Issue 21: K-Book Review

The easiest way to learn Korean? Why through Japanese ofcourse!

he follow up to the book『３日でできる超入門ハングル』which teaches the Korean alphabet,『1週間でできる初級ハングル』guides you through the most basics of the Korean language. Learning Korean through Japanese is a very natural process because of the close similarities between the two. Words and grammar structures are very similar to Japanese, so why learn ‘completely’ new grammar structures again? Laddering languages is using a non-native language to learn another one while strengthening both. If you like to get into Korean, why not use your Japanese knowledge and ladder Korean?

One Week Course
The book teaches you the very basics of Korean over the course of one week, 4 hours a day. If you think this is too intensive, the book also recommends you to spread it over 2 weeks or even 1 hour a day. Starting from where『３日でできる超入門ハングル』left off,『1週間でできる初級ハングル』begins by reviewing the Korean alphabet (Hangul) again. Then, it starts with day one and using familiar structures like『〜です』『これ • それ • あれ』and『は • が • の • を etc.』, you’ll soon begin to get a feel for Korean. By being presented with Japanese sentences and grammar which you already know, the progression to Korean feels very natural. After one week (depending on your speed) you’ll learn things like directions, telling time, basic verbs, expressions and simple grammar structures.

The Method
Like its previous book, it uses a lot of exercises with audio material in a smart way that has you repeat and review previous learned material over and over. Exercises using the audio CD let’s you familiarize with the sound as well as writing. The book is basically an exercise book since you’ll find exercises on every page. In between exercises are puzzles and quizzes for variation. The strenght of this book is that it puts Japanese and Korean side by side and teaches using the close similarities from the two languages rather than the differences. Things like Japanese particles and kanji words all have a Korean counterpart and grammar is often exactly the same. By actively listening, reading and intensively writing, you’ll be able to built a solid basic foundation rather than just by ‘reading’ a Korean textbook. The layout is particulary nice and worth mentioning. Big clear fonts, boxed sections and illustrations make it a breeze to read through.

『1週間でできる初級ハングル』is a great way to dip your toes into the Korean language using Japanese. Although you won’t be anywhere near conversational level after finishing this book, it’s the perfect prep for further studies. Think of it as an introductionary course. The many exercises and audio material go hand in hand letting you actively engaging in learning the language. The book is written for Japanese people and anybody who’s comfortable with all Japanese explanations will enjoy this book. Learning Korean through Japanese is the most natural and easiest way and this book follows that fact closely. Why learn something totally new when you can already copy it from Japanese?

Book Info
• title: 1週間でできる初級ハングル

• pages: 136

• dimensions: 25.7 x 18.5 cm

• extra: CD x 1

• language: Japanese – Korean

• publisher: ALC (www.alc.co.jp)

• order: http://www.amazon.co.jp

• ISBN: 978-4-7574-1441-9

• special Chokochoko rating: 90%

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