The Learn! Korean with BTS series is a near-perfect example of everything we need from textbooks in the future. Great for independent learners, who don’t have access to native speakers to ask for pronunciation tips, this is a high-quality course that is sustainable for language learners across their journey from beginner to intermediate Korean speakers.
Big Hit Edu are taking their language course into universities around the world so you might find it popping up on your syllabus sometime soon but there are also real-life practicalities to this course if you are an ARMY who has always wanted to travel to Korea for a concert. You’ll have all the vocabulary you need to visit the souvenir shops or find the bus stop that features in the album cover of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’.
I’ve barely opened my textbooks, and am yet to stick the Hangeul keyboard stickers onto my keyboard, but I already have so many good things to say about this set. The books are full-colour printed on quality paper, the box is sturdy and travelled across the world well, the study note which was exclusive to the first orders is a fun addition and excellent extra for the set. I don’t even need to check back through my large collection of language textbooks to know that these are already right up there as some of my favourite resources for learners of any age. It’s helpful to have the textbooks as a four-part series so you can quickly grab the speaking pen and the lightweight textbook you need for your lunchbreak and not have to carry nearly 500 pages all at one time.
The speaking pen will help you learn vocabulary in Korean, with help from English, Japanese, and Spanish audio, demonstrating just how global the K-Pop takeover is. The technology of this is really cool, a tiny camera inserted into the pen reads the mini dots printed on the page to say the words aloud. You don’t need to buy any CDs, or download any MP3s, everything you need is included in the package already which is great as language courses are usually full of add-ons.
The set doesn’t come cheap, and you’ll have to reach further into your pocket for the global postage and inevitable import tax but it is well worth it for an ARMY or someone who has an eclectic collection of language learning materials. With 24 units to work through, extra links to BTS clips and a study note to help you keep track of your progress, Learn! Korean with BTS is an investment and one worth sticking with to improve your language skills in an engaging and memorable way.