Thank you for visiting the Learn Japanese website. We get a lot of requests from students who are learning Japanese about Korean. Surprisingly enough, Korean is quite similar to Japanese grammatically. They are both altaic languages, meaning the verb is at the end. They also come from the same root source of languages in Asia, Chinese.

Here are some helpful tips for language learners thinking about taking the next step after Japanese and learning Korean. They are written by Desteny, a current student of learning Korean at Hills Learning:

As a lover of Korean culture my long term goal is to eventually go to Korea myself and have a firsthand experience with things that I’ve only seen on television or through my computer screen. New York City is one of the most diverse cities in the U. S with a population of 8.406 million as of 2013. Most if not all of that number comes from foreign born residents.  With numbers that high there’s more than enough places and ways you yourself can learn Korean.

Here are a couple ways you can practice your Korean in your everyday life:

Group meet ups

With social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram communicating with people that have similar interests has become extremely easy. There are a number of groups and forums were Korean language learner’s pf all ages and ethnicities meet up throughout the city and come together as one. All you have to do is choose a time and a place and in an instant you’ll be connected to a new network of friends that you can practice your Korean with.

Cultural Events

There are many kinds of Korean centered events that take place throughout the year but for those who would like to dive into the culture I’d recommend taking the time out to participate in the many cultural events and activities that are hosted by the Korean Culture Service of New York. “KCSNY provides diverse cultural and artistic activities including gallery exhibitions, performing arts concerts, film festivals, and educational programs.” The Korean Culture Service of New York states on their website.

Concerts & Meet and Greets

From variety heavy weights like Kim Jongkook and HaHa to rookie idols groups Topp Dogg and VIXX. New York City has become and popular stop for famous Korean acts’ tour in the U.S. gaining much attention and visits from acts such as 2PM, rap label Illionare, 2NE1, actress Park Shinhye and Lessang member Kang Gary.  If you follow the Korean Entertainment industry these events are just for you. What’s better than having the opportunity to actually speak to the artists you listen to, showing them your skills with their language.

Classes

Of course the best way of learning Korean is taking classes. I’ve been taking classes at Hills Learning and they’re obviously my top choice for Korean language classes nyc. But it doesn’t there aren’t other options out there, such as the Korea Society, or KLC in Koreatown. Each school has their strengths and weaknesses and you should do a thorough check on all of them.

UPDATED – Hills Learning has also expanded to offer classes online and classes in LA

Thank you for your time! Please let me know of any questions about learning Korean.