The Handbook of Korean Linguistics presents state-of-the-art overviews of the linguistic research on the Korean language. • Structured to allow a range of theoretical perspectives in addressing linguistic phenomena • Includes chapters on Old Korean and Middle Korean, present-day language policies in North and South Korea, social aspects of Korean as a heritage language, and honorifics • Indispensable and unique resource not only for those studying Korean linguistics but cross-linguistic research in general
Vocabulary learning is the single most important component of second-language acquisition. In cases where the second language is unrelated to the learner's native tongue, this task presents special challenges because there are typically few clues in a word's form to assist in learning and remembering its meaning. This book offers a solution to this problem for students of Korean. The Handbook is the first ever "root dictionary" of Korean designed for second-language learners. Useful for students at all levels, it contains more than 1,500 vocabulary lists consisting of words built from a shared root. These lists offer a unique and efficient way for students to acquire new words. Upon encountering a word, students can consult the lists for its component roots and discover many other semantically related words built from the same elements. An introduction provides an overview of Korean vocabulary and detailed instructions on how to use the word lists. A pronunciation guide outlines the major principles determining the pronunciation of compounds and other multipart words in Korean.
This book represents an effort of around five years of part-time research, study, and writing by the author. In addition to assembling and organizing large amounts of accurate - and current - information from nearly countless sources, Mr. McDonough has also striven to describe the Korean Language in clear, engaging prose. Although written with beginning and intermediate learners in mind, even advanced users should find this handy book quite useful. Some of this data is very hard to find in any reference source (in English, anyways) and this book is much more accessible than others written by native Korean authors, professional linguists, academics, and the like. Naturally, explaining a foreign language requires some grammar terminology. However, this has been minimized and all terms are clearly explained in simple language, and also defined in a convenient glossary at the beginning of the book. The Handbook is meant to be a solid introduction to the grammar and structure of the language, as well as a reference guide to be consulted as needed. Everything you should need is very clearly laid out, with over 50 tables and lists, as well as an index. Plenty of examples are provided as well. This is the only book of its kind written in English currently available, and the only book that contains such a well-organized and useful collection of information. Part of its unique value is in the author's careful editing and the exclusion of a lot of older, rarer 'legacy' grammar material that tends to haunt many Korean books. Further aiding the user, notes about frequency and general usefulness are included in many places. In addition to being a self-contained educational resource, the Handbook would nicely complement classroom study as well as the various textbooks on the market. Lastly, this might be a useful tool for Korean natives studying English. The author comes from a computer science background, and initially set out to create a user's guide similar to those in that field (really, just for his own use). That project evolved into much more, and this book is the result. A companion vocabulary-focussed volume is due out later in 2015, and an advanced book in 2016. Other learning tools are planned as well, including an interactive Internet-based application for computers and smartphones.
The 'Korean wave' in music and film and Korea's rise to become the twelfth economic power in the world have boosted the world-wide popularity of Korean language study. The linguistic study of Korean, with its rich syntactic and phonological structure, complex writing system, and unique socio-historical context, is now a rapidly growing research area. Contributions from internationally renowned experts on the language provide a state-of-the-art overview of key current research in Korean language and linguistics. Chapters are divided into five thematic areas: phonetics and phonology, morphology and syntax, semantics and pragmatics, sociolinguistics and psycholinguistics, and language pedagogy. The Handbook includes cross-linguistic data to illuminate the features of Korean, and examples in Korean script, making it suitable for advanced students and researchers with or without prior knowledge of Korean linguistics. It is an essential resource for students and researchers wishing to explore the exciting and rapidly moving field of Korean linguistics.
Do you know what the hardest thing for a Korean learner is? Finding PROPER reading material that they can handle...which is precisely the reason we've written this book! You may have found the best teacher in town or the most incredible learning app around, but if you don't put all of that knowledge to practice, you'll soon forget everything you've obtained. This is why being engaged with interesting reading material can be so essential for somebody wishing to learn a new language. Therefore, in this book we have compiled 20 easy-to-read, compelling and fun stories that will allow you to expand your vocabulary and give you the tools to improve your grasp of the wonderful Korean language. How Korean Short Stories for Beginners works: - Each chapter possesses a funny, interesting and/or thought-provoking story based on real-life situations, allowing you to learn a bit more about the Korean culture. - Having trouble understanding Hangul? No problem - we provide you with the same story twice - one version fully in Korean and the other version with English translation added below each paragraph, allowing you to fully grasp what you are reading! - The summaries follow a synopsis in Korean and in English of what you just read, both to review the lesson and for you to see if you understood what the tale was about. - At the end of those summaries, you will be provided with a list of the most relevant vocabulary from that chapter, as well as slang and sayings that you may not have understood at first glance. - Finally, you'll be provided with a set of tricky questions in Korean, giving you the chance to prove that you learned something in the story. Don't worry if you don't know the answer to any - we will provide them immediately after, but no cheating! We want you to feel comfortable while learning Korean; after all, no language should be a barrier for you to travel around the world and expand your social circles! So look no further! Pick up your copy of Korean Short Stories for Beginners and level up your Korean language skills right now!
This is a guide to Korean language usage for students who have already acquired the basics of the language and wish to extend their knowledge and organise accumulated bits of information into a comprehensive picture. It is designed to promote the fluency and accuracy vital to effective communication, provides excellent coverage of proverbs, idioms, and sound symbolism, is tailored to the needs of the English-speaking user, and will be invaluable to anyone requiring up-to-date guidance on points of grammar and vocabulary. Unlike conventional grammars, it highlights those areas of vocabulary and grammar which cause most difficulty to English speakers. Special attention is given throughout the book to the appropriateness of different language styles in various situational contexts. Clear, readable, and easy to consult, it is essential for all those who wish to take their Korean beyond the beginner's level.
Learn your first 500 Korean words and thousands of related words and expressions that you can start using right away in your everyday conversations in Korean!
Korean Made Simple is a book for anyone who wishes to begin learning the Korean language. No matter your age, you can learn how to read, write, speak and understand Korean. Learn the Korean writing system, Korean culture, and even history. Learn over 1,000 vocabulary words and phrases through 20 in-depth and fun lessons, filled with plenty of examples. Additionally, practice sections with answer keys are built into every chapter. This book also contains additional advanced level notes for more skilled Korean speakers looking for a review of basic grammar and concepts, including a full appendix covering sound change rules. Audio files for the book are also available for free download from gobillykorean.com. Start your exciting journey into the Korean language today. Let's learn Korean!
