KoreanClass101.com Blog

Peter here, and welcome to another year of KoreanClass101!

It’s halfway into January and everyone’s focused on their New Year’s resolutions. This used to happen to me year after year, and now I see it year after year. The start of a new year gives everyone renewed hope that THIS is finally going to be the year they master their goal!

The hard truth? 90% of these people will fail. 70% will have given up by February. Resolutions have become a kind of societal joke that we all pretend to play along with. That is, until we actually have to do something about it.

Do these numbers surprise you? I know from personal experience that it’s easy to let your goal go. For many, many years I had the same goal year after year! Then one year, that all changed. I’ll get to that a bit later.

I saw a post on Facebook that reminded me of the predictable New Year’s resolution cycle:

Damn, people with New Year’s resolutions crowding my gym. Can’t we pretend it’s February already?

Hilarious and also true.

Everyone knows that New Year’s resolutions are a joke.

But they don’t have to be.

So how do you break the cycle? How do you stay motivated and productive enough that you’re still improving yourself come March, June and December?

Questions like these have been flooding my inbox this month, so today, as a sneak peek to what we’re offering with our new Premium Inner Circle, here are a few tips on how to avoid failure in 2013.

Why New Year’s Resolutions Fail:

Those are the 3 biggest reasons people fail with their New Year’s resolutions. Last January, I made these 3 simple changes with my own Chinese studies and it kept me on track throughout the entire year.  

So what’s next? Where do you start?

For more on that, you’ll have to wait for Part II with the Premium Inner Circle newsletter in February. We’ve put together a cheat sheet on how to get started with your new Premium account, including a February Learning Calendar that will keep you on track and give you a template on how to organize your year!

So What’s The Inner Circle? Learn how successful students stay motivated and knock their Korean goals out of the park. Starting February, get exclusive access to tools, tips, and strategies to turn you in a consistent, goal-smashing, high-performing Korean learner. Inner Circle Membership is an exclusive benefit for Premium users.

Upgrade to Premium today and save 45%
during our 12-Month Challenge Sale!

Click here to get 1-Year Premium for just $99!

Rise and shine, listener!

You’re in a new year and you’ve made your Korean resolution!

Just one last thing left to do: start speaking some Korean with KoreanClass101.

Whether you’re just starting out light with the basics, or going heavy…you’re about to add some serious Korean muscle this year. You’ll go from simple phrases to dominating conversations in Korean. Why? We’re guiding you every step of the way, that’s why!

And we’ve made it our New Year’s resolution to go heavy too. We’re pushing out all new series – all new lessons to get you learning the Korean language and culture inside-out with native speakers. Stay tuned because the first lessons start publishing on January 7, 2013!

Here’s a sneak peek of the KoreanClass101 2013 schedule

Monday: Culture Class Series
Thursday: Throwback Thursday
Friday: Korean Holidays

Remember! All newly published KoreanClass101 lessons are free for 3 weeks. With a Free Lifetime Account, you have 3 weeks worth of lessons at any given time and access to every new lesson published.

Click here to sign up for a Free Lifetime Account and get a head start on the Korean language!

Welcome to 2013!

P.S. Make 2013 your year! Take the 12-month Challenge and see how far your Korean goes!
Get a 1-Year Premium Subscription for only $99 until January 18th!

Click Here To Take The Challenge!

Welcome Back Listener!

It’s been a while! Last time we saw you, it was still 2012… Christmas trees were up, and you were still making your 2013 resolutions.

Now that the New Year has begun, the #1 question everyone’s asking is…

“How do I fulfill my resolution and make serious Korean progress?”

One: Stop thinking and start doing. Take on the challenge and jump in. Your progress starts NOW.

Two: Create a measurable and attainable Korean goal. (Master new 100 words in 2 weeks, listen to 5 Korean lessons a week, hold Korean a conversation for 5 minutes, etc.)

Three: Challenge yourself more each month. (Go for 10 minute conversations, move on to 200 words, etc.)

It’s as easy as that!

So this 2013, take the KoreanClass101
12-Month Challenge!

Your progress starts now! Jump in and get 1 whole year of Premium Access for only $99 (that’s just $8.25/a month and 45% OFF the regular price) until January 18th, 2013!

Got your Korean goal ready? Good! With a 1-Year Premium Subscription, you’ll dive right into fun and effective Korean conversation lessons while our Dashboard tracks and measures your progress throughout the year. Seeing how far you’ve progressed will keep you motivated to keep on learning!

Reached your first goal? Congratulations! Now, challenge yourself even further! Move on to more advanced lessons and bigger word lists! With Premium, you get all lessons from Beginner level to Advanced and Premium tools including the 2000 core words list! Our giant library of lessons will keep you busy from January 1 to December 31st.

Need More Motivation? Get insider tips and tricks on how to master your Korean resolution this year. The Insider’s Circle Newsletter is an exclusive bonus gift when you use coupon code CHALLENGE to save 45% on 12-Month Premium!

Take The Challenge – Click To Get The Most Effective Korean Course For 1 Year!

What’s A Premium Subscription?
It’s the most popular plan among our users. Why? All the Korean lessons we’ve ever made (and will make), and all the handy lesson notes and Premium study tools are yours. Plus, you get to track your progress every step of the way.

Here’s how it works!
You learn real-life Korean directly from native speakers in every lesson. Our lesson hosts explain and simplify the language for you: conversation, grammar, vocabulary, culture – you learn it all and are ready to speak ASAP.

You also get printable lesson notes to help review and master everything presented in the lesson. And with exclusive Premium tools, you get Korean word lists, pronunciation practice and the study tools to master ‘em all fast.

Click Here To Get Unlimited KoreanClass101 Access for 45% OFF!

Oh, and that’s not all!

Here’s what you get in more detail:

Ready to crush your 2013 Resolution? Take the KoreanClass101 Challenge and get one whole year of non-stop Korean lessons, lesson notes and more! Hurry, the KoreanClass101 challenge ends January 18th, 2013!

1-Year Premium is just $8.25 a month. Click Here To Start Learning Korean!

Hello Listener,

While people were out getting TVs and DVDs…
Our listeners were getting better, faster, stronger in Korean instead.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday were prime time for language learning..

But if you missed out on Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals at KoreanClass101, then good news! The holiday season is fast approaching which means two things: one, wear a sweater and two…

The KoreanClass101 Holiday Countdown Begins December 10th.

Serious about mastering Korean in 2013? Join the Holiday Countdown as we count down the holiday season with 10 days of the 10 BIGGEST deals on Korean Apps, Audiobooks, Software Subscriptions, and much much more. How big? Try 53% OFF Premium! 55% OFF Basic! 50% OFF Apps and more!

Starting December 10th until December 23rd – not including the weekend – the 24 hour daily deals begin. At midnight one expires and a new one takes its place! But the catch is… you won’t know what the next deal is until it arrives.

So… do you take it?
Do you wait for a better Korean deal?
What if you miss one?
What if Santa just decides to fly past your house altogether?

No worries! There’s something better coming up. From subscriptions on the fast, fun, and easy Korean lessons to mobile apps and audiobooks, you have 10 days to get in on the biggest deals of the year and start mastering Korean!

Act fast! Deals this big come around only once and last for 24 hours each.

Want to get notified when the best deals come?
Click here to sign up for a free lifetime account.

Hi everyone, Peter Galante, founder of Innovative Language Learning here. With 2012 winding down, it’s time to check in and see just how far your Korean has progressed with KoreanClass101! Around this time of year, our inboxes start filling up with success stories from users all around the world. (You can share your story here.)

This year, I’d like to share my 2012 Chinese language success story with you. On January 1st, 2012 I made a resolution to learn Chinese. What was different from past years?

1. I wrote out the resolution and left it on my desk, where I looked at it each day;
2. I listened to ChineseClass101 lessons or vocabulary lists each day during commutes on my mobile phone;
3. I used my ChineseClass101 lessons as study material with my tutor;
4. I set smaller goals: weekly and monthly;
5. And a few more tactics and tricks I’d be more than happy to share if you’re interested.

The results? As of the last week in November, my two weekly 30-minute Chinese lessons are 99.9% in Chinese. And we’ve progressed to the point where I can talk about personal interests such as personal finance, taxes and online life with my tutor.

How did I do it? Basic and Premium members simply mail me, and I’ll share ALL the secrets. Not a member? Become one now and find out how to master any language, fast:

Sign up here

My rapid language progress is not unique. Over the years, we’ve helped thousands of students just like you ace exams, travel with ease and open doors to new, life changing opportunities. We even helped a young man propose to his girlfriend in her native language! (She said “Yes!&rdqu

Motivation is the Key to Success
These stories keep our team motivated to continue working hard to deliver the freshest and most effective learning tools online. So we want to hear from you!

Click here to tell us your story!

How have our lessons and learning tools helped your Korean? Did you reach any major milestones with your language studies? What are your language goals for 2013? Click on the link below and let us know!

We want to hear your Korean learning story!

The Power of Community
Not only do your stories keep us motivated, they help to encourage other students in our KoreanClass101 community! By sharing your progress, you’re helping to pay it forward – just in time for the Holidays!

Share your progress and love of Korean!

Thanks again for being a part of our learning community!

Peter Galante
Founder, KoreanClass101

P.S. We want to hear from you! Share your success story with us! >> Click here to share!

Hi Listener,

It’s about to get really busy. The holidays are coming up which means…
Gifts for moms, gifts for dads, gifts for friends. Everyone but yourself.

And your Korean?

If you’re not careful, your Korean language will take a backseat. So this Thanksgiving, you come first. Thank yourself with something that gets you speaking better Korean in minutes.

We owe you a thank you too!

Thank you for learning Korean with KoreanClass101 and for being part of the Innovative Language family. To show our gratitude, get a head start on 27 languages in under 2 minutes by learning one of the most important phrases, “Thank You.”

Learn how to say “Thank You” in 27 languages with this free video lesson!

Click Here For Your Free Thanksgiving Video Lesson!

And thank yourself with the Korean learning gift you deserve.

Save 30% on all Basic and Premium Subscriptions at KoreanClass101 until November 23rd, 2012. Premium is our most popular plan and 1-Year Premium is as low as $7 a month.

Want to speak and understand Korean? You will. You learn real life Korean conversation, slang and cultural tips in each KoreanClass101 lesson. Our lesson hosts break down and translate all Korean conversation, grammar, and vocabulary so you can use it in minutes.

Audio and video lessons are what users love most and you unlock the entire lesson archive. That’s thousands of lessons and lesson notes, with new lessons published weekly.

No Experience? KoreanClass101 Takes You By The Hand and guides you from Absolute Beginner to Advanced. Set your learning level and start with a personalized lesson appropriate for your level. Our lesson hosts do the rest.

Lesson Personalization: One Of Many New Features. You can also track your progress, see how much Korean you’ve learned, and where to go next. Personalization, progress tracking and guidance can all be done with the new KoreanClass101 Dashboard.

New! Take Your Korean Lessons On Any Mobile Screen. No downloading. No zooming. No iPhone? No problem. KoreanClass101 Mobile gives you instant access to all lessons and lesson notes on any mobile device. Note: For 12- and 24-month Premium users only.

Click Here To Gobble Up Korean at 30% OFF! Premium Is As Low as $7/Month!

Your KoreanClass101 Membership Gives You:

Thank You For Learning With Us! Grab your gift from us and learn how to say “Thank You” in 27 languages! And make sure to thank yourself this Thanksgiving – Save 30% on Basic and Premium on the most effective Korean course!

Click Here To Get Your FREE Thanksgiving Gift and Save 30% at KoreanClass101!

Happy Thanksgiving,
Team KoreanClass101

Hello Listener,

Mothers don’t choose favorites. But we do!

When it comes to apps, WordPower Korean v4.0 has a special place in our hearts. And for good reason.

WordPower Version 4.0: Not Just an Update, It’s Like a Brand New App

WordPower for iPhone and iPad has been rebuilt from top to bottom and the reviews are coming in.

This latest update turns WordPower into your complete Korean language and culture course. We’ve changed the look and added the Korean Local List to the current list of 2,000 words.

The Korean Local List contains words and phrases specifically related to Korean daily life and culture.

Ever wonder what the most popular beverages are in Korea? Need to know the name of famous landmarks? You’ll learn all that and everything else you need if you’re traveling or living in Korea.

For even more insight, we’ve even included links to the each topic’s Wikipedia page. Trust us, you’re never putting this app away.

“2,000 words? That’s a lot! Where do I start?”

Great question. With WordPower 4.0, you can study on your own and browse our expansive list by category. Or, for more guidance, we’ve organized words into Study Courses. Start off with the Top 100 Korean words every Korean learner must know.

Once you’re done, dive into 10 course levels from Basic to Upper Intermediate and track your progress along the way.

Not Just a Vocab App, Learn How to Use the Vocab Too!
Brand new to WordPower is instant KoreanClass101 audio lesson access. Sign up for a Free Lifetime Account and access our latest lessons, week after week. From beginner to advanced, you’ll find lessons that meet your needs. WordPower arms you with the tools to transform you from a timid speaker with a big vocabulary into an unstoppable Korean speaking machine!

Core Words? Check. Korea-Specific Words and Phrases? Check. Culture? Check.

Conversational Audio Courses? Yes, you get this too.

You gotta see it to believe it. And to see it, you gotta download it.

Click Here To Get Word Power Korean for Free!
Click Here To Word Power Korean Full with 2000 Words!

Here’s What’s New in WordPower Korean version 4.0!

Let’s play a game of Would You Rather?

Would you rather have this…
Over 300 Korean learning CDs (yeah, CDs…remember those?) piled to the ceiling in your bedroom next to stacks upon stacks of expensive, outdated textbooks that teach you dry, humorless Korean conversation.

…or this?
The same amount of content, shrunken down to fit onto your smartphone or tablet. And all those lessons? They’ve been updated to teach you vocabulary, grammar and culture so that learning Korean is actually fun!

The answer is clear. You’d rather have the KoreanClass101 Mobile!

The biggest Korean course.
All on your tiny mobile device.

Introducing KoreanClass101 Mobile Beta!
Take all of your favorite Korean lessons and lesson notes on the go, anywhere you have a WiFi or 3G/4G connection, anytime and on any device. That’s hundreds of Korean lessons from Absolute Beginner to Advanced, available at the touch of a finger. Optimized for any screen, you’ll navigate through our rich collection of lessons and resources easily and intuitively.

No more zooming. No more squinting. This is language learning on-the-go!

Exclusive New Feature for 12-month and 24-month Premium Subscribers!
Whether you’re an iOS or Android user, Beginner or Advanced speaker, you can swipe your way to Korean fluency as you go from lesson to lesson. Accessed through your device’s browser, once you log in and your 12-month or 24-month Premium membership has been authenticated, you’ll gain access to our entire lesson library including audio, video, lesson notes, line-by-line transcripts and vocabulary with audio.

Loading that many lessons onto your Phone would take up 20GB at least! With KoreanClass101 Mobile, you get all the content without giving up all that storage space. Save that extra space for more Instagram photos of your delicious Korean lunch!

Log On to Tune In
Using any WiFi-enabled device, log in at mobile.KoreanClass101.com and tap on “Browse” to scroll through all seasons and lessons by difficulty. If you’d like to continue where you’ve left off, tap on “History.”

Most Lessons come with 3 Audio Tracks:

Plus, you get Lesson Notes and Supplementary Resources:

KoreanClass101 Mobile is currently available to 12-month and 24-month Premium and Premium Plus subscribers only. To access KoreanClass101 Mobile as well as the unlimited KoreanClass101.com access that comes with Premium and Premium+, click here to subscribe.

KoreanClass101 Mobile Launch Special: Save 20% on any 12-month or 24-month Premium Subscription until November 15th, 2012. Use coupon code MOBILE

Click here to save 20% on 12-month and 24-month Premium!

If you have questions or feedback for us, send us a message here.

Hello Listener,

Learning a Korean word a day is effortless, free, and takes less than a minute!

So it’s no wonder the Word of The Day at KoreanClass101.com is one of our users’ most loved free features. And when our users started mailing in with feedback, we just couldn’t leave it alone.

The biggest issue? iOS incompatibility. The original Word of the Day Flash Widget didn’t work with the iPhone or the iPad.

After much tinkering, the new Word of the Day Widget is here.

The New Word of the Day Widget

Here’s what’s new!

• Completely redesigned and customizable
• Built with HTML5. Works on the iPhone, iPad, etc
• Copy and paste words directly from the Widget
• Can be embedded into mobile apps and sites
• Will work on any browser
• Turn transliteration and romanization on and off

Access the Word of the Day widget on any browser, from any smartphone, or computer. Want to save a word or sample sentences for your own use? Just copy and paste it directly from the widget!

Add the widget to your blog or website!

Choose from 38 languages and customize the widget as you see fit! The Word of the Day widget comes in two sizes, small (160 x 190px) and large (540 x 450px) and 8 different designs. Once you’ve chosen the language, size, and design, grab the embed code and add it to your site!

If you have questions or feedback for us, send us an email here.

Click Here to Visit the New Korean Word of the Day Widget!

Another Fall has come and gone and just like that, another iPhone model has hit the market, along with iOS updates for all. If you’ve updated your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad to iOS 6 already and tried looking for your favorite InnovativeLanguage.com podcast, you may be scratching your head wondering if we’ve packed our bags and closed up shop.

We haven’t. In fact, we continue to release new lessons every single week in over 25 languages!

Here are some tips on where to find us and listen on-the-go!*

Using the Podcast App

To find these apps using iOS 6, you’ll need to download Apple’s Podcast app. (Here’s a quick link to the free download.) Once you have the Podcast app installed, you’ll be able to find us under Education or by searching for us. With one tap of a finger, you can download our latest lessons and subscribe to our feed. Once you’re subscribed, these podcast feeds will be added to your library in the Podcast App.

The app itself is made with podcast users in mind. Jump forward and backwards by 10 and 30 second intervals (great for when you want to jump right to the grammar or go back to review the vocabulary) and share your favorite lessons through Twitter, Message and email. The recent update of the Podcast app also allows you to keep your podcast library up-to-date across devices using iCloud.

Using iTunes to Sync

If you prefer using the built-in Music app on your iPhone or iPad, you can still access your podcasts by syncing with iTunes on your computer. Just be sure to delete or not download the Podcast App and know that you won’t be able to download new lessons from your device. (Unfortunately, that’s only possible through the Podcast app.) Using the Music app, you can still tap to view our lesson dialogue and create your own playlists.

No matter how you choose to listen to our lessons, be sure to sign up for a Free Lifetime Account at KoreanClass101.com to access 7 days of free Premium access and free tools like the Korean Word of the Day, Core 100 Words List and more!

Click here for your free account now!

*These tips are up to date as of October 10th, 2012