TOPIK I

Foundation Course in Korean

Learn Korean from zero: the script, words, sentences and your first real conversations.

  • 28 lessons
  • 7 sections
  • Study at your own pace
  • Works on phone, tablet and computer
Get it in the TOPIK I Complete Package for $39 Or get this course for $19 on its own

14-day money-back guarantee · Instant access · Pay by card or PayPal

Foundation Course in Korean

Who this course is for

  • Complete beginners who are starting Korean from nothing.
  • Self-taught learners who want to check that their basics are solid before exam preparation.
  • Anyone who wants to learn Korean for its own sake and is not taking TOPIK yet.

About this course

The Foundation Course in Korean is where the TOPIK GUIDE catalogue begins. It assumes nothing. You start with the Korean alphabet, Hangeul, and finish with short conversations you can actually hold. It is included in the TOPIK I Complete Package, and you can also buy it on its own for $19 if you are learning Korean but not taking the exam.

This course is different from the usual beginner lessons online. It does not ask you to memorise a hundred set phrases and call that Korean. Memorising sentences is not the same as learning a language. Learning a language means being able to recall words and grammar from memory and put them together into your own sentences. That is the skill this course builds, one small step at a time.

Module 1 teaches the script: simple consonants, double consonants, aspirated consonants, simple vowels and complex vowels. Module 2 shows how characters combine into syllables and words, with a word list for reading practice and a lesson on correct pronunciation. Module 3 covers final consonants (patchim), including the double patchim that trips up most beginners. By the end of these three modules you can read any Korean word out loud.

Module 4 moves from words to sentences, with the most common everyday expressions and the basic pattern behind Korean sentences. Modules 5 and 7 are conversation modules. You introduce yourself, ask whether a shop has something, ask how someone has been, talk about what you are doing, describe your vacation and suggest watching a film at the weekend. Module 6 fills in the vocabulary you need for all of this: numbers, days and months, and the 25 most common verbs and 25 most common adjectives with their present, past and future forms.

The course was created by a team led by Dr. Satish Satyarthi, who learned Korean from zero as a foreigner and now holds a BA, MA, MPhil and PhD in Korean. If you get stuck at any point, the TOPIK GUIDE team is there to help by email. When you finish, you are ready for the TOPIK I masterclasses in reading, listening and vocabulary.

What you’ll get

  • 28 lessons in 7 modules, starting from the Korean alphabet
  • Every Hangeul consonant and vowel, then syllables, words and final consonants (patchim)
  • Your first Korean sentences and the most common everyday expressions
  • Two conversation modules: introductions, shopping, catching up, weekend plans
  • Numbers, days and months, and the 50 most common verbs and adjectives with present, past and future forms
  • The first five lessons are free to preview before you buy
  • Included in the TOPIK I Complete Package, or $19 on its own
Included in:
  • TOPIK I Complete Package ($39)
  • TOPIK GUIDE All-Access Package ($99)

Course curriculum

28 lessons in 7 sections

Module 1. Korean Script - Hangeul6
  1. Course Introduction
  2. Lesson 1 - Simple Consonants
  3. Lesson 2 - DoubleConsonants
  4. Lesson 3 - Aspirated Consonants
  5. Lesson 4 - Simple Vowels
  6. Lesson 5 - Complex Vowels
Module 2. Korean Syllable structure - Making Words6
  1. Lesson 6 - Korean Syllable Structure
  2. Lesson 7 - Correct Pronunciation
  3. Lesson 8 - Making Korean Words - 1
  4. Lesson 9 - Making Korean Words - 2
  5. Lesson 10 - Making Korean Words - 3
  6. Korean Word List for Reading Practice
Module 3. Learning to Read and Make more Complex Words3
  1. Lesson 11 - Patchim - Final Consonants
  2. Lesson 12 - Words With Patchim
  3. Lesson 13 - Double Patchim
Module 4. Making Korean Sentences - Let's start reading, writing and talking in Korean2
  1. Lesson 14 - Common Korean Expressions
  2. Lesson 15 - Making Korean Sentences
Module 5. Conversation in Korean - 15
  1. Lesson 16 - Introducing Yourself
  2. Lesson 17 - Do You Have Milk?
  3. Lesson 18 - How Have You Been
  4. Lesson 19 - What Are You Doing?
  5. Lesson 19 Recap
Module 6. Basic Korean Vocabulary4
  1. Lesson 20 - Korean Numbers
  2. Lesson 21 - Days And Months
  3. Lesson 22 - 25 Most Common Verbs with Present, Past & Future Conjugations
  4. Lesson 23 - 25 Most Common Adjectives with Present, Past & Future Conjugations
Module 7. Korean Conversation - II2
  1. Lesson 24 - What did you do during vacation?
  2. Lesson 25 - Shall we watch a movie this weekend?

Try free lessons

You can open these lessons before you buy anything. You will see the teaching and the lesson design for yourself.

Course Introduction Lesson 1: Simple Consonants

Created by a team led by Dr. Satish Satyarthi, PhD (Korean), 15+ years teaching TOPIK.

Questions about this course

Do I need this course if I already know hangul?

If you can already read Hangeul confidently, Modules 1 to 3 will be quick revision, and the real value for you starts at Module 4, where you begin making sentences and holding conversations. If reading is still slow, or patchim (final consonants) confuses you, start at the beginning. The first five lessons are free, so you can check where you stand before buying.

Is it included in a package?

Yes. The Foundation Course in Korean is part of the TOPIK I Complete Package at $39, and of the All-Access Package at $99. It is also sold on its own for $19.

Can I study on my phone?

Yes. You can study on a computer, tablet or phone. Every lesson is designed for small screens as well as large ones.

How long do I get access?

Three years with the TOPIK I Complete Package, and five years with the TOPIK GUIDE All-Access Package. If you buy this course on its own for $19, you get it for three years. You get access immediately after payment, and your access details are sent to you by email.

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Get it in the TOPIK I Complete Package for $39 Or get this course for $19 on its own

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Foundation Course in Korean

Learn Korean from zero: the script, words, sentences and your first real conversations.

$ 19 Only

Course Summary

Welcome to the "Learn Korean from Scratch" course from TOPIK GUIDE.
This course curriculum has been systematically designed to help you learn Korean language in the most effective and efficient way possible.
 
This course is very different from the typical Korean lessons on YouTube and on many websites. We will not try to make you memorize 100 Korean phrases about different situations and make you assume that you have learned the language.

Memorizing sentences and words is not learning a language. Learning a language means having the skills to recall the words and grammar from your memory and frame meaningful expressions to communicate as required in different situation. And, that's what we want to teach you in this course.

We will start from the very basics - the Korean script, learn how to connect characters to make words, then we will learn how to make simple sentences and slowly we will move up to holding conversations in Korean.

I am a non-native myself who started learning Korean from scratch 13 years back. Today I am a qualified Korean language instructor with 3 university degrees in Korean language and linguistics including a Masters from Seoul National University with 'Teaching Korean as a Foreign Language' as my major.

I have passed TOPIK level 6 multiple times, recently just 3 months back (I take this test frequently to keep myself updated with the test trends). In last 10 years I have helped hundreds of Korean language learners learn Korean, pass TOPIK test and achieve their dreams to study or work in Korea.

During this course, the TOPIK GUIDE Team, along with me, will always be there to help you if you feel stuck at any point. See you inside the course. 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

We know that language learning is difficult. If anyone is promising you that they will make you learn the language without any serious studying and just by doing some fun activities or memorizing phrases, they are lying. Language learning require serious stying and dedication and there are no shortcuts. Our aim here to teach you Korean as it is supposed to be taught. We do not use fancy jargons and make false promises.
 
Many Korean language instructors have very good knowledge of Korean language but they don't know how to teach things in a systematic way and order. It's either because they themselves didn't learn the language in a systematic way or because they don't know how to teach a foreign language effectively. And that's the reason most of the learners are not able to go beyond the first few lessons. Most just give up at the alphabet because the teacher is not able to explain the pronunciation changes properly and they feel overwhelmed with so many random rules.  

This course has been designed by an expert who has not only learned Korean from scratch and achieved near native level fluency but also did formal study and research on how to teach Korean as a foreign language. So this course uses tried and tested methods to teach you the concepts of Korean language. Yes, you will have to put in more effort than when learning through "fun" YouTube videos but after a few lessons you will realise that you ar on the right path and you will feel confident that you can learn this language. The concepts have been explained in such a manner that you will not feel, at any point during this course, that you are not able to understand something.

We know that language learning, especially at the beginning stage, requires some extra hand-holding. Therefore we are always just a message or email away from you. If you have any questions during the course, you can leave a message on the lesson page, send an email or message us on Facebook and we will be there to help you.

Though TOPIK test will require some additional and more focused preparation apart from this course but you will definitely be ready to prepare for TOPIK I after this course. If you are interested in taking TOPIK test, you can contact us after you have completed 75% of the course and we will guide you accordingly.

It's USD 19.

In fact, we wanted to offer it complete free of cost. But after years of teaching online courses, we have realized that people don't put in time and effort if they get some course for free. And we didn't want that for this course. We only want serious learners. That's why we have put a minimal price so that it can filter the not-so-serious learners while not being a barrier for others.

Through we are very confident that you will find the course helpful, we know that people have different learning needs and styles. For any reasons, if you don't like the course, you can just send us a quick mail within 30 days after purchase and we will give you a 100% refund .

Course Curriculum

TOPIK GUIDE

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