Proven Methods to Learn Korean with integrated Workbook

The information itself seems okay I have yet to look at it, but the binding was poorly done and the book came as new but has a sticker labeling damaged stuck on the back. The book has chunks of pages that are loose rather then glued to the binding and it was therefore noticeable before even opening it. I paid full price for a new copy and received a damaged copy.

We know languages are established as they are today because of history built upon them and learningthem like the korean language will be time consuming but this book gives a very simple and "take it or leave it" approach, which I think super simplifies the need of expanding the horizon on learning the language. There's no need of exhausting 500 + pages of books to know what every character meant.

I absolutely love Korean From Zero! I had downloaded the free PDF and printed a copy only to realize this workbook form would be better when I'm out and some study time appears. Also the fact that they have a companion course on the memrise app is super helpful when you are trying to learn the new words. Most of which have audio files attached. It's so very convenient.

After reading all the great reviews, I thought I would really like this series. It's not that great for me. While I really liked how they laid out their Hangul information, the book itself isn't that great. I stopped after the Hangul section. They started with the numbers, where another book started with basic conversation. I don't think the layout is the best, as while learning numbers is important, I'd think you'd want to learn conversation first. However, I do like their sound change explanations better than the other book.

Overall, I will use the other series Go Billy Korean that I have to learn Korean. I have caught on there better than this series. I have both series three books. So I will use them hand in hand to learn.

So, you've decided to learn Korean. Congratulations! That's great! I did too. And when I did, I saw a TON of material out there, but most of it was disorganized and confusing. All the "serious" language books were a little daunting as well because of all the technical linguistic jargon used. Seriously, none of us really use words like dipthongs and gerrunds. (Well, at least not the low-brow people I interact with on a daily basis.) So if you are unclear what a present perfect participle is...this is the book for you!

It combines the "serious" concepts like verb conjugation (yeah, some of the jargon is unavoidable) with a no-nonsense approach to teaching you usage. It's meaningless to memorize a bunch of words. With this book, you begin to understand and recognize patterns in speech. Then, the authors skillfully teach you to exploit these patterns to expand your knowledge and your "speaking sense" by merely adding vocabulary since you already know and understand the underlying patterns!

What I also found helpful are all the little tips and tricks that are tucked throughout the book. Little things like why you might hear a "ch" sound in a sentence when there is no "ㅊ" character in the sentence. I also liked the interactive nature of this book. It is meant to be written in! It is like a combination textbook and workbook. (I do recommend that you use pencil in case you screw something up. That way, you can correct it, and when you review it later, you can review the correct examples.) You can also download the audio files from their website. This greatly expands your retention of the material since you are engaged in three different ways. (Seeing, hearing, writing.)

Perhaps it's not the be-all-end-all of Korean language books, but what it offers is a good solid foundation for your future studies. Even intermediate learners will pick up some useful tips, tricks, and explanations from this book. In short, it's brilliant and I highly recommend this book!

This concerns the readability of the Kindle edition.
Basically it won't load on my iMac (OS 10.9.5) or my Powerbook (OS 10.6.8).
It will load on my iPod. But the text doesn't scale for the device.

I can't say anything about the content because it's too much of a hassle to read on my little iPod.
Don't wast your money on the Kindle edition if you plan to use it on an apple device.

I have been using this book for my Korean language self-study. I just finished lesson #15. Since it is two lessons away to the end, I think I can be able to give my honest review of this book.

I think it is a great resource. I love the fact that it focuses more on grammatical pattern usage than just giving us information on how to say something. If you're learning style does not revolve around memorization, then this book is for you. Of course, since learning vocabulary means memorization, I wish that the authors would have a vocabulary supplemental resource available, such as putting their vocabulary words in the Memrise app.

I also like that worksheets are already part of the lesson, compared to other books where they make you pay extra to buy another workbook. Of course, if the authors will write a separate workbook, I'll be the first person to buy it. More practice means better outcomes in language learning, right?

I gave this book a 4 star only because the book was not well-edited. In the first few chapters, the editing was impeccable. However, as the book progresses, there have been a lot of errors. Some examples include: the Korean sentences and the English translation do not match. The verb tenses in the examples were incorrect (the present tense was translated into past tense, etc.). Another thing was that sometimes the answer key didn't give the correct answers. Sometimes I feel confused trying to learn because of the errors of the book. Sometimes I would go back to previous chapters to check if I used correct grammar or not. Also, I find that in the later chapters, the authors started to use sentence examples where the vocabulary or grammar pattern has not been introduced until later lessons. This confuses the readers, too. The authors need to check these errors, and release a 2nd edition for this book with the errors corrected.

Overall, this was a good book, and I am glad that I bought it for my language learning. I have learned so much in such a short period of time. I can now converse a little bit with Korean friends through chat/text.

I ordered this book and it has never been available on my kindle or in e-format. I've not seen it yet and can't find it while digging through my the store saved stuff ... I can get my Microsoft office i purchased 3 years ago but not this e-book? really?

edited to add - When I say i have not "seen it yet" I mean it has not been delivered to my KINDLE. I ordered the Correct KINDLE format - My Order History shows it. This item DOES NOT deliver to Kindle, it shows only available for IPAD which is silly since that is not what i purchased. I think the SELLER has a responsibility to make sure that they provide delivery to a KINDLE if they are selling a KINDLE edition. The SELLER should not pawn off responsibly to the store. They should be more helpful.

Edited again to add

** I see this seller as combative and unprofessional. I have purchased an item that was not delivered the way it was promised and now was forced to download the item for from the Seller's website instead. I have paid $10 for an item that is FREE on their website. I as a Consumer do not reccommend this Seller based soully on my own personal experiences.

It's not the Consumer's issue that something is not correct with the the store delivery system and the book they order from you.

As a Consumer I of course would take up my grievance with the Seller. The Seller is who is agreeing to deliver a product to me in exchange for the money I already paid. If the Seller has issues with their Delivery system with the store, then they can take it up with the store ... the vendor they are choosing to use to deliver the product through.

I have been studying Korean for the last 5 months and most study materials are too difficult or too easy. This book is just right. It is showing me how the use of patterns can build your Korean vocabulary. I also like how romanization is not used after learning Hangul. It forces the learner to study the korean characters and say it.

Great Job. I can't wait for Korean from Zero 2! :)

George, thank you to you and your team for creating what can only be described as the best resource for learning elem./pre-int Korean. The thorough explanations of grammar points should be an example to any other publisher looking at putting together a course. I can't speak highly enough of your efforts. While I downloaded the .pdf file from the website, I will also be ordering a hard copy of the book as well. I have two questions for you! I hope you'll take the time to answer!

1. Since I'm in Korea, ordering from the store takes a while and requires shipping fees. Is there anywhere in Seoul I can buy a hard copy?

2. Can you please give us an update on the status of book 2, 3, 4? I find myself checking the website regularly hoping for new levels. Judging by the glowing reviews of others, I don't think I'm the only one who's excited for level 2! Of course, please don't speed it up at the expense of quality because you've got a winner here!

I found myself really interested in learning korean and I searched everywhere trying to find the right book but none seem to be really helpful until I found this book. I really am a handson person so having a workbook attached helped a lot since I was able to write the same words they were teaching me and more easily memorize them. I do have to say that this book so far only has formal Korean which kind of bothers me a bit because I have korean friends and I only know formal Korean so I do get stuck a bit sometimes since formal and informal are a bit different. cbc

I have went through many different websites, books, and videos in my quest to learn Korean and this is the first one where things really started to stick. The writing practice at the beginning of the book made me feel like a little kid again. The lessons are well thought out and everything builds from previous lessons. I wouldn't make any changes to the book. I hope there will be more in this series!

I recommend picking this book up if you want to learn Korean or even if you have already started and are still at a basic level.

Long winded review and go...

Okay, so I love this book. A lot. I embarked on this journey to learn Korean about a year ago. It spawned out of a budding interest in Korean music, and culture, and I figured 'Why not learn the language?". It would be a great way to challenge myself. I've been off and on (mainly off) studying for about a year. I went from using several Library books, until ultimately I purchased a beginner book on the Korean language (that I won't name). Excited, I was hoping this wasn't just another half-assed attempt and learning a language, just as I did with Spanish and Finnish before. Unfortunately, I didn't find the book very helpful. I found myself very confused, and gradually losing interest in learning Korean. I'm well aware you won't master it overnight, but the study material left me unsure of my abilities to learn this language. About seven months into my off and on studying, I found a Korean meetup class, that takes place at UNLV. I went with a friend to check it out. Although everyone for the most part is far more advanced than we were, I felt like it was important to keep going. After a little while, I started using the free Korean From Zero! PDF download... Since having access with this material, it has revived my confidence in learning, and has made me excited to lean again. Thanks to George for giving me a book. The past couple weeks or so, I've been carrying this book around everywhere, and some things are clicking better than they were before. This book has been far more helpful with the learning process, than anything else I've tried and I'm super pumped to keep going and see where this new interest takes me. I'm very thankful for the class, that led me to this book. I'd recommend it to anyone with an interest in learning Korean...

Thanks for the great work. =}

While it may not be the prettiest textbook on the market, its contents are the best. I am currently on Lesson 10 and I have found the book to be very well put together. After mastering the basics of pronunciation at the beginning of the book, each lesson walks you through new vocab and grammar in an easy to follow and enjoyable manner. There are exercises to do at the end of each lesson (I wish there were more!). The biggest winning point for me was how the conjugation of verbs was given in a table format. When I heard that I would have to conjugate verbs to learn Korean I felt a shudder go down my spine. Other textbooks devote pages and paragraphs to explaining how to conjugate basic verbs. I find that daunting and confusing. This book does it on one page with a table and then walks you through several examples. Easy! Phew!
There are audio files available online to go with the book. The one down side is that the conversations are done line by line (for example, if a conversation has 5 lines in it you'll have to listen to 5 separate audio files instead of one whole conversation) I would prefer to have the option to listen to the whole conversation in one go from start to finish.
Don't judge a book by its cover, this is an excellent textbook!!!

I have been studying Korean for over 15 months, and I wish this book was around when I started. Exceptionally laid out, with some of the best explanations I've seen for Korean grammar and conjugation. The lessons are fun, easy to follow, and I'm especially grateful for the online support that comes with the book. This should be in the core group of anyone's basic Korean resources. Can't wait for Level 2!

Love this book. I have a Korean classmatehelping since our small college doesn't offer Korean. Compared to other language books this is way better because it is orderly. And compared to Rosetta Stone which doesn't differentiate between honorifics and teaches you useless words this book is more in depth. My children are learning Korean via DinoLingo so this book has helped me help them (at least where reading Hangul comes in).

I have had countless Korean books that I bought, and myriads of time trying to decipher why certain words were uttered in such a way. If only I had this book to start of with,then I would have learned and progressed faster. Mind you,I have been trying to study the Korean language for gazillion years .lol since 2008 actually. So for me to recommend a book and say it is a wonderfully crafted book.....I really do mean it. This book is an awesome book especially for beginners for it helps guide you in simple layman's term. Now don't get me wrong when I say for beginners.It is not only good for beginners for even if one is in intermediate level,they would still pick up a lot from the book. What I want to emphasize is that for a Beginners standpoint of view,it is easy enough to follow that even if one is trying to learn on one's own,one would be able to speak and understand the Korean Language in no time at all. And though there may be some jargons that one have to memorize,it is fully explained in the book. There are a lot of examples, the workbook is very informative as well as lively that when one is answering,one doesn't get bored with it. There are small snippets of information that helps re-enforce what you've just learned and hence help you retain it in your memory. What more can I say except,Buy the book.You won't regret it. I know I love the book as well as the members of Las Vegas Korean Meetup group. :) Joy Organizer of Las Vegas Korean Meetup

I tried learning Korean with a couple other books but they were too 'college text book' like and extremely confusing with way too much text. After getting the free pdf of 'Korean from Zero' from their website (so generous, 감사합니다!), I immediately printed it out and started learning. I absolutely love the simplified but still thorough explanations, the adorable pictures and humour. This book is definitely a fun way of learning a new language with a lot of examples based on 'everyday conversations' and helpful exercises.
Just bought the second book in the series, can't wait to get it!

When I saw someone with this book I immediately had to ask to look at it. Although I have been learning korean for years, this book makes it simple and straightforward. I like the layout and clean design of the book as well. It's also nice to know that the book is FREE online in which they are constantly updating, now on its 3rd edition. There are also lessons online on their website. It's nice to know that the authors are actively making changes and editing their book.

I was looking for some books for beginners in Korean, I found some and bought them. While I was waiting for them to arrived I found this book. As other reviewer say the book is totally free in their site in pdf format and they have the sounds in the website too. So I thought, it's totally free so why not? Well turns out that for me this is the best resource I've found for learning Korean and it was totally free! I found the other books boring and not as detailed as this one. I'm exited to finish this book and start with the second! Thank you for such a wonderful resource!

I found this book by complete accident the other day and was absolutely skeptical will all the positive the store reviews. I had been swayed in the past by positive reviews and felt some products just didn't match up to what was being said. Since those that made this book are kind enough to offer a PDF version for free, I checked it out and almost immediately had a handful of questions regarding pronunciation answered. While the PDF is convenient, I am much more comfortable with a physical copy.

If you're self-studying and can't afford classes, this is definitely a great book. I've been studying on my own for quite some time and have used lots of websites that have been great, but none of them answered questions about pronunciation or why some consonants at the end of a "block" made a completely different sound. These are all important things and I couldn't be further in love with this book. I cannot wait for future installments of Korean From Zero.

This book really helps break down the basics and eaily makes it possible to go forward into the complexity of the Korean language. One of the greatest books I own. I'm buying one for my brother, boyfriend, and anyone else who wants to join me in the wonderful world of Korean language.

I have looked at and tried studying from many different Korean language books, and this is by far the best and easiest to work through. It is incredibly beginner-friendly, and fun and interesting as well. I look forward to my study time every day using this book. It should definitely be your first choice book, and if you've already bought other books, it's still worth getting this one. You'll find yourself using this one instead. I did!

Korean is the first langauge I have learned in 35 years and the book esp when combined with the web based lessons has made it possible.
I have been able to self pace my learning and been encouraged by constantly making small steps forward.
I highly recommend it.

This book has so many stellar reviews that I purchased it, hoping it would help me learn to speak at least some Korean rather quickly. I should preface this by saying I did know some phrases and words prior to starting the course and had also learned the alphabet via the TenguGo Hangul app and HangulTest app. I have not completely finished the book but I think I'm in far enough to make a judgment as to the overall material and style.

First off, I dislike the cover of this book. It's kind of embarrassing, to be honest. Why the gratuitous use of a big boob anime chick? I use this book sometimes on my free time at work so I've just taped a sheet of paper over the cover. Now that my rant on that is over, the actual content.

My biggest complaint about this book is the fact that the emphasis is on turning you into a good reader of Korean, not a good speaker. After the first few lessons which are all to learn the written alphabet, there is zero Romanization. I've never seen any language book that has done something like this. It's extremely time consuming to read even a simple sentence in Korean at first. Because there is no Romanization I don't know how to say the phrase or word unless I first figure out how to read it. This significantly delays learning how to speak.

This book is really heavy, it is not fun or entertaining in the slightest. There are very few pictures or fun dialogues or anything like that. There are no cultural points or little things to break up the material (from what I've gone through so far). Because of the lack of Romanization and the densely packed material, this book is not for someone who isn't super serious about learning Korean. I also think to make effective use of this book, one must devote 1-2 hours per day, every day studying unless you are some whiz at reading Korean at a blazing pace.

I think the way they teach the alphabet is extremely confusing. They do not break it up into a way that is natural or easy to learn, in my opinion. Use TenguGo Hangul and it's so much easier and the sound is preloaded into the app so you don't have to do the whole MP3 thing for this portion. For instance, it teaches k/g in the first lesson and then a few lessons later it gives another symbol for k. But what you don't realize is that it's aspirated in the subsequent lesson. So a person who hadn't learned the alphabet prior would probably be confused as to what is going on.

I also found the multiple grammar points at the end of the alphabet section to be completely overwhelming and kind of useless. They give you one or two examples of how the letters don't match the sound. As for the things they teach, the first lesson after the alphabet/grammar is full of commonly used phrases. But then numbers are the next lesson and that's just overwhelming. It's almost as though they made this book to have people become frustrated and give up before getting far. I'm lucky because my boyfriend is a native speaker and he can explain things to me that don't make sense or pronounce things that I need help with. Without his help, I probably would have given up using this text.

Much thanks to George Trombley Jr., Reed Bullen, and Sunhee Bong for publishing this book! I've even had the pleasure of hearing George teach to us in the classroom using this very book! It's a great resource to have and I have many more lessons to go in learning the Korean language. Thanks again George for your time and book!

This book is awesome!!!
I started from zero and this book explains even complicated things very well. It's not only teaching you grammer and vocabular, in the book you will need to use everything you learnt so many times, that everything is practically hammered in you head and never leaves again.

As a person who teaches Korean, this book certainly is a great book to have if you are interested in learning Korean. This book goes over the typical language books have such as the alphabets, numbers, grammars, and vocabs, but it goes deeper. By incorporating the information from this book into my "lectures," I was able to improve the amount of information that my students learn and enhance the quality of understanding that I have of Korean language myself.
Great book!

We got this for my daughter who is studying Korean. She really enjoyed it and said it is a fun and easy approach to Korean. It might not be that helpful to a serious student studying the language but is very helpful for basics and general conversation

I love this book!!!!!!! It makes learning korean very easy!!!! It just takes practice and dedication, but the book is an amazing tool to learn which I highly recommend for anyone that really just wants to learn korean for any reason!!! :D