1. This textbook was written by Sang-Oak Lee, Hi-Won Yoon, Jae-Young Han, Mee-Sun Han, and Eun-Gyu Choi at the Language Research Institute of Seoul National University. It comprises three volumes, with 25 lessons in each volume.

  2. This textbook has been created under the following general guidelines for content:

    1. The content must be easy(in particular, vol. 1 and 2).
    2. It must be entertaining, as well as educational(particularly vol.3)
    3. It must reflect the phonological and grammartical characteristics of Korean.
    4. It must introduce aspects of Korean culture in a natural and unaffected way.
    5. It must enable individuals to study alone, without the aid of a teacher or classroom environment.

  3. In order to meet the above guidelines, we have compiled a list of basic vocabulary items to be included in textbook. In this compilation we have relied on existing word frequency surveys, but have included some words out of their order in such surveys if they relate directly to the topic of the lesson. For the grammatical items, we first made a list of the grammatical morphemes of Korean, and then selected the most commonly used ones for inclusion in the textbook. As for pronunciation, we have listed and organized the various phonetic and phonological rules of Korean, and included drills for them as they appear in the text.

  4. Lesson 1 through 5 of Volume 1 are devoted to the introduction and practice of the Korean alphabet Han-gul. This alphabet, invented more than 500 years ago(in 1443 to be exact) by King Sejong, is based on careful of the phonological characteristics of the Korean language, and is perhaps the most scientific alphabet ever created. Students unfamiliar with it will find it very logical and easy to learn. Practice in writing the characters is included for farmiliarization with the structure of han-gul . Students are urged to pay close attention to stroke order, and to make sure that lines are evenly spaced and each syllable fits neatly within a square box.

  5. Each lesson is made up of Vocabulary, Pronunciation, Main Text, Grammar, and Exercise sections.
    In the Vocabulary section, the new words of the lesson are presented alogn with a brief gloss in English. These glosses provide a general idea of the meaning of the words; for more in-depth definitions students are encouraged to consult at good dictinary or a native speaker of Korean.
    The Pronunciation sections single out vocabulry items which are unusal or which have proven particularly difficult for English speakers. The characteristic sounds of Korean should be learned accurately at an early stage, to prevent the formation of bad habits which are difficult to correct later on.
    In the Main Texts, every efforts has been made to provide interesting dialogues. We have also included various aspects of Korean culture that are necessary in learning the language of Korea. In doing so, we have tried to blend cultural information into the text in a ntural way, and have tried to present the Korean culture of today, avoiding a dry overemphasis on traditional culture. The division of most lesson's Main Text into two sections is merely for a change of scene, and is not academically significant.
    Explanations of grammatical items are presented in English for clearer understanding on the part of students who do not have the benefit of a teacher. The examples, however, are given without translations, and are intended to further elucidate the way in which a given grammatical item is used.
    The Exercies should give students ample practice of the new vocabulary and grammatical items presented in each lesson.

  6. A glossary of vocabulary and grammatical items, and English translations of the Main Texts can be found at the back of the book. In Volume 1, however, the English translations are placed immediately following each Main Text.
    In Volumes 2 and 3, however, the English translation of the dialogues has been placed at the back of the book. It is the authors' view that whereas the English translation is helpful at the early states, it can become a hindrance at more advanced levels. At these levels it should be used more as a reference : for checking comprehension, for discovering the nuance of various expressions above and beyoud their "dictionary definitions", and for cultural and social insights through the many footnotes.

  7. The format of the glossary of Volume 1 is different from that of the other two volumes. In Volume 1, each item is listed exactly as it appears in the text, along with page on which it can be found. We feel that the beginning student cannot be expected to know the basic forms of new words. However, as intermediate and advanced students are at a higher level, all items in the glossaries of Volume 2 and 3 are listed by their basic forms, along with the number of the lesson in which they are introduced.
Sang-Oak Lee