I am a native Korean who has always been interested in learning foreign languages since I was young. I have learned English and Japanese and even tried to learn German. Currently, I am studying Spanish.
As a foreign language learner, I can understand the difficulties you may face when trying to learn Korean. I have developed some effective ways to learn languages, so I want to share that with you. During my master's degree, I majored in English Education and my thesis topic was focused on how to learn vocabulary. So, I want to talk about the effective ways to study Korean vocabulary first! Well, you can apply my tips to any language.
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General Rules
Set Clear Goals
Are you learning Korean for your Korean travel? Do you want to get a job in Korea? Or do you have a Korean friend and you want to talk with them in Korean? Determine why you want to learn Korean vocabulary and what level of proficiency you aim to achieve. Having clear goals will help you stay motivated and focused.
Start with Basic Words
Begin by learning commonly used words and phrases in Korean. Focus on everyday vocabulary related to greetings, numbers, colors, family, food, and so on. My website provides you with a word set with various categories, so please check out the section.
Learn in context
Learning words within a context is more memorable than memorizing them in isolation. Try reading books, newspapers, magazines, etc., and look up unfamiliar words to understand their meanings within the context.
Repetition
Have you ever heard about the "forgetting curve"? Hermann Ebbinghaus, the German psychologist found out how people forget things over time. Human brains are meant to forget things! So, repetition is a very important part of studying. With regular repetition, you will move your vocabulary to the long-term brain.
Make sentences
After learning a word, try constructing sentences using it. This helps you better understand the actual usage of the word and aids in long-term memory retention. When you make a sentence you can also search for its synonyms and antonyms, to give more context!
Use different methods!
Memorizing words by repeating them like a robot won't be very helpful. It'll be good to use different materials. While you are trying different learning methods, you can also try to find what your brain is clicking. Do you like listening? Do you like to draw or see paintings? Or are you more of a moving body type of person? Try to find your learning type and use the related activities too!
Utilize Dictionary
A dictionary is your best friend when you are learning words! You can buy one, of course, but you can easily access the online dictionary. Search "Naver Dictionary" on your browser. Naver is a Korean website like Google or Bing. It provides you with a Korean-English dictionary. The dictionary has both Korean and English, so you can choose the language option to navigate in the dictionary pages!
My Tips For Learning Words
Flashcards
Flashcards are small cards with the word written on one side and its meaning on the other. They are portable allowing you to study anytime, anywhere, and repeated exposure helps you memorize words more easily. Here are my tips for using the actual flashcards.
First, get a set of flashcards. I personally recommend a product that comes in multiple colors and has pre-punched holes and rings. Having different colors is beneficial because it allows you to organize the words by word class. For example, you can use green cards for verbs and blue cards for adjectives. Additionally, pre-punched holes save you the trouble of punching them yourself, and the ring helps you keep your flashcards in one place, making it easy to add or remove cards from your learning list!
Second, as you learn Korean, write new or not familiar Korean words on one side. Flip the card and write the meaning of it. When you write, make sure the words are big enough. Also, use a good pen or pencil. I don't recommend using a permanent marker. It may smear the back and ruin your card.
Once you make cards, now it is time to use them! Take these cards with you and check your words whenever you can. I usually use the cards when I eat alone. Instead of just mindlessly watching something from my phone. You can use it while you commute, using facilities, or during strolling time. Look at the Korean word and think about its meaning. Flip and check if you are right. You can do vice-versa. Look at the English word and try to remember its Korean meaning. If you read the word aloud, it will be more effective!
You can also set your goal. For example, let's say you decided to check your word for three times. As you study, if you remembered the word 책 correctly mark a small check on the corner. Repeat this word in a few days, and see if you still remember. If you succeed in recalling, mark a small check again. If you fail to remember don't mark anything. Repeat in a few days. Once you get three small checks, now you can take this card out of your current studying set. You can keep these "success" cards together. This is why I recommend cards with holes!
You can come back to this "success" card set every week or two weeks. Do you still remember this word? Then either you can keep the card in the set or move it to your "long-term" memory set. You can check these cards once a month or two months or so. If you fail to remember, now move the card back to your "current" studying set. Repeat the process.
Sounds complicated? It is just one recommendation. You can only have two sets not three like me. As you try, you'll find the right way for yourself! But if it seems too much work, you can also create flashcards using smartphone apps or websites thanks to modern technology! One website I recommend is "Quizlet." You can use it for free! You can add and edit your flashcards easily and easily check with your phone.
Sticky notes
You can also utilize stick notes, so-called Post-it. It is especially helpful for daily life objects. For example, you can write 냉장고 (refrigerator) and stick it to a refrigerator. Every time you use it, try to read the word aloud!
You can learn about the rooms of the house, the objects of the house, and so many more! It can definitely help you visual-wise because you literally see the object as you read the word aloud. It seems a bit too simple, but I highly recommend you trying!
Notebooks & organizers
Along with flashcards, you can keep your words in a vocabulary notebook too! For this, I recommend you use a ruled notebook. It's easier to keep words neat with lines.
First, fold your page half or three times. You can write the English meaning in the first column and the Korean meaning in the second column. If you decide to make a third section, you can add a sentence here. Here is the actual notebook that I used when I studied Spanish. Take a look.
I folded the notebook in half because I already had a section on the left. I wrote the meaning on the left and then the target words next. I added some sentences on the right as I reviewed those words.
While you study, cover one or two columns. For example, I can cover up my Spanish words and sentences section with a piece of paper, only revealing English words. Then think about the words without seeing them. You can write it on the paper you are covering. Don't forget actually to read aloud the word. You can move a paper down a bit and check if the word you thought is right.
Also, don't just add words. Categorize them with part of speech. For Korean, you can have four notebooks for verbs, adjectives, nouns, and adverbs! You can use one notebook with a divided section as well, of course. An index will be helpful in this case.
Categorize inside of nouns as well. If you look at my notebook, you can see I gathered only the family words on that page. You can make categories like country, numbers, clothes, food, and so on! You can use my vocabulary page for the ideas and actual words because I already organized words in categories.
If you don't want to get a notebook. You can download my free organizer worksheets. You can simply download and print them! You can also make your own worksheet, of course. No matter what, it is good to keep the words in categories.
Wrap-up: word learning methods
Here I showed you some Korean word-learning methods that I use. As I mentioned and you've noticed, the best way of learning vocabulary is repetition. Notes, flashcards, and sticky notes are all meant to help you be exposed to the words repeatedly.
Also, don't forget to read a word aloud actually out of your mouth! I saw many students just eye-read the words and move on. Using more parts of the brain can stimulate your memory.
Besides, all these words are meant to be learned to use in daily life which involves talking. Saying out loud the words will help you to naturally speak Korean eventually!