Korean Lessons in London

If somebody asks you to list the most cosmopolitan cities in the world, surely London is the first that will come to mind. As the capital of England and the UK, it attracts people from all over the globe. In fact, according to the 2011 census, 36.7% of London's population is foreign-born. Among these various groups of immigrants, there’s a big Korean community of more than ten thousand people. If you want to connect with this wonderful group of people in the city, a great idea is to learn their language, especially because almost 30% of them are monolingual speakers.

Korean is spoken by 80 million people across the globe, and it’s the official language of both North Korea and South Korea. This unique language is one of the youngest languages in the world, as it was created in the 15th century by a local king who wished to increase literacy in the area. As a result, it does not share many similarities with other languages, which makes it one of the most interesting to learn.

What’s more, learning Korean can bring many advantages to your life. Not only will it help you connect with a larger part of the local community, but it will open the doors to a new culture that will surprise you like no other.

Learn Korean for Work and Travel

Whatever it is you do, Korean will look great on your CV. Whether you use it in your job or not, being able to communicate in one of the hardest languages in the world will make you stand out in any job interview. Besides, local companies value candidates who are able to speak Korean, as they can help them build professional relationships with top Korean companies like LG and Kia.

There are many jobs opportunities in London for bilinguals. Not only there are offers for Korean language teachers, but there are other great positions like Korean Localisation QA tester, Business Development Manager and Sustainability & Energy Analyst.

On the other hand, If your dream is to work in South Korea, learning Korean is the key to landing a great job in its capital, Seoul. With huge companies like Samsung and Hyundai, this country has one of the leading world economies, making more and more Westerners want to work there. As you probably know, Korean companies are leaders in the field of information technology, the production of cars, mobile phones, and other high-tech products, so most available jobs for foreigners are for qualified technicians. Although many people speak English in Seoul, learning Korean will make you more employable and it will make living there much easier.

Learn Korean for Social

When you learn a new language, it’s not just about studying grammar or learning new words, it’s also important to get to know the culture where that language originated. In London, the Korean Cultural Centre organises a variety of social and cultural events throughout the year that celebrates Korean traditions. One of the biggest and most important holidays in the Korean calendar is Chuseok, the Korean Harvest Moon Festival. It is held annually in September at the Korean Cultural Centre, located at Grand Buildings, 1-3 Strand, and it’s a unique opportunity to experience the key Chuseok traditions. Some of them include trying on traditional clothes called hanbok, tasting traditional food like songpyeon and joining classes to do Korean traditional handicrafts like lanterns and ornamental pendants.

Another festival that you can’t miss is A Festival of Korean Dance, held online by the Korean Cultural Centre, where you’ll get to enjoy many Korean dance films like BreAking, which features dancers who move to their own rhythms with child-like freedom, or Bora Kim’s Trace of Time, a beautiful meditation on the body, space and time. The festival is free of charge and tickets can be booked through the centre’s website. 

Learn Korean for Culture

As a language learner, you probably know there’s nothing like making friends who are as passionate about a particular language as you are. If you’re looking for friends that love the Korean language just like you, you can’t miss one of The London Korean Language Meetup Group meetings. Held at Truckles of Pied Bull Yard, located at Off Bury Place, these meetings offer the perfect chance to informally study and practise Korean and help others with their English in return. It’s also the perfect opportunity to meet people from Korea and other parts of the globe, of all ages and different language levels.

Where to learn Korean in and around London?

Are you looking for places to learn Korean in London? Well, there are many places you could check out, for example, London’s Public Library, where you’ll find many useful resources that can help you boost your vocabulary, like Korean dictionaries, magazines and books. What’s more, there are many excellent films you can borrow from the library, like the award-winning Parasite, considered one of the best films of 2020, a satirical dark comedy-drama that will give you an insight into some of the problems South-Korean and Western society face nowadays, as well as the chance to listen to Korean speakers of different ages and social classes.
 
However, watching films, as entertaining as they can be, will not be as helpful as enrolling in an actual language course. If that’s what you’re looking for, there’s no better choice than Listen & Learn. Here you’ll find lessons completely tailored to your own interests and goals. All you have to do to start learning with us is take a free level test so we can assess your current level and pair you up with one of our excellent teachers who will create a lesson you’ll love. Don’t wait any more! Just send us a quick enquiry and one of our team members will get in touch within 24 hours and answer all of your questions about the course.