Talk To Me In Korean Level 1

TTMIK is well-known for producing high-quality learning materials, and is a popular choice with Korean language learners. This textbook series is based on the lessons that appeared on their website at a time when it was difficult to find good resources for beginners, especially for those living outside of Korea.

Pros

• The explanations are simple and straightforward, which is especially suitable for those who are learning their first foreign language. It’s written in a way that’s very accessible and easy to follow, without any complicated linguistic terms.
• Each chapter is relatively short and focuses on one grammar point, which ensures the reader isn’t overwhelmed by too much new information at once.
• Plenty of example sentences and sample dialogues are included, with accompanying audio by native Korean speakers.
• There is romanization for all 한글, which can be helpful in the early stages of learning to help with pronunciation.
• There are exercises at the end of each chapter to reinforce what you’ve learned, with answers included.
• There are ‘blog’ sections which include information about different aspects of Korean culture. It gives the reader a bit of a break from grammar, while providing interesting insights and new vocabulary.
• If you enjoy the teaching style, there are many other resources available from TTMIK.

Cons

• If you have studied a language before, this course may feel painfully slow and full of unnecessary explanations.
• The levels don’t match up to TOPIK levels, so it’s difficult to judge your progress. This can be a problem if you are interested in the TOPIK exam or just want to try out different learning materials.
• Although TTMIK has produced lots of learning materials, they don’t have a clear indication of what level the other books are at in relation to their grammar textbooks. Some include “beginner” or “intermediate” in the title, but none have a suggested TTMIK (or TOPIK) level.
• This is a more general observation than a comment on the textbook series, but the TTMIK brand is becoming more exclusive and less user-friendly as time goes on: podcasts have been deleted from services such as Spotify in order to direct people to their website; previously free materials are disappearing behind paywalls; some content is only available on their (buggy) app, etc.

Overall, this is a great series with a lot going for it. While it may not be suitable for everyone, the simple explanations, plentiful example sentences, and accompanying native audio make it an accessible and enjoyable learning resource.