Italki Review: Korean Lessons

Learning Korean can be quite the challenge, especially when finding someone to practice with in your immediate circle is tough. But fear not, italki is here to save the day. This awesome service connects you with community tutors (people without official teaching credentials) and professional teachers (those who've got the credentials) for personalized Korean lessons through video. Many of the tutors also have a curriculum for you to follow outside of your one-on-one sessions, so that you can come to your tutoring time after studying your Korean lessons in advance and practice what you've been working on.

Shopping for a tutor is fun

Browsing through the profiles of over 300 Korean tutors on italki is a blast. Watch their intro videos to get a feel for their vibe, see if you can understand them in English, and decide if they're the right fit for you. You can even add your favorites to a list by clicking the little heart next to their name. While there are some filters to help narrow down your search, like other languages they speak or if they're a native speaker of Korean, they don't cover all of the bases we'd like to see (like filters for ratings, number of completed lessons, or how long they've been on italki). In those areas, you'll have to do a bit of digging on your own.

Some tutors have taught thousands of lessons on italki

As you browse, you'll see there are lots of tutors on italki who are just starting out or have only done a handful of lessons. But, there are also plenty who've been around the block and have racked up hundreds (or thousands) of successful student sessions. Take Rosa, for example. Even though she's designated as a "community tutor", she still had nearly 12,000 completed lessons to her credit and a perfect 5-star average from student reviews. There's also professional teacher "Shinnie", with 11 years of teaching experience and almost 10,000 lessons completed on italki with a 5-star average as well.

Plenty of info on each profile

When you click on a tutor's profile, you'll find all sorts of info about how they teach Korean, their background, and what kinds of lessons they offer. For instance, Shinnie offers a trial lesson for $22, regular classes for $29 and customized lesson packages. You can see how many lessons he's completed in each category, with his most popular being a 20-lesson package discount (nearly 3,000 people purchased it).

Schedule your Korean lessons via online calendar

Booking lessons is a breeze on italki. The site detects your computer's time and shows you lesson times in your own time zone. Just click on a tutor's calendar to see when they're available. We were able to book a lesson with Shinnie the same day as our review, and there were tons of open slots in the coming week. Just be aware that it shows the calendar in 4-hour blocks, and when you hover over one of them, it'll show you how much appointment time is available within that block (from 8a-12p, there may be two hours of open time, but from noon to 4p there are 3.5 hours open).

Students love their Korean tutors here

italki gets lots of love from users, with both the platform and individual tutors earning rave reviews. It's reassuring to read through student feedback and see just how effective and comfortable it is to learn Korean one-on-one with a tutor. Again, going back to Shinnie as our example, his reviews from grateful students describe his unique methods for teaching, his positive attitude, and his friendly demeanor. Some of his students have worked with him for over a year: solid evidence that italki is here to stay (and so are many of the Korean tutors).

Trial lessons often at a discounted rate

Plus, this could be one of your most affordable ways to learn Korean, especially for conversation. Most tutors offer a discounted-rate trial lesson, to let you get a feel for their teaching style and see if it seems like the right match. In the past, some of those trial lessons were as low as $1, but we're honestly glad to see that that's gone up (because the tutors' time is worth more than that). Most trial rates we saw at the time of this updated review were at least $5 for the first lesson, and hourly rates ranged anywhere from $10 and up after that. What you'll pay will naturally depend on the tutor you select and the type of Korean lessons you choose from what he or she offers. A 30-minute lesson for a child will probably be at a different rate than an intensive prep session for the TOPIK exam, for example.

Not for the shy or for learners in quiet environments

While italki is fantastic for personalized learning, it might not be everyone's cup of tea. If you're someone who feels self-conscious about making mistakes or gets a bit anxious interacting directly with others, learning Korean through italki could feel a bit intimidating. Also, you'll need a decent internet connection and a quiet space to chat freely. These aren't Korean lessons you can quietly study while on the bus or in a library.

Top choice for improving conversational Korean and more

Despite these minor drawbacks, italki gets a big thumbs up from us for helping people learn Korean like a pro. While other platforms might teach you how to read or write Korean, italki really shines when it comes to getting your speaking skills up to speed. So if you're not surrounded by Korean speakers in your community, italki is hands down the best way to work on your fluency.

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On the italki website