Korean For Dummies [Paperback]

Jungwook Hong (Author), Wang Lee (Translator)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0470037180 | ISBN-13: 978-0470037188 | Publication Date: August 4, 2008 | Edition: 1

Start speaking Korean the fun and easy way with Korean For Dummies, a no-nonsense guide to Korean culture and the basics of Korean language. Pick up basic phrases and commonly used words so that you can converse with Koreans in both business and personal situations. You’ll learn Korean for everyday life and task-specific expressions for Korean on the go. In addition, you’ll discover important and fascinating aspects of Korean culture.

This handy guide won’t burden you with lists of grammar rules; just look up the phrases and cultural phrases that you need or read through the whole book for a general overview. You’ll be able to place material in a daily context with cultural tidbits, phonetic spelling of Korean words, and the recorded Korean dialogues on the accompanying CD. Exercises will jog your memory and reinforce everything that you learn. Find out how to:

• Use basic phrases and words correctly
• Converse intelligently about Korean culture
• Do business with a Korean company
• Say task-specific expressions
• Pronounce Korean words
• Put material in a real-world context
• Make a good first impression with Koreans

Complete with lists of ten ways to learn Korean quickly, ten phrases to make you sound Korean, ten expressions that Koreans like to use, and ten things you should never do around a Korean, Korean For Dummies is your one-stop guide to speaking basic Korean and understanding the fundamentals of Korean culture.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Provides phonetic spellings of Korean words

Get the basics you need to interact with Korean speakers with ease!

Want to communicate in Korean? This easy-to-understand guide explains the basic grammar, numbers, and vocabulary you need to make introductions, small talk, and to get around. From ordering food and asking directions to handling money, shopping, and taking transportation, you'll see how to speak the language and be understood. Plus, you get fun exercises, verb tables, and a mini-dictionary!

Discover how to:

• Understand Korean mannerisms

• Use common phrases and sentences

• Follow etiquette rules

• Pronounce words correctly

• Sound more Korean

About the Author

Jungwook Hong created a Korean language program and founded the Korean Studies Organization at the University of Virginia.

Wang Lee was born in Seoul, Korea, and he moved at an early age to the Middle East. He spent two years in Kuwait and another six and a half in Saudi Arabia. At the age of 13, he moved with his family to the United States and has been there ever since. He graduated from Shimer College in 2000, with a B.A. in Humanities. Since then, he’s been working as an interpreter and a translator. He has worked for various school districts helping children with disabilities and has worked as a translator in many different fields ranging from the medical profession to the auto industry. He tutors Korean children in English and writes in his spare time.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 1 edition (August 4, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470037180
• ISBN-13: 978-0470037188
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #185,676 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #29 in Books > Education & Reference > Dictionaries & Thesauruses > Foreign Language > Korean
  • #29 in Books > Education & Reference > Foreign Languages > Instruction > Korean
  • #31 in Books > Education & Reference > Foreign Languages > Korean

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not for serious Korean students, November 11, 2008

By 

Scott Lincoln "sclincoln" (Pohang, S Korea) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Korean For Dummies (Paperback)

First of all, I'd like to admit that I don't own the book, but I used the Look Inside feature to sample it. I've been living in Korea for over 10 years, and have learned to speak Korean reasonably well. This book may serve someone who is casually interested in Korean, but for someone who really wants to learn Korean, it has at least one obvious drawback. The words aren't written in Korean. Korean has it's own phonetic writing system which is very easy to learn (I taught my mother the basics in only 2 hours). Furthermore, Korean pronunciation is significantly different from English that trying to write Korean words in English (or vice versa) is pretty futile.

If you just want to scan through, pick up a couple phrases like "Hello" and "Thank you", along with some cultural tips, this book would probably be fine for you. If you're really looking to study Korean, go elsewhere.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars What a disappointment, March 22, 2009

By 

Iain R. Mcnab "Hanguphile" (Toronto, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Korean For Dummies (Paperback)

I really like the "For Dummies" series. So as a student of Korean, I was looking forward to this book being released, because it had been advertised for about a year before it was available.

So I rushed to buy my copy. I am so disappointed with it.

The main drawback with this book is that it does not use the Korean alphabet (Hangul) - instead it uses a system of romanization, together with a phonetic guide to the words. This combination results in amazingly stupid tables of phrases, with "korean" phrases written in romanized korean (of no use to anyone), and the "phonetic" rendition of the script given alongside. So if you want to use this book, you need to learn a romanized version of Korean script! My worry is, that if this were the first book someone tried, they would attempt to learn the romanized Korean, later finding that it was a complete waste of time. Crazy.

I cannot say the book is completely useless. I wish I could. There is value here, for example, the discussion of how to physically place your tongue in your mouth in order to make the famously difficult r/l sound of Korean is good, and I have not seen it elsewhere. However, if in a future release the ridiculous romanized script were to be replaced with Korean script (by all means, keeping the phonetic renditions - they are helpful), it would become immensely more valuable.

Overall, I cannot recommend this book for sole purchase. It may be a useful second or third string book for anyone really interested in Korean.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Hybrid Phrasebook-Textbook on Language and Culture -- Not an Academic Textbook or Language Course!, January 16, 2010

By 

Richard L. Fuller (Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Korean For Dummies (Paperback)

Korean for Dummies is a hybrid cross between a phrase/culture book and a Korean textbook. I can see why the book receives both 5-star and 1-star reviews. If you are a complete novice, this book gives you the basic phrases and enables you to hear the language on the accompanying CD. For the academic study of Korean, this is NOT a good supporting textbook. As the introduction states, "Each chapter is organized so that you can look up and say a little something in the many situations that you may encounter while shopping, traveling, eating, and so on."

The book is organized like other dummy books, in digestible-sized portions by situation. The details and the fact that it is in roman letters (instead of the native Hangul script) means an English speaker can use an alphabet they already know and get close enough in pronouncing the words to make sense, but not so close that they sound native.

If I wanted to learn a little Korean for a trip, I would read this book a few times, listen to the CD while driving around, then travel with a smaller phrasebook. If I really wanted to study and learn Korean, I would go with a full language course (Berlitz, Living Language, or Rosetta Stone), or take a formal college course.