How to Speak KPOP: Mastering the Most Popular Korean Words from K-POP and Talking Like a Real Fan

I think I can leave the helpful and thoughtful review here for others as I am about halfway through the book so far. First thing that you should know is that this book is not the perfect “stand alone” textbook for you in order to master Korean language or Korean grammar. It is not a textbook so it is not going to have everything you need to learn Korean language. However, it DOES have essential Korean alphabets and pronunciation guides which are very helpful for the beginners to gain the most basic understanding of how to read and speak Korean language. The main topic of the book is obviously the K-POP but it is not all about the K-POP. It uses the K-POP theme to teach you the most common Korean words and the cultural background in Korea. The book repeatedly tells you that you need to understand the culture when you want to learn a foreign language which I completely agree with. I found this book is very helpful to understand Korean culture related to the language and also to learn K-POP words. Most of the Korean language books focus on Korean grammar. But this book is different so I really like it.That being said I’d like to point out a few things that I think it would have been better if it has some other information. This is completely my personal preference and if you think it doesn’t matter for you, then it should be just fine.I wish it had a more detailed explanation for the pronunciation guide. For the essential Korean alphabets, there are “how to pronounce” column and “transcribed in English” column but it is not completely clear what is different between them. For instance, it was very frustrating to not know the difference between “eo” and “eyo” because it sounds just the same to me. How do I know when to use “eo” instead of “eyo”? It is almost not distinguishable to me. So it would have been better if there was more explanation for those.Additionally, the book has popular words from Korean TV shows or dramas, it would make more sense when you could hear the actual sound. For example, the Korean word Deadanada the book says it’s commonly used in Korean because Jessica from Girl’s Generation said it funny on TV shows, but it would have been easier to get that funny part if there was a link of Youtube clip or the audio file. It would be good listening practice especially for those who just started to learn Korean language and relate the full explanation the book provides.Again, that is totally my personal preference. Even with those minor flaws I still find this to be a very helpful book. It is a great resource book for Korean vocabulary with a hint of cultural background. It’s like having a Korean friend tells you what the word means. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn Korean language or learn Korean culture. Thanks.Edit after finishing the book.Among all the Korean word cards and resource books this is so far my favorite book. It was super easy to read because of the simple and consistent layout. If most textbooks are too dry to read for you, this is the one you will need to try out. I am updating my review from 4 stars to 5 stars.

If you’re anything like me, the last eight months have provided a chance to listen and watch new things. After all, there’s no shortage of time to binge a new show on Netflix or listen to a new album on Spotify.In all these months of quarantine, I finally discovered KPOP. Sure, I’d heard of it before, but I didn’t really listen. Now, my phone is full of BTS, SuperJunior, even Girls Generation, and on Netflix, I’m working my way through Korean shows like Itaewon Class and Stranger.The truth is, I wouldn't have enjoyed them half as much - or understood half as much - had it not been for this book.That’s because How To Speak KPOP isn’t just about KPOP, or K-Drama. It’s not just about learning the buzzwords in a particular subset of pop culture. It’s about understanding the meaning behind the words, the cultural context those words come out of, and learning to use those words properly for yourself.This book is down to earth and easy to read. It’s not a complicated language book that requires intense and prolonged attention. You can read the whole book or you can read a definition here and there, and you’ll really learn. The casual, accessible tone is fun to read, and I found myself better able to understand the shows I’ve been watching and songs I’ve been listening to, and more confident in using the words I learned correctly.This book is great if you’re a newcomer to KPOP like I am, or if you’ve been listening for a long time but want to have a better grasp of the Korean words used in it. And you don’t need any special language training or ability to do it. Just get started and you’ll be amazed by what you learn.

This is a really good book if you are a K-pop fan or you are into dramas or if you’re trying to learn Korean and you want to know slang. All the words have an explanation and they are shown in a sentence so it’s definitely worth the buy. It is a lot of words so if you’re not willing to take the time to memorize then you shouldn’t bother though.

Not for Korean language beginners. If you at least know the alphabet and pronunciation, you will be able to grasp the new words. It did help some for a beginner but most was over my head.I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

How to Speak K-Pop is such a fun book!I found it engaging, easy to follow and understand, and enjoyable to read! How to Speak K-Pop uses real life examples to break down the meaning and pronunciation of each word and phrase. Jungho Park keeps the study of the language fun and light, with humor and current pop culture references. He makes it simple to understand, not just what the words and phrases are, but where they came from and how they developed.I had no background studying Korean before this but now I love understanding the slang of K-Pop. I’ve also found that it made me an even bigger fan of the music!!!I can not recommend this book highly enough!! It should be considered required reading for every English speaking K-Pop fan!!!

I love this book and it is cute. This book is really easy to read because it explains the words all in English. I even asked my Korean friend if these words are legit and she confirmed they are. So this will be my best reference book for later when I travel to Korea. I love how this book gives an example sentence for each word, and breaks the sentences down into different components. That makes reading very easy and understanding what each part means. It also provides the pronunciation of the words using English alphabets. This is a very good book for people beginning with Korean who are looking to understand KPOP and dramas quickly.

Not sure I have faith in the rest of the book after learning the diphthongs are incorrect right in the beginning of the book. Author should be notified so he can correct it