Just as there are a lot of terrible ESL books out there, there are also a lot of egregiously bad textbooks designed for foreign learners of Korean. In fact, I’ve rarely seen such badly organized and poorly thought out language texts as some of the ones I’ve tried to use to improve my Korean. It’s an insight perhaps, into the quality of language education in primary and secondary schools, if the Korean-made textbooks used to teach English and other languages are as poorly put together. Help is at hand if you’re a self-directed student of Korean, though.
The American Foreign Service Institute used to publish a series of courses targetting a wide variety of languages, for the use of diplomats and other government employees posted to overseas positions. The Korean one — Mastering Korean, available in two levels — is the best that I’ve ever seen, the most comprehensive and logically-structured introduction to the grammar and structures of the language
It’s not pretty in terms of design — it has no illustrations whatsoever and is typset in Courier — and it’s not intended as a classroom text, but for self-study, particularly if you have a modicum of knowledge about linguistics and grammar in English, it’s very good indeed.
The other good news is that it’s in the public domain. So I’m pleased to be able to offer the course for download here, from this site, free of charge. All I ask is that if you link to it, you link to this page, rather than directly to the files in question. Each chapter is in pdf form, and the audio component has been converted to mp3 files.
There is one gotcha, though. The author uses his own romanization, one different from either the old McCune-Reischauer romanization or the revised one adopted by the Korean government since 2000, and there is minimal use of the actual Korean alphabet in the examples and exercises. The romanization used is a sensible one, particularly if one knows the sounds of Korean already, and some of the quirks of pronunciation. If you take care to note, for example, the regular transformation of syllable-ending consonant sounds (for example a consonant-spanning ㅆ is romanized as ’ss’, even though it may be pronounced as a t-like unreleased stop followed by the sibilant), you’ll be OK. I recommend that you familiarize yourself with the alphabet and its sounds first (it’s a matter of a few hours to a few days), then learn the system used in the text, comparing and keeping mindful of the quirks as you go.
So, without further ado: here’s a belated Christmas present, Level One of Mastering Korean. Share and enjoy (and if you know of any other good textbooks for learning Korean, please feel free to let everyone know about them below, in the comments).
Table of Contents.pdf- Introductory Unit.pdf
FSI Korean- Introductory Unit Part One.mp3- FSI Korean- Introductory Unit Part Two.mp3
- Unit 01.pdf
- FSI Korean- Unit 01.mp3
- Unit 02.pdf
- FSI Korean- Unit 02.mp3
- Unit 03.pdf
- FSI Korean- Unit 03.mp3
- Unit 04.pdf
- FSI Korean- Unit 04 Part One.mp3
- FSI Korean- Unit 04 Part Two.mp3
- Unit 05.pdf
- FSI Korean- Unit 05 Part One.mp3
- FSI Korean- Unit 05 Part Two.mp3
- Unit 06.pdf
- FSI Korean- Unit 06 Part One.mp3
- FSI Korean- Unit 06 Part Two.mp3
- Unit 07.pdf
- FSI Korean- Unit 07 Part One.mp3
- FSI Korean- Unit 07 Part Two.mp3
- Unit 08.pdf
- FSI Korean- Unit 08.mp3
- Unit 09.pdf
- FSI Korean- Unit 09.mp3
- Unit 10.pdf
- FSI Korean- Unit 10 Part One.mp3
- FSI Korean- Unit 10 Part Two.mp3
- Unit 11.pdf
- FSI Korean- Unit 11 Part One.mp3
- FSI Korean- Unit 11 Part Two.mp3
- Unit 12.pdf
- FSI Korean- Unit 12.mp3
- Unit 13.pdf
- FSI Korean- Unit 13.mp3
- Unit 14.pdf
- FSI Korean- Unit 14.mp3
- Unit 15.pdf
- FSI Korean- Unit 15.mp3
- Unit 16.pdf
- FSI Korean- Unit 16.mp3
- Unit 17.pdf
- FSI Korean- Unit 17.mp3
- Unit 18.pdf
- FSI Korean- Unit 18.mp3
- Glossary.pdf
- Index to the Grammar Notes.pdf
No related posts.
Tags: learning, practicing, reading, speaking, studying
Hi Chris,
You are awesome. I have been studying Korean for 5 weeks with a long road ahead. This will help me immensly. One of the links isn’t working. I have listed it below.
Best regards,
Lynn Johnatakis jhntks@gmail.com 415-584-9492
FSI Korean- Introductory Unit Part One.mp3
Glad to help, Lynn. Thanks for the heads-up. I’ve fixed the link!
Hi Chris, I’m getting a different error for all of the links now. Sorry for the problems. It did give me a chace to read many more of the interesting and well written info on the website though.
Here’s the error I get for all of the links now.
Not Found
The requested URL /inside/2007/02/FSI/FSI Korean- Introductory Unit Part One.mp3 was not found on this server.
Best regards,
Lynn
You’re right, and I’m a dummy for not checking the links again! Should be OK now.
I copied all the files to my harddrive and put a few on my mp3 player.
First, the displayed name while playing is not correct. I think you have the wrong name encoded in the MP3 file.
Second, the filenames all start with the first few letters. My mp3 player only displays the first few characters of each file name.
-Jeff
Yeah, you’re welcome there, Jeff.
Your mp3 player isn’t smart enough to display the filename in the absence of ID3 tags. You can tag them yourself — it’s not exactly rocket science — or if you must, redownload the mp3’s . I’ve re-tagged them with appropriate track names and reuploaded. I don’t understand what your second complaint means, but presumably the corrected ID3 tags will fix it.
I’d be very careful with posting this stuff by Barron’s. In fact, I’d consider removing all of it from this site for fear of being sued by Barron’s.
It is true that Barron’s Korean course is little more than a rip-off of the original course by FSI (which IS in the public-domain in the USA). However, something being in public-domain means that anyone can take that something, alter it and then in turn, slap a copyright on it, even though the core of the material came from the public-domain.
This is exactly what Barron’s has done. Barron’s course isn’t in the public domain, but the course by FSI is. As such, Barron’s could sue you for unauthorized distribution/reproduction of “its” product, regardless of the fact that Barron’s course is at least 95% identical to that of FSI’s version.
The site which links to the Level II FSI Korean course has a strict policy of accepting and posting only material that is clearly in the public-domain. This means that the .pdf and .mp3 files on that website came from tapes and textbooks that were bought by private donors or public libraries from the government (i.e. NTIS). For legal reasons, the administrator has refused to host FSI materials that come from companies such as Barron’s, or mail-order companies such as Multilingual Books Inc. and Audio-Forum among several others, even though these companies offer effectively the same content as that of the original course by FSI.
If you do a search of the forums on that website using the keywords “copyright”, “bittorrent”, “reseller” etc., you will see discussions which have often been closed by the administrator. Understandably he wants to keep everything above board and not put his site or himself at the mercy of lawsuits emnating from companies such as Barron’s who charge a premium for burnt CDs and manuals with new shiny covers with the corporate logo and copyright,
Kamsahamnida! I love this site. Thank you so much for posting this!
vput: Thanks for your concern, but if it’s in the public domain, it’s in the public domain, as far as I’m concerned.
If I receive a takedown notice, I’ll be happy to consider it, but as far as I’m aware, this is not anyone’s copyright-hijacked course, but the original FSI one, which, as I have mentioned, is public domain material. The cover image (which I will remove, as it’s misleading) was intended to be illustrative only.
Until I get a takedown request (and possibly thereafter, unless it seems legitimate), I’ll leave the materials right where they are.
Hello!! Thankyou sooo sooo much for putting these up… It has been immensly hard for me to find good resources to learn korean… thankyou so much for helping everyone out!!
As long as the course here is the original FSI Korean Basic course, then you should be fine within the USA. Companies like Barron’s and Audio-Forum would no doubt want to shut you down and threaten you with a lawsuit if it turned out that what you’re posting came from them instead of FSI directly.
Wow, this is great.
I haven’t had chance to listent to them all, but I just tried one link.
As I hear it as a native speaker, the male speaker is not a native Korean(I can understand because his name in the dialog is James, right?) but his English is not a native’s English, either.
What do you think?
Since I haven’t had chance to go over everything, I can’t really judge it but I found several mistakes.
For example, 잘 지내십니까?
Both the male and the female speakers say it 잘 지나십니까?
But I’m sure this whole material is quite precious since there aren’t really many good books for learners of Korean as you mentioned.
So thank you so much for sharing.
Do you know when this was first published?
Actually, I would like to find some mistakes from this source and let everyone else know about them and hopefully contact the original publisher and republish it with 한글, ^^ haha, too ambitious?
Anyway, when you have time, please visit my website.
I studies priorily Korea language twice times. But I bave forgetten now. So, I will learn Korea language again.
Kind of sad that I purchased the Barron’s today, not knowing this was in the public domain. Are the actual recordings in the public domain? Barron’s just took a recording it didn’t make and a text it didn’t create and packaged them? I think you are in the clear if you got the recordings for free (e.g., from the FSI), and there were no copyright restrictions there. If you took a poem by Keats and retyped it and sold the book, I couldn’t photocopy your book, but I could retype the poem and sell it on my own. What’s your source?
There is an advantage to buying, since the sound is so low on your mp3s. But thank you for posting.
I just want to say thankyou very much for your efforts
.
“As long as the course here is the original FSI Korean Basic course, then you should be fine within the USA. Companies like Barron’s and Audio-Forum would no doubt want to shut you down and threaten you with a lawsuit”
Nah, that’s not how it works. If they did think posting this was copyright infringing (which, again, I don’t believe it to be), they’d send me a takedown notice. If I did not comply with the takedown notice, they would then have the option of legal recourse — but, as I said, if I received a takedown notice and it seemed substantive, I’d remove the materials.
(Send any complaints to chris at outsideinkorea dot com, by the way, if any lawyer-types actually do come sniffing around)
While not free, the best Korean language learning software out there is made by Declan Software.
http://www.declan-software.com
They have software that teaches hangul, korean grammar and vocubulary all with audio. they also have a fully searhable korean-engligh dictionary. I have found the korea grammar software an excellent introduction to spoken korean.
hi,
finally i found this site, then i can start to learn Korean, thanks for upload all the contents on internet
Dear,
I found your web-site on ‘Stumble Upon’
I think your site is well-made and good combination with excellent learning material.
I guess you could have many Korean friends and good experience on Korea culture, even Korean. Isn’t it?
I believe one of your English native friends could want either practice or learn Korean. If it is possible, I would like to introduce Korean on English. I have educated two Japanese on English when I studied in England.
So if you are ok, let me know. I do not want money. I have met a very kind English lady, who introduced everything even free English lesson, while I was learning English in England. I would like to be her.
Do not hesitate to contact me for further information.
Best
Dong Il Yu
father1007@hotmail.com
+82-11-9868-7933
Thank for Upload this Lesson!
I worked for six months in Seoul in -94/-95 and haven’t been there since. I understand the night life has improved somewhat.
Gawd, that picture of kimchi…making me salivate uncontrollably…all out impossile to get kimchi where I’m at. Must…have…kim…chi…
Annyeong haseyo!!
it such a great site!!
i have learned Korean 4 bout a year..and i hope this site would help me 2 learn more bout Korea & Korean…
Now, i can understand some Korean songs..
gamsahamnida!!
Hey i would like to tell everyone that this book is really on of the best books out there. Ive been studying korean for about 10 years of and on. I was in the military and ive sent over $500 in material over my life time. I hate to say the fact that i did buy this pack before from a used book store that cost like $80 dollars.
but anyways After useing this book. Alot of my korean friends commented on 1. How yell i sounded korean and to how fast i was picking things up and speaking more freely. I.E. Not thinking about what im saying and just talking. iF YOU WANT TO LEARN FAST AND LIKE TO DRILL. THIS IS FOR YOU. There are alot of books out there which was mentioned in the intro and ill tell you. this is most definitly it. I would like to mention the fact that you might want to pick up a grammer book. It helps with the grammer because this book is a “speak” based book. Id also like to say that ive learned enougth to write a song in korean. and it wouldnt be possible without this book.(and outside help)
hi! i’m really not sure if this question is appropriate to ask here, but i’m oh-so-desperate for some sort of linguistic explanation for the following phenomenon: why is it that with certain word-initial nasals (i.e. mian, ne, nugu), the nasals often sound like they’re plosives (i.e. bian, de, dugu) when i hear them said in korean dramas and variety shows? is it just my ears deceiving me or is there a valid explanation for this? thanks in advance for any input you have to offer!