Learning Korean Online: Can You Become Fluent With It?

The Korean wave has reached the entire globe.

And along with this wave came the increasing interest in learning the Korean language.

As a Korean learner myself, I often ponder the possibility of learning Korean online to the point of becoming fluent in the target language.

Have you ever thought the same?

In this article, I’m going to explain how anyone can learn the Korean language online given you have the right mindset and tools to carry on with the journey.

Because let’s face it: Not everyone can travel to Korea to immerse in the language for several months.

But to us Korean learners of all levels – from total beginners to seasoned learners – it shouldn’t stop us from pursuing the language.

So how do you realistically pull this off? What do you need to know prior to picking up your Korean lesson?

The Korean Wave and Language Learning

Have you ever caught yourself humming to a K-pop song, or maybe getting teary-eyed over a scene in a Korean drama?

You’re not alone. I started Korean after falling for a K-drama, and to this day I never run out of earworms because of K-pop’s catchy tunes.

The Korean wave (also known as Hallyu) has indeed swept across the globe, and it’s brought with it a surge of interest in the Korean language. Personally, I find this cultural phenomenon fascinating. It makes me feel proud that a language I picked up over a decade ago is now becoming mainstream!

Speaking of mainstream, I personally witnessed the explosion of Korean language resources on the Internet. It’s as if we’re also experiencing a “wave” in the Korean language – all that’s left is to grab the opportunity to learn it.

The “Korean Language Wave” On The Internet

That’s right.

You can now learn Korean with the use of the Internet.

In fact, this is how I got started with Korean. The K-drama I picked up came from a streaming website, while the K-pop songs I listen to came from Spotify and YouTube.

When I began exploring the language, I simply Googled the basics of Korean and watched YouTube videos to better grasp the lesson. The algorithms of these platforms enabled me to discover new resources for learning Korean, which enabled me to learn further.

This happened years ago, when resources were not as much.

Fast forward today, you now have access to an even more abundant supply of learning resources ranging from courses, videos, apps, websites, study materials, infographics, immersion content, language communities, and who knows how many influencers that are teaching the Korean language.

What It Means to Be “Fluent” in Korean

There are plenty of resources for learning Korean as of this moment.

The question is: If we utilize all the online resources we have at present, work hard, and dedicate our time to learning, can we reach a fluent level of Korean?

But first, what do we mean by fluency? This word gets tossed around a lot in the language learning community and it seems like the ultimate goal of most language learners.

I like to relate it to the word fluid, which as we all know is freely-flowing. To speak or understand a language fluently would therefore mean that you can freely flow in your dialogue and in comprehension. You do not worry much about the language because you’re a natural at the language.

There are many standards for measuring language fluency, such as the famous CEFR for European languages, which starts from A1 up to C2. Then there’s a version in Korean which is based off TOPIK, which goes from Level 1 to Level 6.

Fluency in the European standard would mean you are at the C levels, either C1 or C2. In TOPIK, it might be that you level up to Level 5 or 6.

Another interesting definition I found for fluency is – when you can learn the target language using the target language. Meaning you can learn further Korean by using only Korean.

But standards aside, it’s usually the case that YOU will be able to feel if your skill at a language is enough to be considered fluent. There’s less difficulty you’re facing over time until it’s too easy and smooth flowing and voila, you’re fluent.

So again the question: Is it possible to achieve fluency using mostly the Internet?

Learning Korean Online to Fluency: Is It Achievable?

Given the knowledge above, is it therefore feasible to start learning Korean online with the intention of mastering the language?

Personally, I think it all boils down to mindset.

With Korean being a tough language to learn (especially if you only know English), the only way to make it to fluency is if you have a strong reason for doing so.

I have my own share of reasons to learn Korean, like one day traveling to Korea, making Korean friends in my country, watching shows without English subtitles, and even building expertise on a specialized topic using Korean (for me, it’s coffee ☕)

What is your reason for learning Korean? That will usually dictate how far you can go into the language.

Whenever challenges arise, you nevertheless run towards it because you want to learn and grow. You might end up discovering some fascinating insights, learn new skills, or try out new approaches you’ve never done before.

That said, I believe learning Korean can be enjoyable even if the going gets tough. The Internet can be a big help in accomplishing this.

How Online Learning Helps with Learning Korean

So how can the Internet help with your Korean learning journey?

From my experience so far, I see a handful of benefits you can get with learning Korean online:

It’s easily accessible – just open your smartphone, tablet, laptop, or any device with Internet connection and you can get your daily dose of Korean, even if you’re still in your pajamas
Korean content is plentiful – you won’t be limited to your nearest bookstore, library, or language class, as there’s plenty of selection online
More people teaching the language – from blogs to YouTube channels to influencers to polyglots, you have the freedom to choose your Korean language teacher
Technology helps improve the way you learn – you have access to fun and engaging tools such as apps, games, websites, or even AI (artificial intelligence) to learn Korean, such power is in your hands
Meet native speakers online – you can practice Korean without going to Korea, simply use the Internet because many Korean speakers are also hanging out there
You get to have fun – no more boring lectures where you force yourself to sit down at, you can pick your favorite content and spend hours bingeing it!

That said, I see a couple of downsides with the online approach:

Lack of physical connection – while you can converse and practice online, nothing beats meeting Koreans in person to practice with, so you may have to find them in your area (perhaps through meetups)
You’re on your own – learning online by yourself can become boring easily, you will need a lot of self-discipline to sustain your efforts
Lack of feedback – if you’re not careful, you can learn Korean the wrong way especially if you don’t plan to have a personal teacher to correct you
Less cultural experience – you may learn a language online, but your exposure to the Korean culture would be limited, so you’ll still need to gain real world immersion to complete the experience

Overall, I see no reason why you shouldn’t use the Internet to learn Korean. Both offline and online complement each other, so why resist one when you’re fully embracing the language?

The Resources And Tools I’ve Used

The beauty of online learning is you can be intentional – you get to choose which resources to use at any given time.

However, with the plethora of apps, websites, courses, and gurus out there, it can be overwhelming to get started.

If you’re looking for just an opening into the Korean language, how about you try out the tools I myself used? They’re not necessarily the most effective tools out there, but they can provide a head start:

Duolingo – this language learning game is how I began Korean in the simplest (and laziest) way possible, which is to use gamification to learn the language
Talk to Me In Korean – almost every Korean learner knows about TTMIK, so you can count on them to teach you the very basics up to the intermediate level – start with their fun and engaging YouTube channel
How to Study Korean – it’s a free website where I learned a lot of grammar rules, vocabulary, and some cultural knowledge, which come in blog and audio format only
Memrise – the app’s specialty is to learn vocabulary in a fun way, incorporating techniques to better retain words in your memory through the variety of games it provides
HelloTalk – is a popular app for connecting you with native speakers in the target language, allowing you to message people, write posts, upload audio, ask for corrections, and so much more
hilokal – allows you also to converse with natives, but it’s limited to audio conversations (no video)
Refold – if you’re interested in a different approach to learning languages (including Korean), Refold teaches the “mass immersion approach” in order to become fluent in the most effective way possible (as they claim it to be)
YouTube – it’s such an obvious tool not just for learning and studying Korean, but also to find immersion content in pure Korean once you reach intermediate level
Anki – is a tool to create your own flashcards, but be careful as it may look geeky (and boring) to a complete beginner who doesn’t know how to utilize it
Quizlet – can also be used to create your own flashcards (study notes), but it looks a little bit better than Anki when it comes to aesthetics

Yes, these resources are still few. There are way more apps and websites and tools to choose than I could enumerate.

If you wish to choose your own tools, I have a lazy suggestion – just pick other people’s recommendations, preferably those coming from someone you believe in. Maybe you’re following an influencer or YouTube channel and they suggested a tool. Simply follow what they’re doing and you won’t go wrong.

But What About Language Immersion?

You may have heard of language immersion, thinking that in order to acquire it you must travel to the country of your target language.

Not at all – you can do immersion from the comfort of your own home.

While you may not experience full involvement with authentic Korean culture, most countries have their own cultural centers where you can learn how to get involved with Korean culture. Not to mention, there may be events happening in your place where everything is all Korean.

Or at the very least, it’s possible you can go to a Korean convenience store or restaurant somewhere, eat Korean food, or do something Korean-ish in nature. Every bit of Korean involvement counts.

But hey, we have the Internet!

Why not use it to our full advantage?

There’s a wide variety of Korean content to take advantage of. For instance, here are some to check out:

Korean Dramas – as I’ve mentioned, dramas are how I got started in Korean. I may haven’t understood everything at first, but it inspired me to keep going with learning Korean
Korean Podcasts – they say your listening skill lags behind compared to other language skills such as reading and writing, that’s why podcasts make great tools to catch up

Korean Music – there’s no harm in using K-pop to learn Korean since it’s fun. But if you can choose, my suggestion is to pick other genres of music instead of pop
Korean TV Shows – same with dramas, TV shows make great immersion content for their rich visuals and Korean subtitles
Korean Movies – their popularity is widespread across the globe, so why not use them for language immersion?
Cultural Content – if you want to learn Korean, how about watching shows that talk about Korean culture? You can pick categories such as travel destinations, food, traditions, family, religion, history, social norms, and those kind of stuff

How to Start Today: Form a Learning Habit

Up until now, I’ve been talking nonstop about the topic of this post.

You know what matters more? YOU taking action starting today!

While I can’t be right beside you to check if you’re taking action, I will provide one suggestion for you to get started.

In fact, it’s just one word: HABIT.

Habits are behaviors you do repeatedly that’s almost automatic by nature, such as waking up and brushing your teeth. If you can turn the action of learning Korean into a habit, then it won’t be difficult to keep doing it.

Many apps have a built-in habit formation mechanism, where all you have to do is form a streak and keep attending to it every day. That’s how I built a Korean habit: I played Duolingo every single day for 1,000+ days straight with only a handful of skips. Perhaps you can start with those apps to see if you’ll truly become interested in Korean.

Otherwise, if you want to build a habit from scratch, then here are questions to guide you when forming a learning habit:

What are your goals? Do you plan to learn Korean to break free from English subtitles? Hold 15-minute conversations with native speakers? This sets your WHY for starting the habit in the first place
What activity are you going to do? Are you going to practice Korean listening? Will you do shadowing? Be specific so you’ll know whether you’re successfully doing the habit or not
When will you do the activity? In the morning? At night? During lunch break? During commute?
For how long? Say 20 minutes? An hour? Two hours?
How often? Will you do it every day? Every weekend? Every Tuesdays and Thursdays?
Where will you learn? In your bedroom? In the library? In the gym while working out? Inside the car?
With whom will you do it? Alone? With a fellow native speaker? With a language tutor? With a group of Korean learners?

Notice that since your learning approach would be through the Internet, most of these questions you will find easier to answer.

If you’re not convinced about the power of habits, I recommend you check out James Clear and his blog.

How to Learn Korean Over the Long-Term

You don’t just want to learn Korean – you want to retain your knowledge over the long run.

There are no secrets to Korean fluency. You just have to stick to the process and keep attending to the language regularly.

I personally witnessed multiple breakthroughs with my Korean. I would usually find my skills go up a notch, such as when I’m able to listen better. Or I start to notice more words that I’ve accumulated through study and flashcards. At present, I can start to read Korean subtitles more than half of the time without looking up in the dictionary.

Prior to these breakthroughs however, it was mostly struggle and figuring things out. It felt like I wasn’t making progress and am already reaching a plateau. All it took was waking up one day to a better me (no kidding, there’s science proving that you learn better after coming from sleep!)

This is something I can never explain in full detail and you would have to EXPERIENCE the feeling yourself.

Long story short, the key is to stay in the game for as long as you can. All you have to do is make sure you don’t get knocked off the game.

Here are ways to accomplish just that:

Adjust Your Goals – when the going gets tough and you find yourself unable to reach your goal, be willing to tone it down just so you’ll be able to achieve it
Track Your Progress – having something to track such as number of new words or exposure time in the language can help uplift your spirit, instead of just telling yourself that “I’m getting better”
Choose the Right Resources – you are free to experiment with the learning materials you’re using to learn Korean. While you can follow others’ recommendations first, don’t be afraid to discard what doesn’t work and keep looking for tools that resonate with your learning style.
Create an Immersive Environment – if you can design your environment to be conducive for learning Korean, such as having Korean textbooks in your bookshelf or simply having kimchi in the fridge, that would keep you immersed into the language
Converse With Language Partners – engaging with native speakers and/or fellow Korean learners can motivate you to keep using the language. It’s also a great way to make new friends and learn about Korea from an insider’s perspective.
Be Part of a Korean Language Community – learning a language can be a lonely journey that requires a lot of self-discipline. To help with that, there are countless online communities filled with fellow learners and native speakers willing to help and guide you. Try the subreddits for a head start, especially r/languagelearning and r/Korean to get exposed to their discussions.
Having Fun – what will keep you going over the long run is when you’re having fun with the language, so spending time making it a fun process is never a bad move. That means if you have to choose between an effective (but uncomfortable) method such as conversing with a native speaker, or using a fun app like Duolingo, you may want to enjoy Duolingo if that’s the way to keep going.

Ultimately, everything accumulates and will contribute to your growth as a Korean language learner. It will all take you to your destination, which is to become fluent.

Are You Ready for Korean?

At this point, there are no excuses not to start Korean. Blame the Internet for making it too easy (lol)

Getting to the point of mastering Korean online is not impossible either. Even though I’m still on my way to becoming fluent, I’m going to rely on the digital world to accomplish this.

So to all the beginners and intermediate learners out there – the key is to get started, to keep going, and to assume there’s always something new to learn.

From familiarizing the Korean alphabet to immersing in specialized domains, everything unraveled in front of me – but NOT overnight. The Internet doesn’t make the learning process any faster, but it does allow for convenience and sustainability.

Whether you grab the opportunity today or put it off until later is up to you. Embarking on the journey to learn Korean online has been a rewarding experience for me.

I wish it would be the same for you.