Intermediate College Korean is a textbook specially designed for university students enrolled in Korean courses, but can also be used for independent study. The book covers everything from reading activities to listening comprehension and even goes over a variety of useful Korean expressions. It’s the perfect book for the student who can read and write Korean but also wants to improve their speaking skills.
"There are many activities in each unit as well as written and audio dialogues to help the student better understand how to effectively communicate in Korean."
Overview
Intermediate College Korean is a book meant for college courses and is designed to be worked on over a period of 27 weeks, focusing on one lesson per week. Throughout its 27 chapters a lot is covered such as: informal speech, feelings/emotions, verb patterns and many common expressions for everyday situations. The majority of the book is written in Korean so an Intermediate knowledge of the language is quite vital in order to get the most benefit out of the book. There are many activities in each unit as well as written and audio dialogues to help the student better understand how to effectively communicate in Korean. There are also plenty of grammar exercises to practice the newly learned language points. Lots of important vocabulary and common idiomatic expressions are covered throughout this lengthy book (almost 400 pages). There is also a useful grammar index in the back to better understand the various patterns used in Korean. Additionally, students will come across verb charts which provide plenty of examples and definitions. The information in each unit may be a bit challenging for novice learners so it’s recommended that students have a solid foundation in the language before trying this book out.
Each lesson in the book follows a very simple flow opening with a short story and then presenting the vocabulary/expressions that will be learned throughout the lesson. Also included in each lesson are some vocabulary activities, oral practice, listening comprehension and writing exercises. By taking this approach, all the bases are covered lesson after lesson, thus improving all four language skills.
Pros:
· There is lot to learn in each of the 27 chapters and students will go over tons of useful expressions which will help them if they are travelling or living in Korea.
· Useful charts and helpful tables to help students get a better understanding of certain grammar points.
· Can be used for self-study or in group classes.
Cons:
· Even though it is a college course book, there aren’t many pictures or illustrations to add some flair to the text.
· The book is mostly for reading and writing practice and it offers few activities to help students become better speakers.
Recommended For:
· Students who are enrolled in a Korean course or want to challenge themselves outside of class.
· Students who prefer textbook style learning and aren’t looking to focus too much on speaking or listening skills.
· Students who are preparing for a Korean exam and want to improve their comprehension skills
Overall, depending on your learning style, this book could be a good choice to turn to when wanting to improve your Korean. The many tables and charts will help you use and conjugate verbs. The reading activities, dialogues and grammar exercises will also help improve comprehension and language skills. Intermediate College Korean is a challenging text, but in the end will bring rewarding results and prepare students to transition out of the intermediate language level.
