Learn Korean on a budget: Money Saving Tips

We have some money saving tips before you start to invest into all those Korean language books.

When I started studying Korean I went all in. I bought about five different textbooks, five different work books, and then another two or three more books off Amazon. Why? I think it was because I was so enthusiastic. But looking back, it would have been better to stick with one publisher, and gradually level up.

Unless you’ve got some spare cash sitting around I suggest looking online first, and seeing what you can find. There’s plenty of free martial up for grabs.

If you need some ideas on what books to get; head on over to our recent post on:
How to learn Korean fast.

YouTube classes:

Before you commit anytime and money to studying I would suggest taking a few beginner Korean courses on Youtube.

Down below is a video is a concise 20 minute video that will introduce you to the Korean language.


Best Ways To Learn Korean For Free

This post contains affiliate links.

Talk To Me In Korean

View Talk To Me In Korean

The best platform that I would recommend is:
Talk To Me In Korean.

TTMIK have volumes of material to study from.

With their free course you can get the essential Korean courses, which I highly recommend, as well as, PDF lesson notes, and hundreds of free podcasts- plus all of their videos.

Their courses are also level based, so you don’t need to structure your own learning- they’ve doe it all for you.

Here is a link to TTMIK YouTube Channel.

I think using TTMIK is the best way to learn Korean for free. But there are still other options if this is not to your liking.


How to Study Korean:

View How to Study Korean

This website is a Korean language goldmine. It is meticulously structured into levels, and has so many detailed examples; I can’t believe it’s still free.

How to Study Korean is a phenomenal website, and if you choose this as your number one platform, you certainly won’t be disappointed.

With a selection of over 150 lessons you can take your time going through them. One thing that I love about this site is that it’s all in one place. I actually think this is all you need to reach an intermediate level.

But, if I had to choose between TTMIK and How to Study Korean I would go with TTMIK.



Prof. Yoon’s Korean Language Class

View Prof. Yoon’s Korean Language Class

Another good way to learn Korean for free is to use Prof. Yoon’s YouTube classes. He does a fantastic job at guiding you through the process of learning Korean. You can supplement the classes with some of his books too.

You don’t need much to study for his class. Just a notebook, a pen and an internet connection.Once you’ve studied a few lessons you could always purchase some more of his books to help you out.

For instance, I like his Power up Korean Vocabulary book.


Memrise

View Memrise

Following on with vocabulary, I think if you don’t want to purchase any books you could always use the memrise app on your phone.

Just search Memrise in the app, or play store and it should come up. Give it a download and make your flashcards.

Along with Anki, Memorise will help you remember the tricky vocabulary you will need to make sentences.

Of course it’s not going to be your number one platform for learning. But, it does give you a boost.

Easiest Way to Learn Korean

Consistency is key:

Unfortunately there is no easy way to learn Korean. Just like everything in life, if you want to get good at something you have to put the time and effort into it.

You can of course learn Korean with these free Korean websites, but if you want to find the easiest way to learn it would be probably be attending a Korean University for a couple of years.

Not everyone has the time and money to learn like this and, therefore, you can use these free materials to help you out. I think if you put the time into studying and stick to a study schedule your Korean language skills will improve.

Best ways to Learn Korean Quickly

  1. A clear space and a stable working environment that has no distractions. You might also want to buy a spacious desk and comfortable chair.
  2. Stick to one platform, and work through their materials. Don’t bounce between different publishers and study books.
  3. Make a study schedule. If you say you’re going to study for 20 minutes a day. Do that and try and stick to it.
  4. Follow the course materials and try your best. Everyone learns at different speeds.
  5. Use a variety of content such as videos, podcasts and books. If you have the money you could always pay for a tutor too.
  6. Have fun. Maybe learn a K-pop song or watch a few K-dramas on Netflix. Don’t pressure yourself. Learning a language takes time.
  7. There are no shortcuts.

Enjoy the learning process, and good luck!