my husband stumbled on this page and i thought it seems pretty helpful to a beginner, mostly for recognizing characters
http://viso114.com/how-to-learn-korean/
it IS cute, and it really breaks it down very simply, i was able to read all the names at the end and i've never studied korean whatsoever. it's sooooo much easier than japanese LOL
I recently bought Rosetta Stone and I'm not going to lie it is hard. I think the pronunciation is one of the hardest things when it comes to Korean. Maybe you should give it a try.
PinkDiamond wrote: That website is very helpful. I learned a lot of what I know from there.


yay, another seemile person :P
Thanks for all the contributions relly helpful :D! Since I have finished university I have four months of nothing so definitely determined to learn some Korean during that time!
Does anyone have any good book recommendations for korean...focus on grammar and hangul? I looked at the Mastering Korean by Nam Park but the reviews say it was tooooo formal...any recommendations?
For textbooks, I'd definitely recommend the Integrated Korean series by KLEAR. I have Korean textbooks made and used by Korean universities (i.e. Yonsei's 한국어 series and Seoul National University's 한국어 series), but KLEAR's Integrated Korean has, in my opinion, richer grammar explanations which are more effective if you're self-studying. If you're looking for grammar books to complement what you've learned, I suggest either Korean Grammar in Use (it has both Beginning and Intermediate grammar books) and Korean Grammar for International Learners. :D
Thanks for all the recommendations. I just ordered Elementary Korean + Elementary Korean Workbook Integrated Korean 1, Integrated Korean 2 + Integrated Korean Workbook and can't wait for them to arrive. I hope they are worth the money (expensive stuff..) and that I have some motivation now. :)
Dude...I swear www.talktomeinkorean.com is the best website ever. Not only do you get lessons on podcasts and video, but also each lesson comes with a pdf file, so you can look back at notes and stuff. And, it's totally free.
Now that I tried it I warmly recommend the "Integrated Korean" book series. I'm only at page 50 and didn't really start the workbook (too much Hangeul-training which I already know) and feel like I'm fluent. xD

Of course I'm not! :P
Thanks for these links and advice guys :) I've been learning Japanese for 3 years and managed with sites and 1 book lol But finding resources for korean is a bit harder. I might try out some books like "Integrated Korean".. hope it's worth it ^^
xTenshiAi wrote: Thanks for these links and advice guys :) I've been learning Japanese for 3 years and managed with sites and 1 book lol But finding resources for korean is a bit harder. I might try out some books like "Integrated Korean".. hope it's worth it ^^


It is. Except that it has no answer key, but since everyone is complaining about that I hope they'll publish one soon.. :)