안녕하세요? Hello, fellow Kdrama and Kpop fans! Has the Covid-19 sheltering got you down? Are you bored? Are you looking for ways to distract yourself and perhaps broaden your horizons? Maybe you’re thinking to yourself- “Now I finally have time to learn a bit of Korean!” Well, luckily for us, BTS has launched a new video series to do just that! Will these new Korean lessons help us in our Kdrama binges and Kpop bias stalking?! Join me as I check them, out!
잠시만요… But first, a bit of background on me, MiataMama: I’ve spent over 8 years learning Korean (in my free time) and also lived in Korea for 4 years – hello language immersion! I don’t consider myself fluent, but I do feel capable in a basic conversational setting. And if I don’t understand the spoken, I have the skill-set necessary to use my Korean-English dictionary and figure it out.
가자! Okay! Let’s Learn Korean with BTS!
So far they have dropped three, 3-ish minute videos on their Weverse channel. The first covers the letters of the Hangul alphabet and their corresponding sounds. The second episode shows how to introduce yourself and the third introduces basic phrases (How are you?/Have a good day!) They showcase clips of each of the members using the information taught, with repetition to help you practice.
There is the option to turn on captions in your native language (Korean, English, Spanish, Japanese), but otherwise the videos themselves are completely in Korean.
If you don’t have much background with the Korean language or you’re just starting to dig into learning, these videos make for a fun supplemental option. Those further along in their studies will most enjoy them as a review or refresher. I also feel they are best suited to those who are audio learners. If you’re like me and need to see and understand how the Hangul and grammar patterns work, these lessons won’t answer all your questions.
대박! With the global spread of K-entertainment, I’m excited that there are so many ways to learn Korean! Have you tried Learn Korean with BTS? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
화이팅!
MiataMama
Dramas with a Side of Kimchi
A lot of the comments from people who don’t know how to read Hangul is that they don’t understand anything. I don’t know if these videos will be very helpful to beginners.
I am someone who has watched K-dramas for a few years, and have picked up a few things. Including a basic knowledge of Hangul. I am by NO means fluent, but these phrases were some of the first ones I memorized.
So, on one hand these videos are too hard, but on the other too simplistic. A good first effort, though.
As you said, it is good as a review. I will keep watching in hopes of learning something new!
Yes, I totally agree with you – I wouldn’t look to these videos to be one’s sole source of learning Korean. However, I think they can definitely be a fun addtion to regular lessons!