Where can I learn Korean?

Korean skyline
Learn the Korean language from the bottom-up. Starting with the Korean alphabet and continue to develop oral, comprehension, and writing skills. Our courses utilize a curriculum that we have specifically created for beginners in a university setting. The materials used in class are based on the philosophy that learning Korean should be "easy to understand and easy to acquire."

If you have prior exposure to the Korean language, your abilities will be assessed through a placement interview. To set up an appointment, please contact the Culture and Language Studies Department at cls@uwaterloo.ca.

What are my academic plan options?

There are two different academic plans open to students enrolled in KOREA courses:

Students can complete a Korea Language diploma. We offer two language diplomas Korea Language I and Korea Language II. Diplomas I and II are mutually exclusive. Only one diploma can be granted.

To graduate with a Korea Language Diploma, students must declare the diploma on their Application to Graduate form.

KOREA course offering and descriptions

KOREA Level 100 courses

KOREA 101R - First-Year Korean 1

An introductory course for students who have no or little knowledge of Korean to develop listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills along with a sound basis of grammar. The distinctive features of the Korean language and writing system introduced. Practical oral, reading, and writing exercises develop the students' grammatical skills. Particular emphasis is placed on the acquisition of a basic working vocabulary.

(Not open to students with native, near-native, or similar advanced ability.)

KOREA 102R - First-Year Korean 2

Students deepen their understanding of basic grammatical (particularly verb, noun, and adverb) forms and sentence construction and enlarge their general vocabulary. Reading ability is expanded, and more attention is given to idiomatic expressions and the use of the language in actual contexts.

KOREA Level 200 courses

KOREA 201R - Second-Year Korean 1

Designed for students who have completed KOREA 102R or the equivalent. To achieve a balanced Korean language proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing, a variety of teaching materials and methods is used. The text includes adapted versions of short stories, essays, and poems.

KOREA 202R - Second-Year Korean 2

A continuation of KOREA 201R. Emphasis is placed on reading and composition. Students learn complex sentence structure and widely-used idiomatic phrases for advanced reading.

KOREA Level 300 courses

KOREA 301R - Third-Year Korean 1

This course provides opportunities to strengthen students' reading skills through engagement with articles, short stories, and folk tales. Emphasis is on grammatical analysis and contextual interpretation. Written compositions and oral presentations provide opportunities for personal response and reflection.

KOREA 302R - Third-Year Korean 2

This course provides additional opportunities for engagement with texts at an advanced level. Students develop specialized vocabulary by studying and practicing complex sentences and idioms.

KOREA 391R - Special Topics

This course deals with advanced topics in Korean language and literature. Students are expected to have at least an intermediate level of language proficiency.