Korean for Dummies [With CD]

Usually, I don't read any of the "... For Dummies" books, because that's a pretty strong word to use. But, this one caught my attention. As a tae kwon do student, we learn phrases and other basics in the Korean language. But, often, I've wondered the background of the words, and the cultural details. "Korean For Dummies" is an easy to follow guide in not only speaking Korean, but also in understanding the non-spoken, implied social rules of the Korean culture. For those who think, "Korean? I can't use that?" I say, "Think again." We are more global. And, if you relate the words, phonetics, and the social rules to something that you are familiar with, learning Korean can be easy, enjoyable, and profitable. Because there are many Korean Americans in my area, I find it fascinating to walk into their businesses, greeting them with the same animation as I would with mainstream American owned businesses - only this is in their language. And they appreciate my interest in who they are. Of particular interest in this book, is what they said about writing checks. We in the US, write our checks for the amount to withdraw from our bank accounts. In Korea, you don't withdraw money from your account so freely. "Korean For Dummies" is a great guide to help you to build rapport Koreans in your area. The cd that accompanies this, though, is not a good tool, unless you want to use it to listen to Korean being spoken, so that you acquire a mind set for the language. There are no translations in the cd - just opportunities to hear Korean dialogues.

This book is a great place to start when trying to learn the Korean language. I am a little disappointed in the Cd that came with the book. The Cd is made up of many different conversations using Korean. It would be better if after the lines were said in Korean, they were repeated in English. Only hearing the Korean language doesn't help when you are first learning.