THE KOREA SOCIETY

Beginning Korean 1

Jump into learning Korean with this stimulating course designed for complete beginners! First, you master the Korean alphabet (Hangeul) and then quickly move to learning and practice with introducing yourself (name, nationality, gender and occupation), asking simple questions, counting, and ordering food. You practice using the present tense as well as using 12 additional elementary grammar points and 80+ vocabulary necessary for basic conversation, reading, and writing. Covering the first half of the textbook I Love Korean I, this class is the perfect start to your meaningful and successful journey toward mastering the Korean language.

Recommended Previous Study: None

Fee: New student: $395
Continuing student: $355

Textbook: I Love Korean 1 (Seoul National University Language Institute, Published by Seoul National Press)
Note: Textbook not included in course fee.
Class Mode: Online On Zoom

If you are interested in being placed on the waitlist for one of our closed sections, please just email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and indicate the course for which you would like to be enrolled.

Beginning Korean 2

Ready to take your Korean skills to the next level? Beginning Korean 2 is a great way to build on the basics you already know! This course covers everyday essentials like ordering at a restaurant, talking about your schedule and making plans (months, days, times, dates), shopping for groceries, asking for and giving directions to locations, and chatting about the weather. You master 16 different grammar points—including prepositions, negatives, counters, irregular verbs and adjectives and some past tense usage—and 190+ vocabulary necessary for everyday conversation, reading and writing. It covers the second half of the textbook I Love Korean 1. 

Recommended Previous Study: Beginning Korean 1 or equivalent skills shown on our placement exam.

Fee: New student: $395
Continuing student: $355

Textbook: I Love Korean 1 (Seoul National University Language Institute, Published by Seoul National Press)
Note: Textbook not included in course fee.
Class Mode: Online On Zoom

Fast-track Beginning Korean 1 & 2

Already know some Korean and able to move at a faster pace? Our Fast-Track Beginning Korean I & II course is just what you need! Designed for beginners with some knowledge and ability to write and speak Korean, this fast-paced course, which meets for 2.5 hours per session, covers all content provided in Beginning Korean I and Beginning Korean II classes. You gain proficiency in practical skills such as  introducing yourself and others, asking simple questions, using numbers, ordering at a restaurant, chatting about daily life and making plans with times, dates and days of the week, shopping for groceries, handling  phone calls, describing your location and inquire about directions,, and even talking about the weather. It covers 28 elementary grammar points with an emphasis on the present tense and the past tense in some situations and includes practice with prepositions, irregular verbs and adjectives, as well as introduces 230+ essential vocabulary for basic conversation, reading and writing. It has all the basics you need to build a strong foundation in Korean! It covers the entire textbook I Love Korean 1.

Recommended Previous Study: A preliminary basic understanding of Korean and the Hangeul alphabet. For example, you should be able to understand, read, and write the following:
            1. Simple Korean letters (ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄷ, ㄹ, ... ㅏ, ㅑ, ㅓ, ㅕ, ...).
            2. Basic consonant and vowel combinations (가, 나, 다, 라, ...).
            3. Final consonant concepts (한, 국, 글, 선, 생, 님, 학, 생, ...).
Not sure if this class is right for you? Take this short quiz here.

Fee: New student: $475
Continuing student: $425

Textbook: I Love Korean 1 (Seoul National University Language Institute, Published by Seoul National Press)
Note: Textbook not included in course fee.
Class Mode: Online On Zoom

Beginning Korean 3

Ready to take your Korean skills up a notch? Our Beginning Korean 3 course is designed to do just that! You learn past and future tenses, Korean honorifics and how to introduce your family using honorifics, vocabulary for clothes shopping and making exchanges, sharing travel stories, talking about your weekend plans, and handling tasks at the bank and post office as well as making reservations for travel. It covers 21 new grammar points and introduces 230+ new vocabulary items. In addition to mastering your ability to participate in everyday conversations, you also advance your ability to comprehend basic texts and write simple compositions. The first half of the textbook I Love Korean 2 is covered.

Tip: Consider pairing this course with Beginning Conversation Korean I for additional listening and speaking practice.

Recommended Previous Study: Beginning Korean 2, Fast-track Beginning 1 & 2, or equivalent skills shown on our placement exam

Fee: New student: $395
Continuing student: $355

Textbook: I Love Korean 2 (Seoul National University Language Institute, Published by Seoul National Press)
Note: Textbook not included in course fee.
Class Mode: Online On Zoom

Beginning Korean 4

Curious about navigating the Korean subway, visiting a hospital, or handling everyday tasks in Korean? Our Beginning Korean 4 course guides you through mastering these essential areas. You become proficient at asking for permission, giving advice, discussing your availability for appointments and talking about customs and taboos in Korea. By the conclusion of the course you are able to confidently explain subway routes, describe your symptoms during doctor or hospital visits, make phone calls, and even order food over the phone—all in Korean! The course covers 20 new grammar points, including various causal connectives and sentence endings and 150+ vocabulary. Further, you gain more practice developing your reading and writing skills, including text messaging.  This course covers the second half of the textbook, I Love Korean 2. After completing this course you are ready for intermediate Korean study. 

Tip: Consider pairing this course with Beginning Conversation Korean 2 for additional listening and speaking practice.

Recommended Previous Study: Beginning Korean 3 or equivalent ability as demonstrated on the placement exam.

Fee: New student: $395
Continuing student: $355

Textbook: I Love Korean 2 (Seoul National University Language Institute, Published by Seoul National Press)
Note: Textbook not included in course fee.
Class Mode: Online On Zoom

Fast-Track Beginning Korean 3 & 4

Are you ready to quickly accelerate to more advanced beginner-level Korean language study? Then, this fast-track course is the perfect next step!  It covers all the material offered in our Beginning Korean 3 and Beginning Korean 4 courses and meets for 2.5 hours per session. You sharpen your conversation, reading and writing skills in a variety of contexts with essential vocabulary and grammar, including past and future tenses, honorifics, reasoning, and asking for permission, to name a few areas. You learn over 40 new grammar points and 400+ vocabulary items.  By the end or the course, you are able to confidently introduce family members using honorifics, use public transportation, handle bank and post office requests, navigate doctor and hospital visits, understand and give directions as well as shop for clothes and travel with ease. Covering all the chapters in I Love Korean 2, after completing this course you are set for intermediate Korean study. 

Tip: Consider pairing this course with either Beginning Conversation Korean I or Beginning Conversation Korean II for additional listening and speaking practice.

Recommended Previous Study: Fast-track Beginning Korean 1 & 2, Beginning Korean 2, or equivalent ability as demonstrated on our placement exam.

Fee: New student: $475
Continuing student: $425

Textbook: I Love Korean 2 (Seoul National University Language Institute, Published by Seoul National Press)
Note: Textbook not included in course fee.
Class Mode: Online On Zoom

Intermediate Korean 1

Excited to elevate your Korean language skills to an intermediate level? In this course, you will gain the confidence to dive into more complex conversations about your life and so much more. A follow-on to our beginning courses, you learn an additional 36 grammar rules such as conditionals and 250 new situational expressions related to your schedule, making plans and inquiries for vacations and holidays, describing past experiences, describing details about your employment and living expenses, asking for help, sharing in-depth descriptions of health, and much more. Upon completion you are able to engage in more complex conversations, comprehend longer texts and write compositions and notes in Korean. This course covers the first half of I Love Korean 3.

Tip: Consider pairing this course with Beginning Korean Conversation 2 for even more practice and fun! 

Recommended Previous Study: Beginning Korean 4, Fast-track Beginning Korean 3 & 4 or equivalent ability as demonstrated on a placement exam.

Fee: New student: $395
Continuing student: $355

Textbook: I Love Korean 3 (Seoul National University Language Institute, Published by Seoul National Press)
Note: Textbook not included in course fee.
Class Mode: Online On Zoom

Intermediate Korean 2

Ready to level up from Intermediate Korean 1? In this course you tackle advanced grammar and vocabulary. Intended to help you navigate trickier cultural situations with ease, you master new expressions for casual hangouts and discussions, holidays and even troubleshooting every day mishaps and accidents. You learn 16 grammar rules, and 175+ new situational/colloquial expressions. Upon completion you are able to talk confidently about everyday life, fix a broken gadget. describe your favorite hobbies and holidays. Note: This course covers the second half of I Love Korean 3. 

Tip: Consider pairing this course with Intermediate Korean Conversation 1 for even more practice and fun! 

Recommended Previous Study: Intermediate Korean 1 or equivalent ability demonstrated on a placement exam.

Fee: New student: $395
Continuing student: $355

Textbook: I Love Korean 3 (Seoul National University Language Institute, Published by Seoul National Press)
Note: Textbook not included in course fee.
Class Mode: Online On Zoom

Intermediate Korean 3

Already at an intermediate language proficiency but want to both review and delve deeper? In Intermediate Korean 3, you focus on putting your language and cultural skills to work in a variety of real-life situations. Whether you are navigating the workplace, shopping online, or tackling daily tasks and communications, in this course you learn new expressions related to these areas along with expressing regrets, describing people and your working life, and protocols for speaking with a supervisor or authority figure. You also learn approximately 20 advanced grammar forms and 160 new expressions and vocabulary. This course cover the first half of I Love Korea 4. Note: Some students move into Advanced Korean after successful completion of this course.

Tip: Consider pairing this course with Intermediate Korean Conversation 2 for more practice and fun!   

Recommended Prior Study:  Intermediate Korean 2 or equivalent as ability demonstrated on a placement exam.

Fee: New student: $395
Continuing student: $355

Textbook: I Love Korean 4 (Seoul National University Language Institute, Published by Seoul National Press)
Note: Textbook not included in course fee.
Class Mode: Online On Zoom

Intermediate Korean 4

Advanced Korean

Refine your fluency and mastery of Korean! Using authentic texts, media, literary and popular culture works, you actively advance your vocabulary and practice complex grammatical and syntactical structures while engaging in an exploration of lively and timely themes. News, issues related to Koreans’ passion for education and Korean company life, Korean geography and current climate issues, Korean medicine, poetry, celebrities, webtoon cultures and K-Pop trends, name a few areas of exploration. You gain confidence in participating in advanced discourse, both oral and written, not only in social settings but formal situations as well.

Tip: Consider taking this course with Pre-Advanced Korean Conversation or Advanced Korean Conversation to further enhance your listening and speaking skills. 

Recommended Previous Study: Intermediate 3 and/or 4 or equivalent ability as demonstrated on placement exam.

Fee: New student: $395
Continuing student: $355

Textbook: Materials will be provided in class.
Class Mode: Online On Zoom

Beginning Conversation Korean 1

Are you one of the millions learning Korean through apps or self-study and looking for a setting to practice speaking skills with actual people? Or, perhaps, someone who has studied in classroom settings but wants more listening and speaking practice? If so, this advanced beginner-level conversation course is perfect for enhancing your conversation abilities in everyday situations like introductions, shopping, making plans, exchanging phone numbers, finding locations, traveling and so much more. With a focus on interactive speaking and listening exercises, plus engaging handouts and supplementary materials, this course is ideal for students at an advanced beginning level!

Tip: Also want more practice with grammar and writing? Consider pairing this course with Beginning Korean 3 or Fast-Track Beginning Korean 3 & 4.

Recommended Previous Study: Beginning Korean 2, Fast-Track Beginning Korean 1 & 2 or equivalent ability as demonstrated on our placement exam.

Fee: New student: $395
Continuing student: $355

Textbook: Sejong Institute Practical Korean 1 (Published by King Sejong Institute Foundation)
Note: Textbook not included in course fee.  
Class Mode: Online On Zoom

Beginning Conversation Korean 2

Perfect for on-line language app learners as well as those with classroom experience seeking engagement in real-time with actual people. Our Beginning Conversation Korean 2 course is designed to develop your conversational skills for daily life situations and to equip you with the skills needed to communicate on basic topics and with phrases that are essential for everyday life. While reviewing basic grammar, vocabulary, and expressions covered in advanced beginning classes, you expand your conversational skills in real-world situations such as sharing past experiences, making dates and travel plans, clothes shopping for yourself and others, talking about your health and the weather, navigating hospitals, banks, and post offices and much more. With a focus on interactive speaking and listening exercises, plus engaging handouts and supplementary materials, this course is ideal for students at a very advanced beginning level or initial intermediate level of proficiency. 

Tip: Want more practice with grammar and writing? Consider pairing this course with Beginning Korean 4 or Fast-Track Beginning Korean 3 & 4, or Intermediate Korean 1.

Recommended Previous Study: Beginning Korean 3 or equivalent ability as demonstrated on our placement exam.

Fee: New student: $395
Continuing student: $355

Textbook: Sejong Institute Practical Korean 1 (Published by King Sejong Institute Foundation)
Note: Textbook not included in course fee.  
Class Mode: Online On Zoom

Intermediate Conversation Korean 1

Excited to make your conversation skills shine? In this course, you build confidence discussing everyday topics like dining out, traveling, personality traits, weather and climate and even giving congratulations and gifts. With a focus on fun and interactive speaking and listening exercises with plenty of handouts and extra materials to keep things lively, this course is perfect for students with low to mid-intermediate Korean language skills. While reviewing basic grammar, vocabulary, and expressions covered in beginning classes, you expand your conversational skills to many real-world situations.

Tip: Want more practice with grammar and writing? Consider pairing this course with Intermediate Korean II.

Recommended Prior Study: Intermediate Korean 1, Beginning Conversation Korean 2 or equivalent ability as demonstrated on the placement exam.

Fee: New student: $395
Continuing student: $355

Supplemental Textbook: Sejong Institute Practical Korean 2 (Published by King Sejong Institute Foundation)
Note: Textbook not included in course fee. 
Class Mode: Online On Zoom or In-Person at The Korea Society 

Intermediate Conversation Korean 2

Ready to take your Korean conversations to the next level? This continuation of Intermediate Conversation Korean I helps you build confidence while tackling everyday topics like sharing accomplishments, talking about your free time and travel, handling store returns and exchanges to name a few. With engaging, interactive activities and plenty of extra materials, it’s perfect for mid- to high level intermediate learners ready to boost their listening and speaking skills. You hear diverse examples of spoken Korean in a wide variety of situation and improve your pronunciation. Further, this course can be taken twice as content is switched every other term.

Tip: Want more practice with grammar and writing? Consider pairing this course with Intermediate Korean 2 or Intermediate Korean 3.

Recommended Prior Study: Intermediate Korean 2, Intermediate Conversation Korean 1 or equivalent ability as demonstrated on the placement exam.

Fee: New student: $395
Continuing student: $355

Supplemental Textbook: Sejong Institute Practical Korean 3 (Published by King Sejong Institute Foundation)
Note: Textbook not included in course fee. 
Class Mode: Online On Zoom

Pre-Advanced Conversation Korean

Ready to refine your conversational skills before tackling advanced-level discussions? This course is designed to strengthen your intermediate Korean by diving into more specific topics like discussing personal issues, sharing emotions, talking about habits, and describing famous places. With engaging, interactive speaking and listening activities, along with helpful handouts and materials, this course is ideal for high-intermediate to low-advanced students looking to boost their fluency. Further, this course can be taken twice as content is switched every other term. 

Tip: Want more practice with grammar and writing? Consider pairing this course Intermediate Korean 3 or 4.

Recommended Previous Study: Intermediate Korean 3 or 4, Intermediate Conversation Korean 2 or equivalent ability as demonstrated  on the placement exam.

Fee: New student: $395
Continuing student: $355

Supplemental Textbook: Sejong Institute Practical Korean 4 (Published by King Sejong Institute Foundation)
Note: Textbook not included in course fee.  
Class Mode: Online On Zoom

Advanced Conversation Korean 

Are you an advanced Korean learner who wants to further boost your conversational skills in a n environment?  This advanced-level conversation course uses authentic materials and real-life media to create many unique opportunities for fun engagement. The incorporation of contemporary contexts, current news and issues, idioms, and/or dramas keeps the class lively and keep you learning! In addition to advancing your use of complex grammatical structures and vocabulary, you further develop your cultural understanding and improve your comprehension and pronunciation skills. And this course can be taken multiple times as new material is introduced each term!

Tip: Want more practice with grammar and writing?  Consider taking this class with Advanced Korean.

Recommended Previous Study: Pre-Advanced Conversation or Advanced Korean or equivalent ability as demonstrated on the placement exam. 

Fee: New student: $395
Continuing student: $355

Textbook: None. Materials will be provided in class.
Preview: You can preview some of the content from this class here and here.
Class Mode: Online On Zoom

Hanja

An effective way to learn Korean is by studying Hanja (Chinese characters). It can significantly enhance your Korean language skills, especially in expanding your vocabulary and understanding the deeper meanings of many Korean words. In this class you learn how to read and write Hanja, focusing on a number of areas including school and education, popular culture and cultural heritage, language and science to name a few. You gain the ability to write numerous characters and explore a wide variety of representative words written in Hanja. It is a great opportunity for those who are longing to advance their knowledge of the meaning of Korean vocabulary through words which originated from Hanja.

Recommended Previous Study: Beginning Korean 3 or equivalent ability demonstrated on the placement test. 

Textbook:Useful Hanja for Learners of Korean (English version) (Published by Seoul National University Language Institute, Darakwon)

Note: Textbook not included in course fee. The textbook can be purchased online from hanbooks. Click here for further information.  

Korean Through K-Drama

🎬 Join Our Workshop: Learn Korean with Korean Drama!

Dive into the Korean drama “이상한 변호사 우영우 (Extraordinary Attorney Woo)” and explore key expressions and sentences featured in the show! In this fun and interactive workshop, you’ll learn and practice useful phrases from the drama — perfect for boosting your Korean skills with real-life language.

🖥️ Classes will be held online via Zoom.

• Date & Fee:
  Monday, September 15, 7:00-9:00 PM (ET) : $40 : Full Capacity 
  Monday, September 22, 7:00-9:00 PM (ET) :$40  : Full Capacity 
  📢 Both September 15 & September 22 : $60 (25% discount)
  

• September 15 Workshop: Describing appearance & behavior / Self-introduction. This session focuses on describing appearance and behavior through memorable scenes. Learners will practice self-introductions and explore how Koreans talk about personal traits.

• September 22 Workshop : Expressing opinions / Korean wordplay. This session highlights expressions for sharing opinions and playful Korean expressions. Learners will practice how to express their own thoughts and enjoy Korean humor together.

🎬 Each workshop will explore different scenes and expressions from the drama!  
📂 This workshop is recommended for students at Beginner 4, Intermediate, or higher proficiency levels

📂Textbook: None. Materials will be provided in class.

Note: Following the completion of your registration, a confirmation email will be issued within 1-3 business days.