in addition to socializing you want to practise the language, you should attend one of the meetings organized by the Korean and English Language Exchange group. They hold meetings every Saturday at the Kino Cinemas, located at 45 Collins Street, where many language enthusiasts with different skill levels meet to chat in Korean. These events are completely free and don’t need registration, so if you’re interested, simply show up and find somebody to talk to.

Where to learn Korean in and around Melbourne?

In addition to great resources you can use to study Korean alone or with a teacher, like Korean Language for Beginners by Andrea de Benedittis, the State Library Victoria, located at 328 Swanston Street, has a great selection of books that will help you expand what you know of the Korean society. Korean Celebrations: Festivals, Holidays and Traditions is a lovely book by Tina Cho that covers the history behind most holidays celebrated in South Korea like Chuseok and the meaning behind the different ceremonies and traditions. On the other hand, if you want to get immersed in Korean cuisine, Eating Korean: From Barbecue to Kimchi, Recipes from my Home by Cecilia Hae-Jin Lee, a celebration of Korean food that includes more than a hundred authentic recipes that were passed to the author by her ancestors.

To make the most of these books, the best thing you can do is find a native teacher that can help you understand the customs and traditions that make Korean culture so unique. Fortunately, at Listen & Learn, we have some of the most qualified tutors who will make your learning process much more enjoyable, because they will create completely personalised lessons based on your interests and goals. Instead of wasting your time using outdated material, send us a quick enquiry now and we’ll pair you up with an excellent native teacher that will take your Korean skills to the next level!