The Korean alphabet, commonly known as han'gul, has been called one of the greatest intellectual achievements of humankind. Experts agree that few writing systems can match its simplicity and efficiency, its elegance and intelligence.

The only alphabet completely native to East Asia, han'gul distinguishes itself among writing systems of the world with its scientific qualities and unusual linguistic fit to the Korean language. Most strikingly, the theoretical underpinnings of the language, as well as the time and circumstances of its creation, are clearly known and recorded. Han'gul...

Vocabulary learning is the single most important component of second-language acquisition. In cases where the second language is unrelated to the learner's native tongue, this task presents special challenges because there are typically few clues in a word's form to assist in learning and remembering its meaning. This book offers a solution to this problem for students of Korean.

The Handbook is the first ever root dictionary of Korean designed for second-language learners. Useful for students at all levels, it contains more than 1,500 vocabulary lists consisting of words built from...

Audio files for this volume may be downloaded on the web in MP3 format at http: //www.kleartextbook.com. A set of CDs is also available for purchase.

The Intermediate Level texts and workbooks are the second of a five-level series (Beginning 1 and 2, Intermediate 1 and 2, Advanced Intermediate 1 and 2, and Advanced 1 and 2) developed collaboratively by leading classroom teachers and linguists of Korean. All series volumes have been developed in accordance with performance-based principles and methodology--learner-centeredness, contextualization, use of authentic materials,...

Korean Composition is the first book in English for students of Korean language aimed not only at enhancing their writing skills and overall linguistic competence, but also at organizing and developing their ideas and thoughts with grammatically, stylistically, and culturally correct expressions. The Essential Composition section contains chapters concerned with the writing of essays, diaries and letters, document preparation, and expository writing. The Advanced Composition section considers descriptions of impressions, writing poetry, newspaper accounts, writing articles and theses, and...

Korean Reader for Chinese Characters will help students of Korean master basic Chinese characters that are frequently encountered in everyday situations. More than five hundred characters are targeted in exercises that aid in the efficient study of the forms, meanings, and sounds of individual characters and their compounds. Although the primary goal of the Reader is recognition of basic Chinese characters, students are encouraged to learn to write them properly by inclusion of a section on stroke order. The Reader is also designed to reinforce skills in reading and writing in Korean while...

Audio files for this volume may be downloaded on the web in MP3 format at http: //www.kleartextbook.com. A CD is also available for purchase.

The Advanced Intermediate Level texts are the third of a five-level series developed collaboratively by leading classroom teachers and linguists of Korean. All series volumes have been developed in accordance with performance-based principles and methodology--learner-centeredness, contextualization, use of authentic materials, function/task-orientedness, balance between skill getting and skill using, and integration of speaking, listening,...

Audio files for this volume may be downloaded on the web in MP3 format at http: //www.kleartextbook.com. A CD is also available for purchase.

The Advanced Intermediate Level texts are the third of a five-level series developed collaboratively by leading classroom teachers and linguists of Korean. All series volumes have been developed in accordance with performance-based principles and methodology--learner-centeredness, contextualization, use of authentic materials, function/task-orientedness, balance between skill getting and skill using, and integration of speaking, listening,...

These textbooks are the ninth and tenth volumes in a five-level series developed collaboratively by leading classroom teachers and linguists of Korean. All series' volumes have been developed in accordance with performance-based principles and methodology--contextualization, learner-centeredness, use of authentic materials, function/task-orientedness, balance between skill getting and skill using, and integration of speaking, listening, reading, writing, and culture. Grammar points are systematically introduced with simple but adequate explanations and abundant examples, exercises, and...

These textbooks are the ninth and tenth volumes in a five-level series developed collaboratively by leading classroom teachers and linguists of Korean. All series' volumes have been developed in accordance with performance-based principles and methodology--contextualization, learner-centeredness, use of authentic materials, function/task-orientedness, balance between skill getting and skill using, and integration of speaking, listening, reading, writing, and culture. Grammar points are systematically introduced with simple but adequate explanations and abundant examples, exercises, and...