Learning a foreign language can be challenging, to be sure, especially if that language is from a totally different base. Those who are native English speakers, for example, do not struggle so much learning a romance language, as they do those with totally different alphabets and characters.
If you are intent on learning Korean, be prepared for such a struggle. But also be prepared for some enjoyable moments along the way, specifically hilarious Korean TV shows.
Why TV shows, you say? Well, there is actually a lot to be said for this method – it’s called total immersion and working with stories.
What do Total Immersion and Stories Accomplish?
When children who speak only a foreign language enter a school, they are placed in regular classrooms, because they actually learn the new language faster. This is known as a total immersion into the new language they must learn.
It is also shown that when people read or watch stories, they are more focused and motivated to understand what is going on. And that focus and motivation will result in faster learning of a language, especially those more difficult for Westerners.
Humor Can Be a Bit Addicting
If you enjoy humor, then you can help your Korean language learning by watching some of the funniest TV shows out of that country. Some of these are available online, some on TV platforms like Netflix, and most of them will have subtitles, composed by translation service providers into a variety of languages, mostly English.
Shows You Will Enjoy
Here are a few humorous TV shows that are equivalent to some of the popular shows on American television.
“We Got Married”
If you like the show “Wife Swap,” this is a similar yet funnier version. Instead of regular people, a female and male celebrity establishes a fake marriage and then must complete tasks assigned to them. It is quite popular in Korea and has many hilarious moments.
“Running Man”
This is a game show that involves crazy missions, not unlike some recent and popular American shows that feature couples racing to complete their missions. Lots of celebrities and stars from all over the world have had guest appearances on this show.
“The Return of Superman”
This is another show involving Korean celebrities, but only dads. Each episode films a day in the life of a dad who is left at home to care for his young children. Any parent can relate to the mischief these kids get into and how the dad discovers and deals with it.
“Workman”
This is actually a growing set of 10-minute YouTube videos, many of which have over a million views. Jan Gung-kyu is a former newscaster who takes on common jobs for a day. He has been a pastry chef, a cop, and a construction worker, to name a few. He has a great satirical sense of humor as well as a quick wit.
“I Can See Your Voice”
In America, the TV show “The Voice” features famous singers sitting backward and listening to singers, without letting opinions about contestants’ physical appearances influence them. This Korean show is the opposite rendition. Here, the celebrity singers face the contestants first and then guess which ones are likely to have good voices and which do not. It has lots of humorous moments, and the conversations among the judges are often witty and funny.
How These Shows Can Help You Learn the Language
First, the “storylines” are easy to follow, even if you don’t understand a word being said. But, if you follow this process, you will begin to learn vocabulary, pronunciations, and eventually short dialogues.
- Watch many episodes of the same show
- Watch at first without the subtitles and see if you can pick out the meaning of some of the words
- Watch with the subtitles and see what you got right
- Over time, you will see much of the same vocabulary and types of dialogues
This will actually work for other types of shows, depending on your personal tastes. For example, in the ’80s, Chinese martial arts movies were really popular with segments of American audiences. Most of these, although plot lines varied, came with many of the same language patterns, phrases, etc. It was easy to pick these out and to eventually understand their meanings.
Just a Start
Watching Korean television will certainly get you familiar with the language, give you some vocabulary and even common phrases and idioms. If you want to really master the language, though, you will obviously have to do more than this. But it is a start and can be a motivator to more serious study.
Author Bio: Merissa Moore is a researcher and writer keenly interested in our contemporary global environment and the ever-increasing diversity of countries and the “shrinking” of our world. She writes about lifestyles, travel, languages – anything with an international flavor. In her spare time, she experiments with international gourmet cooking and plays the guitar and a local Indie band.