Is learning Korean hard?

I could start this blog by telling you how the Korean alphabet works.
Or how sentences are in the opposite order to English. Ooh or maybe I’ll start with how the culture of respect works.

But you know what?
Let me cut all the crap and give you a simple answer...

Uhh, it depends....?

Wait wait. I promise it IS actually very simple. Bear with me.

Now first off. How could it possibly be easy to learn a whole new language, especially one that’s kinda the complete opposite of English in almost every way?

And yet, there are hundreds of thousands of people who are learning Korean around the world.

Maybe they are all just super smart with photographic memory…? Or maybe they’re all super rich and can afford the best tutors, oh and plus they probably don’t have to work or have kids, so they have all the time in the world?

Right? …...........Right?

Sophie, the non-Spanish Speaker

"I've always wanted to learn a 3rd language! I heard Spanish was easier to learn so I'll try that!"
Actual words said by me about 4 years ago. 

I bought textbooks, signed up to a language school, subscribed to a bunch of Youtubers and even got a private tutor.
It was the whole meal deal.

I was super excited and motivated in the beginning because learning something new is so fun!!

That lasted me a whopping 3 months.

It’s commonly known that Spanish is an easier language to learn for English-speakers. And if I rack my brain to remember back to those 3 months - yes, it was a more familiar concept to me.

SPOILER ALERT. I do not speak any Spanish today.

If you have no real reason to learn a language other than for the sake of learning it, like I did, it will be a long and hard road.

But the question of difficulty is completely redundant.  

Nothing is easy if you don't want to do it.

Why is getting up at 6am on a winter's morning so hard??? Because it's difficult and you don't know how?? No, because you just don't want to!

So, if you're here because you were 'just wondering' and you've fallen down some rabbit hole on the internet.

I'll make it easy for you - learning Korean is more difficult for an English-native than it would be for a Japanese or Chinese-native. You're welcome. You may move onto another part of your rabbit role.

However. My sixth sense tells me that for most, if not all, of you reading this, there’s a bigger and better reason you’re here.

Learning Korean is hard. There’s no point in sugar coating it.

But the question itself is pointless. 

It's like asking "Is getting up in the morning hard?"

It’s not about how ‘easy’ or ‘hard’ it is to learn, and you don’t have to be rich or a genius to learn it – not even close. In fact, you only need to know the answer to ONE simple question.  

The million dollar question.
Are you ready...?  

"Why do I want to get up in the morning?"

Why do I want to learn Korean?

This is the only question you need answered.
But have a real in-depth think about this and write down your answers.

Here, let me get you started.
Do you relate to any of these statements?

• I want to understand Vlives of my favourite K-Pop group in real-time and not 24 hours later when the subtitles are up
• I love K-dramas but get frustrated at the awkward translations in subtitles
• I’m dating or married to a Korean and want to build a relationship with their family
• I love Korean food and find the traditions really interesting – it’s my dream to travel to Korea and maybe even try living there
• I love BTS or any other Korean celebrity and want to communicate with my bias on a heart-to-heart level in their native language

The list could go on endlessly. The point is. You’re here right now, reading this because you have a WHY.

This is your answer to whether learning Korean will be hard for you or not.

Find your 'Why'

Learning any new language is not going to be a stroll in the park.

But by far the hardest thing about it, is that it will take a long time to get to where you want to be. So you’ll be tempted to give up. Many times.

If you (metaphorically) walked away after reading this blog, with a single message.
It would be this:

“Determination for wanting to learn Korean is the single most important thing you need in order to master it."

So. Going back to the original question.

“Is Korean hard to learn?”

Replace this question with “Why do I want to learn Korean?” This is the only answer you need.

Don't be non-Spanish-speaking-Sophie. Don't let yourself give up.
You are the only obstable in the way of achieving your goals.

BTS and Learning Korean

At Modu Korean – we’ve put two and two together.

If you're an Army and love BTS, welcome to the party!
All our teachers and students are raging ARMYs so all lesson and workbook content revolves around BTS. 

For more inspo, check out WHY our students learn Korean!

If BTS were Spanish - I'd definitely be fluent by now. Si!!!!!