A few weeks ago, I was introduced to K-Pop. I had heard about it before, but I was not familiar with any songs. After some insistence from a friend who is addicted to it, I listened to a couple of songs, and some of them were kind of catchy! I am no singer, but I do like to know (and understand) the lyrics to the songs I listen to. Although I don’t plan on becoming an expert at Korean, I decided to find an easy way to learn some of the basics, and who knows, maybe I will learn to speak some Korean!
My goal was to find free apps I could use on my phone to learn the most common Korean words and phrases. After spending some time on Google, I came across a site that lists the top 10 apps for learning Korean. You can see the full list for yourself here:
Best 10 Apps for Learning Korean by AppGrooves
I checked them out and reviewed my favorites.
Build your vocabulary with Learn Korean Phrases
One of my top picks is Learn Korean Phrases. I found it to be a great choice if you want to quickly learn basic Korean words and phrases. You can quickly find what you are looking for by using the search bar or selecting from a variety of topic categories. I really like that you can easily jump in and out if you only have a few minutes to spare. Every word and phrase is recorded by a native Korean, which is great if you want to practice your pronunciation. I also like that you can slow down the playback speed to a “snail” pace or make it even slower with a “turtle” speed if the app is talking too quickly.
Learn Korean Phrases is basically like carrying around a handy Korean phrasebook in your front pocket without adding the extra weight. The only drawback I found is that you won’t find Korean lessons per se. For this option, I recommend any of my other two picks!
Free Korean lessons with LingoDeer
LingoDeer is a great choice if you are new to Korean (like me). You start by learning the Korean alphabet system and then work your way up through basic Korean vocabulary and grammar rules. I found the lessons to be sufficiently varied with different types of exercises to keep it interesting. I also liked that you can customize lessons by setting the number of words you want to learn each session. Supposedly there are more than 2,000 words and phrases to learn, so even if you are an intermediate student, you will learn something new.
You can easily review new words using flashcards. However, I noticed that the order of the flashcards is fixed. So, if you aren’t interested in some of the words you can always skip through the unwanted flashcards. In my case, I don’t mind practicing older words because it is a great way to reinforce the language!
Master Korean Grammar with Learn Korean
My third choice is Learn Korean. Just like in LingoDeer, you learn Korean vocabulary using flashcards. Want to switch things up? You have the option to play quiz games to reinforce the words you learn. What really caught my attention is that Learn Korean also focuses on grammar rules, with over 200 lessons covering the topic. On top of that, the lessons are free, so there is no harm to your wallet!
Beginner and intermediate students will have all their basic needs covered with Learn Korean. However, if you are an advanced student, you might find the lessons too easy. In this case, I suggest you go for the quiz mode and put your Korean skills to the test!
So, if you are looking for the best way to learn Korean online, any of my top 3 choices will be great for jumpstarting your learning journey. I’ve only spent a little over a week with the apps, and I have to say my personal favorite is LingoDeer. However, I wouldn’t go on a trip to Korea without Learn Korean Phrases. I am not able to decipher a full K-Pop song just yet, but it is a good feeling when I recognize words here and there. Have fun learning Korean!
Nancy Baker
Admin
Vitaly Kuprenko