Do you enjoy watching Korean dramas? If you answered with an enthusiastic “YES,” then you’ve come to the right place. Watching Korean movies and dramas can be a very effective learning strategy for mastering the Korean language. However, it’s essential to do it in moderation to get the most out of it.
The Importance of Listening Comprehension
During my stay in Seoul, while learning French at the Alliance Française, I discovered how visual media can help develop listening comprehension. I frequented the French Cultural Center, where I could borrow DVDs and CDs. I realize that for the generation born after 2000, DVDs and CDs may seem outdated. DVDs were used to record movies, while CDs were used to store music, software, and images.
Besides improving your Korean, watching Korean movies and dramas allows you to learn about Korean culture, the mentality of Koreans, Korean history, Korean traditional costumes, and the country’s heritage. Although fictional stories may not always reflect reality, they offer you an enriching insight into Korean culture.
Choosing the Right Content
However, it is essential to choose wisely the movies and dramas you watch to support your learning. Between the two, I recommend favoring movies, and here is why:
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Duration
Every episode of Korean drama ends with a cliffhanger, making it hard to turn off the TV after just one episode. Sounds familiar, right?
Binge-watching can turn you into a zombie by the end of a season. Binge-watching means watching multiple episodes of a series in a row. I remember watching all 9 episodes of “Squid Game” in just 3 days.
Unlike dramas, movies have the advantage of a limited duration, usually between 90 and 120 minutes. This is a relief for those who want to learn the language without sacrificing all their time.
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Easy reviewing
To improve listening comprehension, it is essential to review several times. Let’s say you have to watch 16 episodes of a drama, each with a duration of 71 minutes. This may seem daunting.
On the other hand, rewatching a good movie is a pleasure, even if you’ve seen it before. Plus, a quality movie will allow you to better understand cinematic aspects that you might have missed on the first viewing. It’s like finding a lost puzzle piece. For example, when I rewatched BONG Jun-ho’s “Parasite,” I was struck by how the first 10 minutes of the movie seemed to implicitly suggest the story of the entire movie.
Choosing the Right Movies
For these reasons, I recommend Korean movies for your learning. However, the charm of Korean dramas is not to be underestimated! For now, in this article, we will mainly focus on movies.
Which Films to Choose?
To choose the right films for your Korean learning, I suggest two criteria:
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Language
All Korean movies are in Korean, of course! But it is essential to select the ones where the actors speak the standard Korean that Seoulites speak. Otherwise, you may not understand the regional dialects.
Koreans easily distinguish dialects and intonation variations from different regions, just as French speakers distinguish Norman, Alsace, southern France, Quebec, Bordeaux, Lille, or African accents. When learning, to master standard Korean, as I already explained in the article “How to learn Korean on your own?”.
Also, it is important to note that if the main actors have excellent diction, you will understand better. Good diction plays a crucial role in listening comprehension, as it helps distinguish sounds and words more clearly, making it easier to learn the language and appreciate the subtleties of Korean pronunciation.
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Subject
When choosing a movie, avoid genres such as detective, political conspiracy, thriller, or complex stories. While these movies can be very entertaining and emotional, don’t pretend to watch them to improve your Korean.
In these films, the frequent use of jargon, slang, wordplay, and sometimes even swear words makes it difficult to understand. In addition, the actors tend to speak loudly, even shouting, crying, or making threats, which further complicates the task of understanding what they are saying. Even my daughter had trouble following the dialogues in ” Squid Game ” and ended up turning on the French subtitles to better understand the plot.
As a result, these movies offer little opportunity to absorb vulgar language or complex dialogue. It is better to opt for movies with a lighter theme. For example, “Jiburo,” “Little Forest,” or “Tune in for Love” are great choices to improve your Korean while having fun.
Three Must-See Films
So, I suggest three Korean movies for beginners.
1. Jiburo
“Jiburo also known as The Way Home,” is an emotionally powerful film that tells the story of a young city boy who is sent to live with his grandmother in a rural village. The film explores the complex relationship between the mute grandmother and her rebellious grandson, highlighting the beauty of nonverbal communication. “Jiburo” is a celebration of family bonds, the simplicity of rural life, and mutual understanding. It offers a touching and memorable cinematic experience. I recommend it, especially for absolute beginners of Korean.
2. Little Forest
“Little Forest is a film that captures the beauty of nature and the simplicity of everyday life through the eyes of a young woman, Hye-won. She returns to her hometown and spends the seasons growing vegetables, cooking, and reflecting on her life. The film highlights the concept of “slow living” while celebrating food and nature. It offers a soothing visual experience and a reflection on finding happiness in the little things in life. I love the lead actress KIM Tae-ri.
3. Tune in for Love
“Tune in for Love is a melodious romance that spans several years. The film follows Mi-soo and Hyun-woo, two tormented souls whose fates cross paths repeatedly throughout the decades. Their tumultuous love story is woven through iconic songs from the 1990s, creating an emotional soundtrack that evokes nostalgia. “Tune in for Love” explores the challenges of love, timing, and personal growth, while capturing the magic of music to evoke deep memories and emotions.