Having spent time a language school personally, I think to get the most out of it, you need to be already good at the basics of the language, especially if you’re only planning on going for a single term.
If you were planning on going through the whole program (many do including myself), starting from the level 1 (absolute beginner class) or level 2 is not a bad idea.
As another said tho, I’d recommend giving Korean a try on your time first to make sure you actually enjoy learning the language first. I myself am a big fan of anime and Japanese history (mostly the Sengoku period) for a long time but only after taking a language course in university, realized that I did not like learning Japanese.
This is the right answer
A language program, especially in the actual country, is like the highest level of language learning you can do in terms of resources available to you
Unfortunately, most of it will be wasted if you dont have a foundation already built
No point hiring a professional performance coach if you've yet to even run your first mile
Agree with this comment. You want the basic communications skills down if you are only here for a short period. You want to be able to communicate and use what you learnt in class in the real world with natives.
As someone who has done one, I absolutely don't think it's stupid! A few suggestions, though:
1. Set your expectations of what you want to get out of it. You might return from the program and not really have time to practice, and eventually forget the skills you learned. I'm not saying that to be a downer, and there are totally ways you can keep up with it at home, but if it would feel "stupid" to you in hindsight if that happened, then you might want to reconsider. I would try to view it as a combination language learning trip, cultural learning trip, holiday (where you'll have to do some work), etc. If you view it more broadly, then any disappointments you experience in one area can be balanced out by the others!
2. As others have said, you could study at home to make sure you at least enjoy the learning process. I would say you don't need much, but knowing Hangeul will put you ahead of the game. You can learn it using DuoLingo, which is free, but there's also Talk To Me In Korean if you want something with a variety of courses. I'm sure Google will have other suggestions. In addition, though, it's worth checking to see if your area has a Korean Cultural Centre. There's one in my city and it offers cheap Korean courses that are subsidized by the Korean government. My experience so far has been great and, at least where I am, they offer courses online, so you don't necessarily need to be in easy travel distance of the KCC location.
3. Finally, I know you said you did research, so I won't harp on this too hard, but I wanted to point out that everything I've heard about Yonsei is that it's very focused on written language. This isn't actually a problem (and I actually wish I'd known that ahead of time because I would have applied to Yonsei if I'd know that), but if you want to go because of K-pop then you might like Sogang. They have language class in the morning, then culture in the afternoon (where you still get language exposure), and the culture classes cover a lot of things including K-pop, painting, cooking, going to a theatre show, going to a theme park, going to a baseball game... I know someone who did their beginner course and she had a good time and made some friends.
I'll just send by saying that I personally would never see a trip like this as stupid. You learn so much, not just about the language, but about the place and culture, and about yourself because you're in a new environment.
(Edited for paragraph spacing.)
I'm currently attending Sogang KLEC at level 1A and its a lot of fun. If you're serious about it definitely teach yourself 한글 and start learning some basic vocabulary first. It will be overwhelming if you don't.
Some of my classmates coming in with no experience are struggling and I can tell they are stressed out and not getting as much out of it. I'm having a blast so far. It also grants you access to a D4 visa if you pay for 2 terms which is a big benefit.
I didn't know anything about Korea before coming here and was not a Kpop fan, but I could go on about how great it is here... I doubt you'll regret your time here if you decide to come.
The first Korean course I took was through a uni program in Seoul! I had a great time but the amount of vocab, grammar, etc. was very (very!) exhausting haha. But I did have a great time regardless and I learned a lot!
Like others have said, build a foundation first. You'll want to know hangul and basic vocabulary to start. You can use a phone app to help you do that! Over the years, Korean has become more popular to learn, so there's lots of choices now.
Once you've got the basics, you'd be more set for one of the language programs in Korea. I personally went to Sogang, they focus more on conversation than some other schools and its really helpful in terms of getting actual practice speaking Korean. It's also in a good Seoul location for beginners, Hongdae and Sinchon area have become used to foreigners for a while now. You'll meet classmates as well to practice with, explore together, etc. Very helpful for your first time in Korea.
I started Korean class from total beginner and can now read (albeit very slowly) and I know basic sentences and words, with some particularities of the language. I however went for a private Korean language school, not university. They offer monthly classes, which was perfect for me.
I also studied Japanese in a rural Japanese language school...
Having done both, there is a lot to be learned that you would not have touched at home... Or that you would touch those a lot later on. For example, I learned hangeuls in 2 days, while it would take me 2+ weeks at home. I was also able to practice reading on signs and menus, which is a nice plus of studying in Korea.
It is definitely worth it and enjoyable.
Do you REALLY need to study at a university though? Private language schools could be a nice option if your budget is limited.
I recommended you to at least already pass TOPIK 1 level 2 if you wanna learn korean directly in Korea. You need to strengthen your basic in Korean. It's bare minimum to have language skills that are fluent for everyday use
Allow me to give you my two cents… I don’t know your financial situation, but I’ll tell you this… you now have the opportunity experience first hand the culture you’ve been a fan for over 10 years. What would you regret more, staying at home and miss the opportunity or go there and miss home…? Nobody knows if you can have another opportunity in the future. Vacation time is always nice, but it’s not real time experiencing a culture. Good luck and don’t let fear hinder your dreams
Having done two different courses, here’s what it seems. I believe most college Korean courses focus on getting you prepared for the TOPIK while non-college courses may not always focus on TOPIK. Ex.
The second time I went to Korea I did 5 months at Konkuk university. It was intense and they definitely focused on TOPIK like questions.
Compare that to the first time I went, which was to Lexis Korea, where they focused more on your general ability to communicate.
Konkuk felt more intense than Lexis but I wouldn’t say one is better than the other, it depends on goals. If you want to focus on TOPIK exam, then konkuk does it well, if you want to focus on just being able to communicate and have a bit of a more chilled time then I’d recommend Lexis. Both will technically get you to the highest TOPIK level if you complete the course from my understanding. But I think with lexis you’d probably have to do extra studying specifically for the TOPIK as when I went it seemed to really just focus on getting you communicating over TOPIK type questions and stuff.
For a total beginner I believe Lexis would be easier to start at, but both have options for those starting from zero so just do whichever sounds best!
Edit: Formatting
Oh also, lexis has a kpop + Korean course that maybe you’d be interested in :)
Having spent time a language school personally, I think to get the most out of it, you need to be already good at the basics of the language, especially if you’re only planning on going for a single term. If you were planning on going through the whole program (many do including myself), starting from the level 1 (absolute beginner class) or level 2 is not a bad idea. As another said tho, I’d recommend giving Korean a try on your time first to make sure you actually enjoy learning the language first. I myself am a big fan of anime and Japanese history (mostly the Sengoku period) for a long time but only after taking a language course in university, realized that I did not like learning Japanese.
This is the right answer A language program, especially in the actual country, is like the highest level of language learning you can do in terms of resources available to you Unfortunately, most of it will be wasted if you dont have a foundation already built No point hiring a professional performance coach if you've yet to even run your first mile
Agree with this comment. You want the basic communications skills down if you are only here for a short period. You want to be able to communicate and use what you learnt in class in the real world with natives.
As someone who has done one, I absolutely don't think it's stupid! A few suggestions, though: 1. Set your expectations of what you want to get out of it. You might return from the program and not really have time to practice, and eventually forget the skills you learned. I'm not saying that to be a downer, and there are totally ways you can keep up with it at home, but if it would feel "stupid" to you in hindsight if that happened, then you might want to reconsider. I would try to view it as a combination language learning trip, cultural learning trip, holiday (where you'll have to do some work), etc. If you view it more broadly, then any disappointments you experience in one area can be balanced out by the others! 2. As others have said, you could study at home to make sure you at least enjoy the learning process. I would say you don't need much, but knowing Hangeul will put you ahead of the game. You can learn it using DuoLingo, which is free, but there's also Talk To Me In Korean if you want something with a variety of courses. I'm sure Google will have other suggestions. In addition, though, it's worth checking to see if your area has a Korean Cultural Centre. There's one in my city and it offers cheap Korean courses that are subsidized by the Korean government. My experience so far has been great and, at least where I am, they offer courses online, so you don't necessarily need to be in easy travel distance of the KCC location. 3. Finally, I know you said you did research, so I won't harp on this too hard, but I wanted to point out that everything I've heard about Yonsei is that it's very focused on written language. This isn't actually a problem (and I actually wish I'd known that ahead of time because I would have applied to Yonsei if I'd know that), but if you want to go because of K-pop then you might like Sogang. They have language class in the morning, then culture in the afternoon (where you still get language exposure), and the culture classes cover a lot of things including K-pop, painting, cooking, going to a theatre show, going to a theme park, going to a baseball game... I know someone who did their beginner course and she had a good time and made some friends. I'll just send by saying that I personally would never see a trip like this as stupid. You learn so much, not just about the language, but about the place and culture, and about yourself because you're in a new environment. (Edited for paragraph spacing.)
id say check out the language first, learn some of the basics and see what it’s like before committing to the program financially!
I'm currently attending Sogang KLEC at level 1A and its a lot of fun. If you're serious about it definitely teach yourself 한글 and start learning some basic vocabulary first. It will be overwhelming if you don't. Some of my classmates coming in with no experience are struggling and I can tell they are stressed out and not getting as much out of it. I'm having a blast so far. It also grants you access to a D4 visa if you pay for 2 terms which is a big benefit. I didn't know anything about Korea before coming here and was not a Kpop fan, but I could go on about how great it is here... I doubt you'll regret your time here if you decide to come.
The first Korean course I took was through a uni program in Seoul! I had a great time but the amount of vocab, grammar, etc. was very (very!) exhausting haha. But I did have a great time regardless and I learned a lot!
Like others have said, build a foundation first. You'll want to know hangul and basic vocabulary to start. You can use a phone app to help you do that! Over the years, Korean has become more popular to learn, so there's lots of choices now. Once you've got the basics, you'd be more set for one of the language programs in Korea. I personally went to Sogang, they focus more on conversation than some other schools and its really helpful in terms of getting actual practice speaking Korean. It's also in a good Seoul location for beginners, Hongdae and Sinchon area have become used to foreigners for a while now. You'll meet classmates as well to practice with, explore together, etc. Very helpful for your first time in Korea.
I started Korean class from total beginner and can now read (albeit very slowly) and I know basic sentences and words, with some particularities of the language. I however went for a private Korean language school, not university. They offer monthly classes, which was perfect for me. I also studied Japanese in a rural Japanese language school... Having done both, there is a lot to be learned that you would not have touched at home... Or that you would touch those a lot later on. For example, I learned hangeuls in 2 days, while it would take me 2+ weeks at home. I was also able to practice reading on signs and menus, which is a nice plus of studying in Korea. It is definitely worth it and enjoyable. Do you REALLY need to study at a university though? Private language schools could be a nice option if your budget is limited.
I recommended you to at least already pass TOPIK 1 level 2 if you wanna learn korean directly in Korea. You need to strengthen your basic in Korean. It's bare minimum to have language skills that are fluent for everyday use
Allow me to give you my two cents… I don’t know your financial situation, but I’ll tell you this… you now have the opportunity experience first hand the culture you’ve been a fan for over 10 years. What would you regret more, staying at home and miss the opportunity or go there and miss home…? Nobody knows if you can have another opportunity in the future. Vacation time is always nice, but it’s not real time experiencing a culture. Good luck and don’t let fear hinder your dreams
Having done two different courses, here’s what it seems. I believe most college Korean courses focus on getting you prepared for the TOPIK while non-college courses may not always focus on TOPIK. Ex. The second time I went to Korea I did 5 months at Konkuk university. It was intense and they definitely focused on TOPIK like questions. Compare that to the first time I went, which was to Lexis Korea, where they focused more on your general ability to communicate. Konkuk felt more intense than Lexis but I wouldn’t say one is better than the other, it depends on goals. If you want to focus on TOPIK exam, then konkuk does it well, if you want to focus on just being able to communicate and have a bit of a more chilled time then I’d recommend Lexis. Both will technically get you to the highest TOPIK level if you complete the course from my understanding. But I think with lexis you’d probably have to do extra studying specifically for the TOPIK as when I went it seemed to really just focus on getting you communicating over TOPIK type questions and stuff. For a total beginner I believe Lexis would be easier to start at, but both have options for those starting from zero so just do whichever sounds best! Edit: Formatting Oh also, lexis has a kpop + Korean course that maybe you’d be interested in :)
Can someone recommend some language schools and experiences with prices. Thank in advance.
seated here i’d love some advice