Introduction

Korean language is widely spreading all around the world. Learning Korean in today’s time is considered a great asset. If you are planning to learn the language soon then you should know that the Korean language is much more than some pronunciations and accents. But, don’t let this  bother you, the alphabet system that they use in Korea is quite easy to get hold of. Now, coming to the topic, the importance of the Korean language. This solely depends on why you are learning the language. Beneficial or not, if you really are devoted to learning the language then this shouldn’t be bothering you at all.

How do you stay motivated to study the language when it’s so easy to get by in Korea without speaking much of it? Unless you are lucky enough to be in a situation where you are forced to speak Korean every day and everybody is helpful with your learning, you need to find some ways to motivate yourself to study more Korean.

In this blog we will explore terrific ways to practice Korean Listening skills.

12 Terrific Ways to Practice Your Korean Listening Skills

1. Listen more to authentic Korean native speakers

This tip sounds pretty straight forward and it is! The more you listen to the authentic Korean language, the better your listening skills will be.

If you happen to live in Korea, this will be easy for you. All you will need to do is step out of your house and pay attention to people speaking on buses, shops, streets, and other places.

You can make a couple of Korean friends and listen to them speak and speak to them back on a regular basis.

2. Listen to something you enjoy

Just because there are many Korean speaking contents, you do not necessarily need to hear it if it doesn’t interest you in any way.

You do not have to listen to boring news or audio CD’s if you don’t enjoy them. This is because, if you do not enjoy listening to that content, you will eventually get bored and give up on listening to Korean.

3. Do Active Listening

There is a difference between just hearing and listening. When you are listening, you pay attention to understand the meaning of the sentences rather than just hearing.

When you do active listening, you do not only aim to understand the meaning but you are also paying attention to the linguistic aspect used – pronunciation, intonation, grammar, and vocabulary.

4. Use Subtitles or Transcripts

When watching Korean movies or dramas, try watching it for the first time without subtitles, even if you don’t understand much. Then, the second time you can watch it with Korean subtitles.

Now that you have a little understanding of the content, you will be able to read the subtitles faster which will allow you to focus more on the sentence structure being spoken.

5. Speak like a real Korean

When listening to a native Korean speaker, don’t just pay attention to the vocabulary and grammar, but focus on the pronunciation of the words, intonations used to express emotions and fillers (아~, 그러게, 그러네요, 글쎄, 뭐, 그렇구요, 그렇지요) used to make conversations more natural.

You can try to imitate these styles when you try to speak Korean.

6. Use Your Phone to Record Conversations

You can use the built-in voice recorder on your phone to record Korean dialogues.

Simply record all your lessons, reading practices and friends’ conversations in Korean and play them often. Try to focus on sounds that you missed, if any, and repeat what you hear.

7. Download Korean Songs

Songs are a great way to train your ears to detect common Korean sounds using repetition, rhythm, and rhymes.

The key to improving your Korean listening skills through songs is to maximize your listening opportunities.  You can create a Korean playlist on Spotify and Youtube so that you can listen to them as often as possible.

8. Identify your challenges with Korean sounds

Phrases or word pronunciations in the Korean language are very exceptional. The sounds are unlike those of other languages, for instance, English. Most first learners rely on the romanization of phrases and words which come out different in actual conversations. Therefore, it is imperative to identify the sounds, words or phrases that you find challenging to make listening easy.

9. Focus on intonation and pronunciation

To gain a better understanding of the Korean language, it is important not only to focus on the vocabulary and grammar aspects but also pay attention to the intonation used to express emotion as well as the actual word pronunciation. Likewise, you have to take note of the fillers included in the conversation. All these elements give any conversation a natural feel and are vital in boosting your listening skills.

10. Engage in Korean conversations

Engaging in unscripted real-life conversations in Korean is an ideal way to heighten your listening skills in the language. Regular discussions with native as well as non-native Koreans will help you to get around confusing sounds and words. Baby steps are vital for a first-timer. You can start by visiting Korean markets in Singapore or socialize with other students from your Korean class.

11. Watch Korean movies and dramas

Another great way to boost your Korean listening skills is through watching Korean movies, TV shows and interesting dramas. Unlike songs that tend to be fast, shows are more realistic. They emulate real-life conversations. This way, it is easy to detect and grasp words and phrases effortlessly. Moreover, we are exposed to Korean culture and different subjects of conversation. There are countless Korean shows and movies available online. Also, Netflix has numerous Korean dramas and films that are accessible.

12. Practice active listening 

Listening and hearing are not the same. When you listen, it is all about getting meaning or understanding a conversation. On the other hand, active listening is advanced as it involves getting the linguistic aspects of what you listen to. These linguistic elements include intonation, grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation. You could do this while engaging in a conversation with someone, listening to a podcast, or by watching a movie etc. By listening actively to conversations in the Korean language, you will learn and be able to capture how sentences are framed as well as how ideas are expressed.