Software

Putting together all of the best resources on Korean.

I used Rosetta Stone before attending the Defense Language Institute Basic Korean course and I didn't find it all that helpful. First of all, you have to learn the Korean alphabet before you can use it as it doesn't teach you that. Secondly, I think it's a stretch to use only use pictures to convey the meanings of words. I often had to look up words they present with a dictionary because I couldn't figure out the meaning they were driving at. For example, they show a street seen with the word 길 (street) but you can't tell if the word means street or car or crowded, etc.

User comments

I did use Declan's software while I was DLI and I found it better than using paper flashcards. Of the software they sell, Declan's Korean Dictionary is the least useful and I wouldn't buy it. Online dictionaries are far more comprehensive and nearly as fast to use. The Read/Write program is very, very useful for beginners as is Korean Hakgyo. I mainly used the Flashcard program and like I said, it worked well for me.

User comments

I was issued this at DLI and it is similar to Declan's Flashcard program but I liked Declan's program better. Rapid Rote ran slower on my computer and was more annoying when it came to repeating missed words. With Declan, I could usually get the word with 1-2 repeats but with Rapid Rote it keeps repeating and repeating and I lost patience with it.

User comments

A strong example of the belief in rote memorization, BeforeYouKnowIt is a quiz program designed on the philosophy that if you cannot remember a word (or formula, phrase, etc.), you should keep trying. To do this, it utilizes a "flashcard" sort of methodology of repetition. Optionally alongside these are pictures, sounds, and hints. The sounds, most notably, may be slowed for ease of listening. The program is offered in both an express version, in which the user has very limited capabilities, and a "full" version wherein all features are available. There is a third option of using a browser-based applet to access user-uploaded lists found in the online database. Of the Korean coverage, the official offerings from the company itself are plagued with Korean Romanization accompanied by poor recordings.

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