One of My Top Beginner Book Recommendations
- 니콜 쌤
- Apr 6
- 4 min read
When you’re just starting out with Korean, picking the right material can be surprisingly stressful. There are so many options out there, but not many that actually make sense when you sit down and try to learn on your own.
Over the years, I’ve tested all sorts of books with my students. Some are better for classroom learning, others are great for reviewing. But when someone asks me for a beginner-friendly textbook in English, I always think of this one. I’ve recommended it over and over again, and of course for good reason.
It’s simple, structured, and surprisingly underrated. And yes, I used it myself back when I was a beginner. Check out the photos attached to this blog.
Why This Book Gets a Gold Star from Me
A lot of beginner Korean books fall into one of three traps:
👉🏻 They’re overwhelming from page one
👉🏻 They feel a little too childish
👉🏻 They explain things entirely in Korean (not super helpful if you're a beginner)
This one avoids all of that. It’s written for English speakers and breaks down grammar in a way that actually makes sense. The progression feels natural and you won’t find yourself flipping back every five seconds wondering what’s going on.
You don’t need a tutor to start using it, but if you are learning with a teacher (hi 👋), it fits in really well as a support book too.
Why I Keep Recommending Book 1
Here’s what I like most about it:
✅ Grammar explanations are clear and in English
✅ Dialogues are simple but practical
✅ The content builds gradually without rushing
✅ It includes free MP3 audio files you can download for listening practice
✅ There are helpful little cultural notes scattered throughout
If you’re the kind of person who likes structure and wants to understand how Korean grammar really works, this book is a great place to start.
What’s Inside Book 1
You’ll go through things step-by-step. Nothing fancy or overly academic, but just good, solid explanations and practice.
→ Units 1–3 cover Hangul and pronunciation
→ Units 4–10 teach you basic sentence patterns, greetings, and essential verbs
→ Units 11–20 get into everyday situations, speech levels, and grammar like ~이에요/예요, ~을/를, ~고 싶어요
→ Practice exercises come in the form of matching, fill-in-the-blanks, short translations, and speaking drills
By the time you finish this book, you’ll be able to read Korean confidently, make simple sentences, and understand how things fit together.
Book 2: When You’re Ready for the Next Step
If you finish Book 1 (or any beginner-level textbook) and want to keep going, Book 2 is the natural next step.
It covers more advanced grammar like:
→ Honorifics
→ Different tenses (past, future, conditional)
→ Particles you’ll actually hear in everyday speech
→ Indirect speech and relative clauses
It’s still beginner-friendly but takes you gently into the low-intermediate level. I’ve seen students grow a lot from working through both books in this series.
Who This Is Great For
I recommend this series to:
✔️ Absolute beginners
✔️ Self-studiers who want clear explanations
✔️ Students preparing for TOPIK I (Levels 1–2)
✔️ Anyone who learns best through structured reading and practice
If you're looking for something flashy, colorful, or filled with memes and trendy slang, this might not be your vibe. But if you like a clear, no-frills approach that actually helps you understand Korean, this is a great pick.
How to Use the Book Effectively
Here’s the study routine I usually recommend:
Start by listening to the MP3 audio for each dialogue
Take notes by hand to help lock in grammar explanations
Say everything out loud, even if you feel silly at first
Do the practice exercises at the end of each unit
Review often so you don’t forget earlier material
You don’t need to finish a whole unit every day. Even 10–15 minutes of focused study goes a long way.
This book series doesn’t look flashy at first glance, but it’s one of the most reliable tools I’ve seen for building a strong foundation in Korean. If you’re serious about learning, or just want to start with something that makes sense, give it a try. I personally used it when I first started, and it played a big role in helping me understand how Korean grammar works, and how it is used in some conversations. It’s one of those books I genuinely enjoy recommending.
Links are affiliated, which means I might earn a tiny commission if you decide to purchase through them. It doesn’t change the price for you, it just helps me keep Langsnack running and caffeinated ☕💛
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