"I wish I could accurately express with words how meaningful and enjoyable learning Korean has been so far. Jiyoung is a perfect fit."
Brandon Hatch
Korean course in Manchester.
Korean Lessons in New York
New York City is home to a large and growing Korean population of over 100,000 people. According to the Asian American Federation Census Information Center, 67% of them reside in Queens, and 19% in Manhattan, while smaller groups can be found in other boroughs. The influence of Korean culture can be seen in many areas of the city but especially in Koreatown, located in Manhattan just blocks away from Penn Station. Although it’s not big, this neighborhood is packed with Korean stores and businesses that go from small enterprises to large Korean chains like Pinkberry and H Mart.
If you’re interested in expanding your knowledge of the Korean culture in the city, learning their language is key. Becoming a fluent Korean speaker will allow you not only to connect with the local community more deeply but will also allow you to understand the way Koreans see the world. On top of that, learning this wonderful language will expand your opportunities in the city and open the door to wonderful locations in South Korea.
Why Study Korean in New York?
Learn Korean for Work and Travel
If you decide to learn Korean, you’ll get access to unique job opportunities. This is especially true if you’re interested in getting a job at New York’s tech companies such as Slack, Compass, or Salesforce, as they are constantly looking for bilinguals who can help build business relationships with Korean companies like Samsung Electronics. While learning the language will already give you a great advantage over other applicants, you might also want to learn about Korean traditions and etiquette, as it will help you navigate business meetings with Koreans without offending anyone. By doing this, you’ll not only become more employable in New York, but you’ll also be able to take advantage of the many great positions available for native English speakers in Seoul and other parts of South Korea.
Learn Korean for Social
Are you looking to immerse yourself in Korean culture? If so, you should attend the events held by the Korean Cultural Center in New York City. This government institution, located at 460 Park Avenue 6th Floor, was inaugurated in December 1979 to establish and promote Korean culture and aesthetics in New York. They offer specialized programs, events, and various educational resources to expose New Yorkers to Korean culture. Among their various events, you can find gallery exhibitions, where film screenings, and live music and dance performances where you’ll get to meet some of the most talented artists from South and North Korea. What’s more, if you’re interested in Korean food, the center has many events where you can learn how to make zero-waste traditional Temple food and others where you’ll get to taste delicious Korean street food.
Learn Korean for Culture
Learning Korean will bring many advantages to your life, and that includes your social life. The best way to meet natives in the city and other language enthusiasts like you is to attend a language exchange event. Learn and Practice English and Korean in NYC is a great meetup for people who want to practice Korean and meet natives who need help with their English. They meet every week at the Essex Market, located at 88 Essex St, for a language exchange event where participants speak ten minutes in English, then ten in Korean, and then they switch to have the chance to speak to other people. The event is completely free and it’s open to learners of all levels.
If you want to meet Korean friends outside of language exchanges, you might be interested in attending some of the events organized by I Heart Korean Movies. They meet monthly at AMC Empire 25, located at 234 W 42nd St, to enjoy the best Korean films in their original language and also American films that feature Korean actors. This group offers the perfect opportunity to meet friends who are as passionate as you are about Korean culture and cinema, so you can’t miss it!
Where to learn Korean in and around New York?
Whether you’re a complete beginner or an advanced learner, there are many great places in the city that offer useful Korean resources you can check out. The Korean Cultural Center, for example, has a great library where you can enjoy books by Korean authors in their original language and translated to English. If you enjoy reading fiction, a great novel that’s available at the library is The Vegetarian by Han Kang, a gripping story about a young woman called Yeong-hye, a part-time graphic artist and homemaker, whose decision to stop eating meat leads to devastating consequences in her personal and familial life.
If you’re interested in starting a language course, the New York University offers four levels of Korean from Elementary to Post-Advanced. Their program is aimed at students who intend to pursue academic research or careers involving the Korean language, so if you’re looking for a more flexible, general course, this might not be for you. Fortunately, there’s a better option for you and that’s to study at Listen & Learn. We have the best teachers who will create a completely personalized Korean course just for you. Whether you want to learn Korean to advance your career or to explore their wonderful culture, send us a quick inquiry now and one of our team members will get in contact with you in no time to answer any questions you might have.
The type of courses we offer:
Face-to-Face 1-to-1 (Individual) General Korean
Korean lessons of this type are broader and are aimed towards students with a variety of requirements. While all beginner level students will cover survival Korean - needed for short visits to countries where English isn't widely spoken, or if you wish to 'go local'; those studying Korean usually go in different directions at this point, depending on what they need. Those who have benefitted from these Korean classes have been those investing in or buying property overseas, those married to overseas nationals, people setting off on a round-the-world trip, enthusiasts in Korean culture, and those enthusiastic to pass a specific exam in Korean. Inquire now about our Korean Courses or Take A Free Korean Level Test
Face-to-Face 1-to-1 (Individual) Business Korean
These lessons in Korean are meant for those that feel that learning Korean would make a change in their work. For starters, it is expedient to learn how to say hello/goodbye, as well as basic business protocol; once the basics have been mastered, reading and writing come to the fore. Students who have greatly benefitted have been involved in import/export, international negotiations and acquisitions, jobseekers in multinational companies where another language is required, and those working in the international academia and government circuits. Even on our most fundamental beginner's lesson, students can anticipate ending the lesson with basic telephone Korean and e-mail Korean skills for communicating, as well as survival Korean if a short visit to the country is needed. Inquire now about our Korean Courses or Take A Free Korean Level Test
Face-to-Face Closed (Private) Group General or Business Korean
Those wishing to learn Korean in groups of 2 or more together (Two-to-One Korean Lessons or Small Group In-Company Korean Lessons) can sign up for our group classes. All students must be at nearly the same level of Korean proficiency, must have the same needs from the language, and must be able to study at the same time and place as the others. Bookings must be made for all students simultaneously. Listen & Learn do not propose group sizes or more than 6-8 people, but In-Company Taster Korean Lessons can occur with up to 12 people. Inquire now about our Korean Courses or Take A Free Korean Level Test
Skype, Google Meet or Zoom Online 1-to-1 (Individual) General or Business Korean
You and your group can be trained by our native speaker qualified Korean teachers, and can meet at your place of work or home at a time convenient to you. Tutorials can take place any day of the week, including weekends, and can be scheduled for the morning, afternoon or evening. If your home or office is not suitable for you, you can attend the lesson at the teacher's offices. You will be provided with all relevant lesson materials. Inquire now about our Korean Courses or Take A Free Korean Level Test
Skype, Google Meet or Zoom Online Group (Closed or Open) General or Business Korean
2 or more people can benefit studying Korean together as these Korean lessons are also offered to groups (Two-to-One Korean Lesson or Small Group In-Company Korean Lesson). Every student must have the same degree of knowledge of the language, the same business or language needs and the ability to study at the same time and place as everybody else. The booking has to be made for all students at the same time. Listen & Learn do not advocate group sessions of more than 6-8 people, though Taster Korean Lessons can be experienced by up to 12 people. Inquire now about our Korean Courses or Take A Free Korean Level Test
Top Tips For…
korean Songs
“산토끼” (Mountain Bunny)
Songs for kids are great tools to use to practice Korean, especially if you are a beginner. For example, Mountain Bunny is a great option that can help you become familiar with Korean sounds and the basic vocabulary related to animals and food. Words like rabbits (tokki), squirrels (cheongseolmo), almonds (amondeu), or chestnuts (bam). Also, you will be introduced to onomatopoeias, as every animal that is named in the song makes their sound (and children are supposed to mimic them, though we fully understand if you don’t feel like it!). Check out the song here!korean Songs
“갑돌이와 갑순이” (The Story of Kap Do-li and Kap Soo-ni)
Are you looking for a Korean folk song that tells a beautiful story while putting your Korean skills into practice? Then, The Story of Kap Do-li and Kap Soo-ni is the piece for you. This is a famous, romantic song that talks about a young lady and her beloved who found it very hard to express their feelings for each other. They struggled so much that they even got married to other people and suffered for years. This track is great for intermediate or advanced students of Korean, as it’s full of reported speech and passive voice structures. Check out the song here!“너를 위한 빈자리” (The Empty Space for You)
Looking for a romantic song you can enjoy while learning some new vocabulary and grammar in Korean? You should definitely try The Empty Space for You, by Park Yoo-chun. This song is famous across Asia due to its catchy tune and poetic lyrics. The track follows a man who tells the story of an impossible love. It’s great for intermediate and advanced learners, as it includes a lot of informal phrases and casual vocabulary. Sing along to this track and improve your pronunciation in a meaningful way. Check out the song here!korean Youtube Channels
You and I
Short stories are a great way to acquire a new language while getting to know more about the target culture. If you want to hear Korean short stories narrated by a native speaker (which is great, because you will also get familiar with pronunciation), you should subscribe to You and I’s YouTube channel. Most stories are really funny and accompanied by pictures and captions that make it easy to understand what the narrator is saying. So, the videos are suitable not only for advanced-level students, but also beginners can take advantage of these resources when learning Korean. Watch these videos here!korean Youtube Channels
EBS Documentary
Did you know that Korea has a free educational YouTube channel that frequently publishes useful videos for intermediate and advanced students of the language? All their videos are in Korean with subtitles (which is customary in Korean TV), meaning it will be even easier for you to follow what is being said. Some of the topics you can find on the channel include entertainment, food, scientific developments, and lifestyle, so you will surely find something to your taste! Once a week, EBS also posts long documentaries, which are perfect if you are looking for in-depth, educational content. Watch these videos here!Korean Unnie
Korean Unnie (older sister) is a great channel if you are just starting out learning Korean and would like to have a friendly companion on your language journey. The best part is that her content is not related to the formal aspects of Korean (so you won’t find videos of her explaining grammar rules, for example), but instead you will acquire the language by watching her interact with others in real life. For example, Unnie will take you to a traditional Korean restaurant and teach you vocabulary, colloquial expressions, and even give you insights into the fascinating Korean culture. Watch these videos here!Testimonials
From our clients all over the world
Client case studies
Have a look at successful and satisfied clients.
Monica Schwarz
Indonesian in Salt Lake City
Listen & Learn was one of the only programs that offered instruction in Indonesian!
Our Clients Include
From our clients all over the world
Apex Dynamics Spain
Language learned: English in Islip.
Instrumentation Services Inc.
Language learned: Portuguese in Colorado Springs.
