NZC – Korean – Novice

Receptive skills

Listening

• identify the sounds of the alphabet, letter combinations, and intonation  
• recognise and understand simple classroom language   
• recognise everyday familiar words and very basic phrases.   

• understand and respond to simple classroom instructions    
• begin to understand longer or less familiar phrases in everyday contexts    
• recognise and understand key words in longer or less familiar sentences. 

Reading

• Begin to read Korean letters 
• recognise and understand simple, familiar written words, phrases, and sentences.  

• identify basic written language conventions such as simple punctuation     
• understand short written texts consisting of familiar words, phrases, and sentences  
• begin to understand longer or less familiar phrases in everyday contexts    
• recognise and understand key words in longer or less familiar sentences.   

Productive skills

Speaking

• imitate the pronunciation, intonation, stress, and rhythm of words, phrases, and sentences    
• respond appropriately to simple, familiar instructions and simple questions. 

• begin to use pronunciation, intonation, stress, and rhythm for emphasis and to clarify meaning    
• produce simple phrases and simple sentences relating to familiar contexts. 

Writing

• write simple, familiar words, phrases, and sentences to convey meaning  
• use language tools ethically and responsibly, such as artificial intelligence (AI), dictionaries, and glossaries to experiment with some new language and writing and to check spelling.  

• write simple phrases and short sentences with support    
• write words in slightly more complex structures with support    
• write high-frequency words with support.  

Interacting

• exchange information in highly practised contexts related to themselves and their immediate environment     
• use formulaic language and simple phrases to exchange information about themselves, their families, and their immediate surroundings   
• use strategies when communicating, such as relying on a practised format, using facial expressions and gestures, asking others to repeat themselves, and utilising supporting visuals and prompts   
• begin to interact/communicate in Korean in a culturally appropriate way.  

Knowledge

The facts, concepts, principles, and theories to teach.

Practices

The skills, strategies, and applications to teach.

Language

examples

Knowledge

The facts, concepts, principles, and theories to teach.

Practices

The skills, strategies, and applications to teach.

Language

examples

Linguistic knowledge

The Korean alphabet 

• The Korean alphabet (한글) has 40 letters, (21 vowels and 19 consonants) which are used to form syllables and guide pronunciation. 

Vowels  

• Based on these three shapes:  
  • a dot (ㆍ) which is called 아래아 (represents sky) 
  •  a horizontal line ㅡ (represents earth)  
  • and a vertical lineㅣ (represents human). 
• The remaining vowels are made from a combination of the three vowels; some examples of these combinations are: 
  • ㆍplus l equals ㅓ 
  •  ㅣplusㆍequalsㅏ 
  • ㆍplus ㅡ equals ㅗ 
  • ㅡ plusㆍequals ㅜ. 

Consonants 

• Basic consonants (ㄱ, ㄴ, ㅁ, ㅅ, ㅇ) are made based on the shape of speech organs and the others are made by adding a stroke to the basic letters. 

Syllable blocks 

• Korean letters are combined into four syllable blocks: 
  • vowel (V): 아, 오 (‘o’ is used as a silent place holder in the initial position) 
  • consonant plus vowel (CV): 가, 고  
  • vowel plus consonant (VC): 안, 옷  
  • consonant plus vowel plus consonant(s) (CVC): 강, 곰, 닭. 

Writing order   

• When writing in Korean, letters are arranged from top to bottom and from left to right. 
• When writing Korean characters, the stroke order is important, especially during the first year of learning, to develop handwriting habits and to recognise how all words are made by combining syllables. 

• Reading and writing Korean vowels and consonants and using them to make words and simple sentence structures 

10 basic vowels and their sounds

• ㅏ like the ‘a’ in ‘father’ 
• ㅑ  like the ‘ya’ in ‘yard’ 
• ㅓ like the ‘o’ in ‘honest’ (‘eo’ in romanisation) 
• ㅕ like the ‘you’ in ‘young’ (‘yeo’ in romanisation) 
• ㅗ  like the ‘o’ in ‘home’ 
• ㅛ  like the ‘yo’ in ‘yoyo’ 
• ㅜ  like the ‘u’ in ‘soon’ 
• ㅠ  like ‘you’ 
• ㅡ  like the ‘eu’ in’ ‘taken’ 
• ㅣ like the ‘ee’ in ‘seen’ (‘i’ in romanisation). 

14 basic consonants and their sounds

• ㄱ  like the ‘g’ in ‘ground’ or the ‘k’ in book 
• ㄴ  like the ‘n’ in ‘pen’ 
• ㄷ  like the ‘d’ in ‘day’ or the ‘t’ in ‘cut’ 
• ㄹ  like the ‘r’ in ‘rival’ or the ‘l’ in ‘tall’ 
• ㅁ  like the ‘m’ in ‘dream’ 
• ㅂ  like the ‘b’ in ‘ball’ or the ‘p’ in ‘map’ 
• ㅅ  like the ‘s’ in ‘small’ or the ‘t’ in ‘cut’ 
• ㅇ  like the ‘ng’ in ‘song’ 
• ㅈ  like the ‘g’ in ‘engine’ or the ‘t’ in ‘cut’ 
• ㅊ  like the ‘ch’ in ‘church’ or the ‘t’ in ‘cut’ 
• ㅋ  like the ‘k’ in ‘king’ and ‘book’ 
• ㅌ  like the ‘t’ in ‘tall’ and ‘cut’ 
• ㅍ  like the ‘p’ in ‘pill’ and ‘map’ 
• ㅎ  like the ‘h’ in ‘hope’ or the ‘t’ in ‘cut’. 

• The standard language in South Korea is called 표준어 (pyojuneo) and is based on the speech of 서울 (Seoul, the capital city) and 경기도 (Gyeonggi-do). 
• There are five different dialects (방언 or 사투리) in South Korea  
• Approximately 35% of the Korean vocabulary which is 고유어 (Native words). 
• Approximately 60% of Korean words are Chinese character-based words, pronounced in Korean style (Sino-Korean words).  
• Approximately 5% of the Korean words are borrowed from other languages, especially English, Japanese, and other western languages (loanwords). They are usually adopted for modern concepts or objects and when there are no equivalent words in Korean. 
• The standard language in North Korea is called 문화어 (munhwaeo), based on the speech of 평양 (Pyeongyang, the capital city). 
• There are three dialects in North Korea.   
• North Korea tends to use loanwords after changing them to native words, finding appropriate words with the same meaning. 

• Using standard language, dialects, native words, and loanwords used in South and North Korea 

Language differences 

• There are differences in pronunciation and writing between South and North Korea, some examples are:  
  • in South Korea, the initial position of syllable ㄴ, ㄹ is avoided and in North Korea ㄴ, ㄹ is kept as the initial position of the syllable (the original way) 
  • the word ‘female’ is 여자 (yeoja) in South Korea and 녀자 (nyeoja) in North Korea 
• Traditional Korean clothing is called 한복 (hanbok) in South Korea and 조선옷 (joseonot) in North Korea. 

English loanwords 

• 버스 (bus) 
• 커피숍  (coffee shop) 

Japanese loanwords 

• 기차  (train) 
• 야구 (baseball) 

Other loanwords 

• French 레스토랑 (restaurant)  
• Portuguese 빵 (bread) 
• German 아르바이트 (part time work). 

Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge

• There are cultural norms and formulaic expressions and gestures, including bowing and using two hands when giving or receiving things.  
• Korean language is closely related to culture and reflects various levels of respect. It is considered impolite to speak casually unless the older person allows it first. If two people are the same age, they can speak casually once one of them suggests it. 

• Using basic greetings and farewells in different contexts 

Greetings 

• 안녕하세요 (‘Hello’) —  informal polite 
• 안녕  (‘Hello’) — informal casual 
• 만나서 반가워요 (‘Nice to meet you’) — informal polite 
• 반가워  (‘Nice to meet you’) — informal casual 

Farewells 

• 안녕히 가세요 (‘Goodbye’) to the person leaving 
• 안녕히 계세요 (‘Goodbye’) to the person staying — informal polite 
• 안녕./잘 가  (‘Goodbye’) to both — informal casual. 

• The Korean language is closely related to culture and reflects different levels of speech depending on relationships, age, and social status. 
• Speech levels and honorifics are used to show politeness and maintain appropriate personal space.  
• In everyday conversation, people choose which one to use depending on the situation or their personal style. 
• Younger generations tend to prefer the more casual and informal polite form, showing that language is not fixed but changes with time and culture. 

• Using greetings and farewells in formal contexts  

Greetings 

• 처음 뵙겠습니다 (‘Nice to meet you’ — formal first greeting  
• 안녕하십니까 (‘How do you do’) — formal polite 
• 저는 / 제 이름은 (‘Hello my name is [personal name]’)  
• 만나서 반갑습니다 (‘Nice to meet you’) 

Farewells 

• 안녕히 가십시오 (‘Goodbye’) or (‘Go peacefully’) — formal polite  
• 안녕히 계십시오 (‘Goodbye’) or (‘Please stay peaceful’) — formal polite.  

Linguistic knowledge

• There are different greetings and farewells depending on the contexts (formal, informal, and casual) and different ways to express politeness.  
• 안녕하세요 (hello) is the most widely used greeting and can be used at any time of the day. 

• 처음 뵙겠습니다 (nice to meet you), is used as a formal first greeting, showing pleasure in meeting people for the first time. 
• -입니다 is a formal polite present form and used in official settings such as news reports and public lectures.  

Addressing people 

• When addressing people, the suffix 님 is used to show respect to teachers and customers in service or business contexts (e.g. 고객님, 손님 shops, restaurants, hotels).  
• ~씨 is typically used with first names or full names. 
• Using ~씨 after only the last name can sound disrespectful. 
• 할아버지 / 할머니 (grandfather/grandmother) are used as respectful terms for elderly people, even if they are not related. 
• 어르신 is a more neutral way to refer to elderly people compared to 할아버지 / 할머니. 
• Honorific terms are special words and expressions used to show respect when addressing or referring to others, especially elders, teachers, or people of higher social status. 
• Honorific terms include changes in nouns, verbs, and particles.

Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge

• The family name comes first, followed by first name. 
• Koreans often introduce themselves with school/company affiliation. 

• Introducing themselves and others and responding to introductions appropriately   
• Asking others how they are and responding appropriately when asked  

Introducing self and others 

• 저는/제 이름은 [personal name] 이에요/예요 (‘My name is…’) — informal polite 
• 저는 [한국 사람]이에요 (‘I am Korean’) 
• 이 사람은 /이 분은 [personal name/nationality] 이에요/예요 (‘This person is….’) 

Asking and giving names  

• 이름이 뭐예요? (‘What is your name?’)  
• 저는 [personal name] 이에요/예요 (‘My name is…’) 

Wellbeing  

• 잘 지냈어요? (‘Have you been well?’) 
• 네, 잘 지냈어요 (‘Yes, I have been doing well’).  

Linguistic knowledge

• 저 or 제 is a humble form of 나 or 내 (I, my) used in polite or formal situations when introducing oneself.  
• There are informal polite present forms of the copula (이다 or -이에요 or -예요) used in everyday conversation:  
  • -이에요 is used when the preceding syllable ends in a consonant 
  • -예요 is used when the preceding syllable ends in a vowel. 
• Predicates (verb phrase) come at the end of the sentence.  
• Korean demonstrates 이 (this), 그 (that), 저 (that over there) by asking ‘What is this/that/that over there?’ and ‘Who is this person/that person/that person over there?’. 
• When introducing nationality, the country name is followed by 사람 (people), and -이에요, the informal polite form of the copula (be), is used (e.g. 저는 한국 사람이에요 ‘I am Korean’).  
• 분 is the honorific form of 사람 (person/people) used when introducing someone else (e.g. 이 분은 선생님이에요 ‘This person is a teacher’). 
• The subject particle -이 or 가 is used to mark the subject of a sentence: 
  • -이 is attached to a noun ending in a consonant 
  • -가 is attached to a noun ending in a vowel.  

Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge

• Korean language reflects hierarchy and respect in family relationships.  
• Passing down the family name to children is considered important after marriage, as asking about someone’s family name can create connections based on family or regional ties. 
• In Korea, it is normal to not change surnames after marriage. 
• People usually use terms which show the family relationship instead of calling family members by their names. 
• Even if they are not related, older people are called 언니, 누나, 오빠, and 형, with their name in front, to show respect. 
• In Korean culture, 우리 (our) is often used instead of 내 (my) to show closeness and a sense of belonging, not just ownership. 
• Family plays an important role in Korean culture, and families reuniting is a central theme in Korean traditional festivals, such as: 
  • 설날 (Seollal) (Lunar New Year’s Day)  
  • 추석 (Chuseok) (Harvest Festival). 

• Communicating about their family members 

Family members 

• [형 / 오빠 ]이/가 있어요? (‘Do you have an older brother?’)  
• 네, 있어요 / 아니요, 없어요 (‘Yes, I have’/ ‘No, I haven’t’) 
• 저는 엄마, 아빠, 동생이 있어요 (‘I have a Mum, Dad, and younger sibling’). 

• If they are from the same 고향 or province, they may use 사투리 (dialect), which is common around rural areas and builds closeness. 
• People from certain areas are stereotyped (e.g. Gyeongsang-do people are seen as direct, Jeolla-do people are seen as warm when they speak). 
• Asking about 고향 (hometown) or where parents came from may create a 우리 (we/us) perspective and establish a sense of shared identity or nostalgia. This reflects Korea’s collectivist culture, where people seek in-group bonds. 

• Communicating more personal information about themselves and others 

• 어디에서 왔어요? (‘Where are you from?’) 
• [한국]에서 왔어요 (‘I am from Korea’)  
• 고향이 어디예요? (‘Where is your hometown?’) 
• 고향은 [서울]이에요 (‘My hometown is Seoul’) 
•  어디에 살아요? (‘Where do you live?’) 
•  [부모님]은 어디에 사세요? (‘Where do your parents live?’).  

Linguistic knowledge

• 있어요 means to be, exist, or have. 
• 없어요 means to not be, not exist, or not have.  
• 있어요 and 없어요 are used to express ownership or relationships (e.g. 형이 있어요? ‘Do you have an older brother?’). 
• In Korea, there are different ways to call family members depending on their gender, (형 or 오빠 or 언니 or 누나 or 남동생 or 여동생) (e.g. a female calls her older brother 오빠 whilst a male would call their older brother 형). 

• The particle -에서 is used with the verb 오다 (to come) to indicate the place someone is from, and -에 is used with the verb 살다 (to live) to indicate where someone lives.  
• 사세요 is the honorific form of 살아요. 

Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge

• In Korea, it is normal (not rude) to ask about age when meeting someone new as it determines how to speak (honorific versus casual).  
• Older students are 선배 (seonbae) (senior). 
• Younger students are 후배 (hubae) (junior). 
• 선배 or 후배 is used respectively in the school or company hierarchy context. 
• Same age 친구 (friends) use casual language. 

• Communicating about their age, and the age of others 

Asking and giving age

• 몇 살이에요? (How old are you?)
• 아홉 살이에요 (I am 9 years old)

Counters used with native Korean numbers  

• 살 (age) 
• 명 or 사람 (people) 
• 개 (items)  

Counters used with Sino-Korean numbers 

• 학년 (school year) 
• 몇 학년이에요? (‘What year are you in?’) 
• 9 (구) 학년이에요 (‘I am in Year 9’).  

• Koreans maintain both the native Korean and Sino-Korean systems because each one fits specific social, historical, or formal contexts. Using the wrong system can sound unnatural. 

• Communicating about family members in more detail 

Introducing family members  

• 가족은 누가 있어요? (Who is in your family?) 
• 우리 가족은 [family members] -이/가 있어요 (‘In my family, there are [title of family members]’) 

Counters with native Korean numbers  

• 명 (people) 
• 가족이  몇 명 있어요? (‘How many people are there in your family?’) 
• 두 명 있어요 (‘There are two people’)  
• 마리 (animals) 
• 고양이가 몇 마리 있어요? (‘How many cats do you have?’)  
• 세 마리 있어요 (‘I have three cats’)  

Relationships 

• 민수는 동생이 있어요 (‘Minsu has a younger sibling’)  
• 미나도 동생이 있어요 (‘Mina also has a younger sibling’)  
• 저는 오빠가 있어요 (‘I have an older brother’)  
• 저는 언니가 없어요 (‘I don’t have an older sister’).   

Linguistic knowledge

Numbers 1-20 

• Korean has two sets of numbers, Native and Sino-Korean and each set uses different counters. 
• For numbers between 11-19 in both sets, each number is formed by adding the digit from 1-9 to the base word, for example:  
  • in Sino-Korean 11 is 십일 and 13 is 십삼 and 19 is 십구 
  • in Native Korean 11 is 열하나 and 13 is 열셋 and 19 is 열아홉.  
• The number 20 is different:  
  • in Sini-Korean 20 is 이십 
  • in Native Korean 20 is 스물. 
• A counter (단위 명사) classifies the item being counted. 
• Some counters take Native Korean numbers and others take Sino-Korean numbers (e.g. number nine 살 is read as 아홉 살 in Native Korean, and number nine 학년 is read as 구 학년 in Sino-Korean numbers). 
• When native Korean numbers are used with counters (e.g. 살 for age and 개 for item), the numbers from 1 to 4 take a shortened form so the pronunciation is smoother and flows more naturally.  
• 몇 is the question word for the quantity (how much, how many) and, is followed by a counter.  
• When answering the question, 몇 is replaced with the relevant age/year levels. 

• 누가 (who) is used when asking who is in a group or who is doing something. 
• 누가 is made from 누구 (who) plus the subject particle 가 . 
• -도 is used as ‘also’ as a particle. 

Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge

• Locations may be used in daily Korean etiquette (e.g. to build polite conversation, 어디에).  
• 있어요? (‘Where is it?’) can be used to check social availability or presence. 
• Location can also be used as soft refusal (e.g. 화장실에 있어요 ‘I am in the bathroom’) when not wanting to do something. 

• Communicating about the location of people, and things 

Things/people

• -이 / 가 어디에 있어요? (‘Where is….?’) 
• 책이 어디에 있어요? (‘Where is the book?’)  
• 책상 위에 있어요 (‘It is on the desk’)  
•  선생님이 어디에 있어요? (‘Where is the teacher?’)  
• 교실 안에 있어요 (‘He/she is in the classroom’). 

• Some traditional holidays and birthdays still follow the lunar calendar (음력), so students may celebrate on two different dates. 
• Some older generations still celebrate according to the lunar calendar so a birth date may move each year. 
• On a birthday, seaweed soup (미역국) is eaten as it is linked to childbirth and gratitude to mothers. 
• Age and birthday are central to identity. People often ask birth year rather than full date first. 

• Communicating about dates and birthdates 

Dates  

• 오늘은 몇 월 며칠이에요? (‘What is the date today?’) 
• (오늘은) 7 월 27 일이에요 (‘Today is 27th of July’)  

Months and days 

• 월 (months) (e.g. 1 월, 2 월)  
• 일 (days) (e.g. 1일, 2일)  

Birthdays  

• 생일이 언제예요? (‘When is your birthday?’) 
• 제 생일은 12월 25일이에요 (‘My birthday is 25 December’) 
• 생일 or 결혼 or 졸업 축하합니다. (‘Congratulations on your birthday/marriage/graduation’). 

Linguistic knowledge

• 어디 is a question word meaning ‘where’ and is used to ask about the location of things.  
• In Korean, the subject can be omitted to avoid repetition, especially when it is clear from the context.  
• Particles -이 and 가 mark the subject and locative particle, -에 is used with location words. 

• Sino-Korean numbers are used to express both months and dates.  

Rules for two-digit numbers 

• For two-digit numbers, the tens digit is followed by the ones digit. For example, 47 is 사십칠, combining 사십 (40) and 칠 (7). If there is no ones digit, only the tens are stated, for example, 사십 (40). 
• 언제 (when) is used to ask about time in general, and 몇 월 며칠 (what month, what day) is specific to the month and day. 

Korean is a macro-to-micro language  

• Your full name will be: [family name] plus [given name] plus [title] (e.g. 김민수 씨).   
• The date will be year–month–day (e.g. 2025년 8월 3일).  
• The address will be: city–suburb–street/road name–number (e.g. 크라이스트처치, 리카톤, 리카톤 로드, 100). 

Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge

• Korean days (월요일, 화요일) have cultural and historical roots in East Asian cosmology. 
• 월요병 (Monday sickness) is a common cultural expression used when people are complaining about Mondays as it is usually the first day of the school or working week after the weekend. 
• 불금 (fire Friday) is widely understood in Korea to express joy that it is the end of the week. 

• Communicating about the days of the week and months of the year 

Dates  

• 오늘은 몇 월 며칠이에요? (What is the date today?) 
• (오늘은) 7 월 27 일이에요 (Today is 27th of July)  

Months 

• 월 (months) (e.g. 1 월 or 2 월)  

Days of the week  

• 오늘은 무슨 요일이에요? (‘What day is it today?’)  
• 월요일이에요 (‘It is Monday’).    

• Being on time is a sign of respect and reliability, especially in school or workplace settings  
• Korea’s economy developed rapidly through industrialisation, and, to do this, speed and efficiency were key. This led to 빨리빨리 문화, which translates as ‘fast-fast culture’ or ‘hurry-hurry culture’. 

• Communicating about time

Time  

• 지금 몇 시예요? (What time is it now?) 
• 여섯 시 이십 분이에요 (It is 6:20)  
• 오전 / 오후 (am/pm)  

Asking others about time 

• 한국은 몇 시예요? (‘What time is it in Korea?’) 
• 한국은 지금 오후 한 시예요 (‘It is 1pm in Korea now’) 
• 뉴질랜드는 몇 시예요? (‘What time is it in New Zealand?’) 

• 뉴질랜드는 지금 오후 네 시예요 (‘It is 4pm in New Zealand now’). 

Linguistic knowledge

• Sino-Korean numbers are used to express both months and dates  
• Korean dates are expressed starting with the largest unit (year), followed by month, and ending with day, for example: 
  • 1월 1일  January 1 
  • 2월 20일  February 20 
• there are two exceptions in pronouncing months (e.g. 6월 is read as 유월 not 육월, 10월 is read as 시월, not 십월).   

• 시 (hours) are expressed using native Korean numbers followed by ‘시’ (si), which means ‘o’clock’ (e.g.  한 시, 1 o’clock). 
• Minutes in Korean are expressed using Sino-Korean numbers followed by 분, which means ‘minutes’ (e.g. 십 분 (10 minutes), 이십오 분 (25 minutes). 
• 반 (half) is also used to indicate thirty minutes in time expressions, (e.g. 6.30 is expressed as 여섯 시 반). 
• AM/PM (오전/오후) comes before the time in Korean (e.g. 오전 아홉시 is 9am). 

Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge

• There are various table manners that are the norm in Korea (e.g. do not stick chopsticks upright in the rice, as this resembles a funeral ritual). 
• Korea has 반찬 (side dish) culture, which shows the importance of sharing and hospitality. 
• 맛있게 드세요 (enjoy your meal) is usually said by the person who made or served the food, but it is also common to say when eating with others. 
• 잘 먹겠습니다 or 잘 먹었습니다 (thank you for the meal) are ways of showing appreciation to the person who prepared, served, or paid for the food and are used in both individual and group settings. 
• In group settings, it is considered disrespectful to start eating before the elders pick up their utensils and begin to eat as elders are given priority. 

• Communicating about likes and dislikes 

Likes and dislikes 

• 뭐(를) 좋아해요? (‘What do you like?’)  
• 저는 초콜릿(을) 좋아해요 (‘I like chocolate’) 
• 초콜릿(을) 좋아해요? (‘Do you like chocolate?’)  
• 네, 좋아해요 (‘Yes, I like it’)  
• 아니요, 싫어해요 / 안 좋아해요 (‘No, I hate/don’t like it’) 
• 무슨 음식(을) 좋아해요? (‘What food do you like?’)   
• 피자(를) 좋아해요 (‘I like pizza’)  
• 무슨 색(을) 좋아해요? (‘What colour do you like?’)  
• 파란색을 좋아해요 / 파란색 좋아해요 (‘I like blue’) 

• In Korean culture, politeness is highly important, and beginners are usually taught polite and respectful speech called 존댓말 (jondaetmal) first. 
• 반말 is generally used in daily conversations with friends or people younger than the speaker. 

• Communicating about activities and desires in the here and now 

Activities  

• 지금 뭐 해요? (‘What are you doing?’) 
• 공부해요 (‘I am studying’)  
• 음악을 들어요 (‘I am listening to music’) 
• 어디에 가요? (‘Where are you going?’)  
• 학교에 가요 (‘I am going to school’) 

Wants/wishes  

• 뭐 먹고 싶어요? (‘What do you want to eat?’)  
• 나는 햄버거를 먹고 싶어요 (‘I want to eat a hamburger’) 
• 내 친구는 피자를 먹고 싶어 해요 (‘My friend wants to eat a pizza’). 

Linguistic knowledge

• The basic word-order in Korean is subject–object–verb (SOV).    
• This structure is quite different from English, which follows a subject–verb–object (SVO) order (e.g. ‘Mary likes me’ versus 마리가 나를 좋아해요 ‘Mary me like’). 
• Students learn to ask and answer about likes and dislikes and to form negative sentences using 안 (‘do not’). 
• 뭐 (what) is spoken (informal) form of 무엇 and is used when asking questions (e.g. 이게 뭐예요? ‘What is this?’). 
• 무슨 means (what/what kind of) and is used when asking about preference, choice, or type among a set of options. 
• The object particle -을/를 is used to mark the object of a sentence. 
• Use -을 after a noun ending in a consonant, and use -‍를 after a noun ending in a vowel. 
• In spoken Korean, the particle is often omitted, especially when the object is short or clear from context (e.g. 고양이를 좋아해요 versus 고양이 좋아해요). 

• Action verbs are commonly used to talk about daily activities (e.g. to study, to eat).  
• Verbs such as 가요 (to go) or 와요 (come) are used with 어디에 or [place] plus -에 (location particle), where the place is the destination or goal of the movement. 
• Korean verbs end in -다 in the dictionary form. 
• Present tense (informal polite) conjugation patterns — verb stem plus -아요 or 어요 or 해요: 
  • use -아요 when the stem’s last vowel isㅏorㅗ    
  • use -어요 when the stem’s last vowel is anything other thanㅏorㅗ    
  • use -해요 when the stem ends in 하다. 

Irregular verbs  

• Many Sino-Korean nouns and loanwords, such as 공부 (study), 운동 (exercise), 쇼핑 (shopping) become verbs when combined with 하다 (do). 
• -고 싶다 is used to express wishes after the basic verb stem. When the speaker expresses a wish or asks about the listener’s wish, -고 싶어요 is used, but when expressing a third person’s hope or wish, -고 싶어하다 (-고 싶어해요) is used. Other irregular verbs include: 
  • 듣다 (to listen) 
  • 들어요 (listen – polite present tense) 
  • 쓰다 (to write) 
  • -써요 (to write – polite present tense).   

Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge

• Classroom language often reflects teacher and student hierarchical relationships. 
• It is important to know when to use polite language versus casual language in a class setting (e.g. for ‘yes’, say 네 to teachers which is polite, but 응 to classmates which is casual).  
• Instead of Ms, Miss, Mrs, Mr, students in Korea usually address teachers with the title 선생님 (teacher). There is no need to put the surname anywhere in the title.  
• Using just names without honorific form is usually considered rude and inappropriate. 

• Understanding and responding to simple classroom language, politeness conventions and formulaic expressions 

Classroom instructions  

• 조용히 하세요 (‘Please be quiet’) 
• 보세요 (‘Please look’) 
• 잘 들으세요 (‘Listen carefully’) 
• 읽으세요 (‘Please read’) 
• 쓰세요 (‘Please write’) 
• 따라하세요 (‘Please repeat after me’) 
• 말해 보세요 (‘Please speak’ or ‘Try to say it’) 
• 앉으세요 (‘Please sit down’) 
• 일어나세요 (‘Please stand up’) 

Student expressions  

• 늦어서 죄송해요 (‘Sorry, I am late’) 
• 감사합니다 (‘Thank you’) 
• 화장실에 가도 돼요? (‘May I go to the bathroom?’) 

Thanking 

• 감사해요/고마워요 (‘Thank you’) — informal polite 
• 고마워 (‘Thanks’) — informal casual 
• Apologising 
• 미안해요/죄송해요 (‘I am sorry’) - informal polite 
• 미안/미안해 (‘I am sorry’) - informal casual. 

• In Korea, students often use indirect and polite phrasing rather than blunt 잘 몰라요 (‘I don’t know’). 

• Understanding and using a range of formulaic expressions to support interactions  

• 질문 있어요? (‘Do you have question?’) 
• 네, 있어요 (‘Yes, I do’) 
• 아니요, 없어요 (‘No, I don’t’)  
• 알겠어요? (‘Do you understand?’)  
• 네, 알겠어요 (‘Yes, I understand’) 
• 잘 모르겠어요 (No, I don’t understand)   
• 다시 말해 주세요 (Can you say it again?) 
• ‘Pencil’ 이 한국어로 뭐예요? (‘What is pencil in Korean?’) 
•  연필이에요 (‘It is 연필 (pencil)’). 

Linguistic knowledge

• Learning simple classroom language helps students to understand and use Korean in everyday routines, building confidence and familiarity through regular use.  
• They can use simple sentences to ask for help or permission in the classroom.