7 tips to learn (enough) basic Korean in one month

If you’re thinking about doing a working holiday in South Korea, you will need a grasp of basic Korean to land a job.

Our programs include everything you need to do that, with four weeks of lessons included. However, let’s be honest, real world practice and peer pressure is the best way to learn.

Here are our top tips to learning basic Korean in four weeks. 

Practice with housemates

When you arrive in South Korea, you’ll be living with other Korea-driven individuals, all trying to find their feet in a new country. As you’re all learning Korean to get a job, take advantage of the living situation and practise together. You could set Korean-only hours or do Korean quiz nights. It might be hard at first, but practice pays! Literally. 

Always go for local menus

One of the best things about living in South Korea is the food. You’re going to have a lot of it. Restaurants will become your classrooms and menus your language guides, so always go local. Even if you accidentally choose the wrong thing, it won’t be bad. It’s Korean! Plus, you might get an extra-large portion of kimchi if you manage to order in the native tongue.  

Watch Korean films with subs

If you’re not into K-drama now, you will be after a few weeks in South Korea. It’s everywhere. There are some great films – Parasite, Old Boy, Past Lives. Watch them with English subtitles first and then move to Korean as you get more confident. You won’t understand everything, maybe 5%, but by immersing yourself in the language, you’ll get a feel for the rhythm, intonation, and common expressions.

Sticky notes around the apartment

Probably one to get signed off by the whole flat. But, if you can sticky-note your place from top to toe, then it’s a great learning technique. It’s passive learning too – our favourite type of learning. You just need to go to the fridge, open it, take out a cheesecake, and that counts as revision (if the cake has a note attached).

Keep a diary in Korean

Ok, so we’re not talking endless prose at the end of the day. Just a few sentences would be enough. What was the weather like? What did you have for lunch? It’s not going to win you a Pulitzer, but it might secure you that job in the long run. Use a dictionary if you need to – it’s all about building confidence at this stage.

Supplement with language app

Ok, so I know we said no owls. But it can be useful to supplement your classroom lessons with a language app. Especially if there are specific areas you want to practice at home – grammar, sentence structure etc. Join with your flatmates and challenge each other to keep learning. Peer shaming is a great motivator!    

Try interact with one local each day

This is probably the best one, if you can jump that social awkwardness hurdle. We don’t mean have a deep and meaningful with a commuter’s armpit, albeit they are good listeners. It would be more asking for directions or recommendations, ordering in a restaurant, telling someone they have great posture. It will be tricky to have conversations at first, but it will come. 

So there you have it, seven language learning tips that can take you from zero Korean to just about enough to secure your South Korea working holiday job. It's all you need! Good luck.