The philosophy behind the direction of Essential Korean

안녕하세요! Essential Korean Kay샘입니다.

You've probably already noticed, but Essential Korean has undergone numerous changes in the past month! From a fresh, updated look to our website, to enhanced integrations that bridge the gap between studying our courses and interacting with fellow students, this update contains a lot of features that I think will significantly change how you interact with Essential Korean for the better. I truly believe that these improvements reflect the best and most consistent way to becoming a confident Korean speaker — which is finding people to study with and learn from.

It’s not to say that you can’t learn Korean alone: A select few become proficient speakers of Korean after studying hard alone. But I’d say they are a minority and a relative anomaly. The vast majority start with resolution and excitement at the beginning, only to find themselves slowing down or removing themselves entirely from the learning process. To learn a foreign language, one needs to stay the course and be committed in the long-term endeavor, with systems to fall back on.

The most effective and reliable way to achieve this is 1) to make oneself accountable, 2) have regular moments and experiences that makes the learning feel fun, (even when you feel progress is stagnant!), and 3) see the growth of your own progress. Many of the changes to Essential Korean reflect these beliefs and, really, the philosophy I have as a teacher. The updates you’ll see today and in the coming weeks are a product of what I’ve learned building Essential Korean so far, and I’m hopeful you’ll find them as exciting as I do.

Best,
Kay샘