Basic Korean: Learn to Speak Korean in 19 Easy Lessons (Companion Online Audio and Dictionary)

I'm a Kdrama freak so learning the language is a must. Realized they are teaching me how to write it aswell as speak it. But unfortunately, I had to down load extra auto and get ready to order more books. I'm taking it like going to Kindergarten.

After personally leafing through dozens of single & multi-volume Korean grammar books, I am highly impressed with Basic Korean. I love the fact that the authors did not use the Yale romanization method they used in a previous book, but instead used the 2000 Revised Romanization new standard method developed by The National Academy [Institute] of the Korean Language, Korea's foremost official authorities on the Korean language. Also, the authors tweaked this romanization slightly, so that the Korean language learner learns how the words are actually pronounced due to pronunciation exception rules, not just how the words are written. For example, although 감사합니다 ("Thank you") is literally written as "gamsahaBnida" the authors indicate via the revised romanization method that the correct pronunciation is "gamsahaMnida" not "gamsahaBnida", due to the grammar "nasalization" rule that a ㅂ {bieup) in the Batchim (final consonant) position is pronounced as a ㅁ(mieum) if the next syllable begins with a nasal sound, such as ㄴ( nieun), which is the case in 감사합니다. Many Korean language textbooks and online learning sites fail to modify the Revised Romanization to indicate this nasalization and other pronunciation shifts due to nasalization, lenition, liaison, fortis, special rules with ㅎ (hieut), and other pronunciation exception rules in Korean. [Please note the book is 320 pages long (a nice-sized book), not 352 pages as incorrectly indicated in the book specifications section above.]Every chapter in Basic Korean has wonderful grammar instruction, vocabulary, dialogue, and free audio files. These authors explain the grammar points in excellent English, and their explanations are very detailed so that one understands the grammar points in each chapter fully without the prose being dull. There are also fun "manga cartoons" so one enjoys the language instruction in a visual way. Best of all, in each chapter one learns how to use the grammar points and vocabulary in specific cultural situations and spaces, so one does not learn language in a vacuum, but learns Korean culture as one learns the language: for example, one learns how to communicate when "Inviting friends to a Noraebang [Korean version of small Karaoke room]", "Shopping and haggling", "Visiting a Dry Sauna Spa", "Talking about House and the Neighborhood", "Going out with Friends", "Accepting Invitations", "Hanging out at a Friend's House", and so many other distinct small & large private and public settings. The authors actually include specific cultural explanations (the "dos" and "don't"s in Korean society) in explicit prose, so they educate us about Korean etiquette & customs throughout their book.After a beginner learns the fundamentals of Korean from Basic Korean, I recommend following-up with Talk to Me in Korean's 10-book grammar series AND/OR Darakwon's three-book "Grammar in Use" grammar series to delve deeper into the Korean grammar (both come with free audio CD files for pronunciation instruction). Soohee Kim, Emily Curtis, and Haewon Cho also have a much larger one-volume Korean grammar textbook called "Korean Grammar: The Complete Guide to Speaking Korean Naturally" that offers a much larger overview of Korean grammar than Basic Grammar, but that book is greatly marred by the authors' use of the archaic Yale romanization system, which I and many Korean learners find terribly awkward for learning Korean. (Incidentally, I have a Ph.D. in English and am fluent in English, Spanish, and German -- but I absolutely despised the Yale romanization, and other romanization methods, used in the other Korean grammar books I have examined and compared closely; I and many other Korean learners much prefer the 2000 Revised Romanization method created by The National Institute [Academy] of the Korean Language that the authors here thankfully used in Basic Korean.Bottom line: Basic Korean is a terrific one-volume introduction to Korean that does everything right. I am so happy this book has been published and hope that the authors publish "Intermediate Korean" and "Advanced Korean" sequel volumes to "Basic Korean", and that all of these future Korean grammar textbooks are set up in the same wonderful chapter-by-chapter format with grammar instruction, sample dialogue, exercises with answers available for free online, key Korean vocabulary in every chapter, free audio files downloadable online for pronunciation practice (please allow 1.5-2 seconds after each speaker to allow learners to mimic the pronunciation!), and the 2000 Revised Romanization method adopted by The National Academy [Institute] of the Korean Language. I also hope they revise "Korean Grammar: The Complete Guide to Speaking Korean Naturally" using the 2000 Revised Romanization method; that would allow users a viable alternative to use that book as a comprehensive Korean grammar follow-up to Basic Korean.

Superb. Demanding, but that’s something you have to face and just get on with it. There are a few typos in the transliteration (it’s a very helpfully slightly phonetic transliteration), but that I can live with. The transliteration, which is in bold, might distract a bit, but it does help you with the speaking. The audio is very useful. It pulls no punches and for me is one of those books which suddenly help pennies to drop. I have both a paper and a Kindle copy, and appreciate the clarity of the Kindle display.

very good thank you