Learn Korean
YMCA
The YMCA in shinae holds Korean classes on Saturdays from 10am-noon. The classes run from March to June (1st semester) and from September to December (2nd semester). You pay 50,000 won per semester. There are 4~5 different level classes, so you can choose the one that suits you. There are also occasional field trips or Korean experience days. In a taxi, just say "shinae YMCA" (say the "C" like "shee"). The 5th floor has the teacher's lounge where you can register, and the classes are on various floors. Contact Nani Ko (one of the teachers who speaks English) for more information.
Language Exchange
Small Group/Private Tutors
Churches
Heungduk Catholic Church offers Sunday afternoon small-group Korean classes. They are for church members and non-members. Contact David Sparks for more details.
KIIP
KIIP (Korean Immigration and Integration Program) Korean classes are part of a national program and are available in Cheongju. They are free to join, but are intense and require a substantial time commitment. You need to create an account on the website, and then register for the next level test available (usually 4~5 times a year). Only after you have been assigned a level can you see the location, date, and time options. The website (www.socinet.go.kr) can be quite confusing, but there are a lot of good internet resources to help walk you through it, such as Key to Korean. There is also an extensive Q&A thread on Waygook.org about the KIIP program.
Online
The YMCA in shinae holds Korean classes on Saturdays from 10am-noon. The classes run from March to June (1st semester) and from September to December (2nd semester). You pay 50,000 won per semester. There are 4~5 different level classes, so you can choose the one that suits you. There are also occasional field trips or Korean experience days. In a taxi, just say "shinae YMCA" (say the "C" like "shee"). The 5th floor has the teacher's lounge where you can register, and the classes are on various floors. Contact Nani Ko (one of the teachers who speaks English) for more information.
Language Exchange
- The Cheongju Language Exchange Group meets on Thursdays from 8-10pm in Chungdae at A Twosome Place (2nd floor). You switch back and forth between studying Korean and helping someone else with English. You can bring in study materials or just practice conversation.
- The What's Going on in Cheongju? Facebook group is a great forum for finding language exchange partners. If you type "language exchange" into the search box, you can see people who have recently posted about it. Usually, this would entail an hour of Korean study/conversation and then an hour of English.
Small Group/Private Tutors
- If you're looking for something more tailored to your level and specific needs, this is the way to go. There are many teachers available, and the best way is to just ask around on Facebook or at the YMCA.
- Inny is a Korean tutor who is highly recommended by other foreigners. She is a linguistic student who is multilingual and she is an excellent teacher. She can only do Thursday/Friday/Saturday lessons in person, or Skype lessons at other times.
Churches
Heungduk Catholic Church offers Sunday afternoon small-group Korean classes. They are for church members and non-members. Contact David Sparks for more details.
KIIP
KIIP (Korean Immigration and Integration Program) Korean classes are part of a national program and are available in Cheongju. They are free to join, but are intense and require a substantial time commitment. You need to create an account on the website, and then register for the next level test available (usually 4~5 times a year). Only after you have been assigned a level can you see the location, date, and time options. The website (www.socinet.go.kr) can be quite confusing, but there are a lot of good internet resources to help walk you through it, such as Key to Korean. There is also an extensive Q&A thread on Waygook.org about the KIIP program.
Online
- The Sogang University Online Korean Program is especially good for beginners and basic learners. It does an excellent job of teaching how to read Hangeul, and then proceeds with basic vocab, grammar, and quizzes. Use Internet Explorer and make sure you have Flash Player and that your computer can display Korean characters.
- The Learn Korean Online site has videos of a foreigner-taught Korean class which goes over the basics of reading, sentence structure and vocab in an easy-to-understand way. You also get the hand-outs the class uses, and MP3 files of native Korean pronunciation.
- KBS's Let's Learn Korean site has a lot of practical conversation examples (at the hospital, at the post office, asking for directions, etc...) along with basic grammar and vocab.
- Talk to Me in Korean is a great site for every Korean level. It is audio lessons/podcasts (and some videos) with accompanying PDF worksheets.
- For intermediate and upper level learners, the Berkeley Online Intermediate Korean site is good. Each lesson has a story or conversation with new grammar and vocab. You can read the explanations, and then do exercises to test your understanding.