여러분 안녕하세요!
토미입니다.
Today, I’d like to talk about the Top 3 reasons why your Korean isn’t improving, no matter how many years you’ve been studying.
When you hear “reasons why your Korean isn’t improving,” do you immediately think:
“It’s because I don’t have talent.”
In fact, that’s completely wrong.
Of course, some people do have a natural talent for languages, and yes, it might be easier to learn when you’re younger.
But those aren’t the real reasons your Korean isn’t improving.
No matter how talented or young you are, there are three things that will definitely stop your Korean from improving if you do them.
If you’re watching this thinking your Korean isn’t improving, you’re probably doing one—or all—of these three things.
In other words, these three points are like landmines you must never step on when learning Korean.
If you continue studying Korean while falling into these traps, you’ll end up in a miserable situation—thinking things like,
“I’ve been studying Korean for over three years, but I’m still stuck at the beginner level,”
“I don’t know what level I’m at or what to study next,” or
“I’m trying so hard, so why can’t I remember anything?”
On the flip side, if you avoid these three pitfalls and study the right way, you can definitely improve your Korean skills in a short period of time.
As for me, I passed the TOPIK Level 6 on my first try, and I also passed the highest level of the Hangul Proficiency Test (Level 1) on my first attempt—something only about 500 people in Japan have achieved over the past 30 years. In the second interview portion of that exam, I received an “All S” rating, the highest level possible, for my speaking skills.
And not only in Korean, I was also able to score 985 on the TOEIC, English test, which is nearly a perfect score. And I was able to finish my bachelor’s degree at UC Berkeley.
But this wasn’t because I’m especially talented. It was simply the result of knowing what to do and what not to do when learning a language.
If you want to master Korean in a short period of time, understand what your favorite idols or dramas are saying, or speak with locals during your trip to Korea, then the content in this video will be incredibly valuable for you.
In particular, the number one reason why your Korean might not be improving is so important that I could honestly say I made this video just to talk about it, so please make sure to watch until the very end.
그럼 시작할게요.
Reason Your Korean Isn’t Improving: You’re Not Studying Systematically
The third biggest reason your Korean isn’t improving, even after years of study, is that you’re not learning systematically.
Let me ask you a question: In what order are you learning Korean?
Did you just think, “Order? Huh? What do you mean by that?”
If so, you should be careful.
There is a correct order in which you should study Korean.
That means first learning how to read and pronounce Hangul, then studying basic beginner-level grammar and vocabulary, and after that, moving on to intermediate-level grammar and vocabulary.
If you’re using a textbook, this would mean starting with materials on reading Hangul, then progressing through Beginner 1, Beginner 2, Intermediate 1, and Intermediate 2 in that order.
Learning in this correct order is what I call “studying systematically.”
Did you think, “Well, isn’t that obvious?”
Exactly! It is something obvious.
However, especially among those who are self-studying, many people are learning Korean in a very unstructured and self-invented way.
One of my former students had been self-studying before joining my class and had reached a point where they could understand some of what their favorite idol was saying and even speak a little Korean on their own.
Their study method was to constantly listen to their favorite idol and look up every word they used.
As a result, they had picked up some native expressions that don’t even appear in textbooks—so much so that, in certain areas, they seemed almost like an advanced learner.
However, when I gave them a simple Korean test, despite being able to speak fairly well, they couldn’t write at all. And although they knew native expressions, they didn’t know the basic grammar patterns typically taught at the beginner level.
In other words, because they were studying in their own way, their knowledge was too fragmented, and they lacked a solid foundation.
Students like that can improve on their own to a certain extent, but eventually, they hit a wall and can’t progress any further.
And when I ask more about their study habits, it turns out they’ve spent an incredible amount of time learning Korean their own way.
I often think, “If only they had spent that much time studying systematically, they could have mastered the intermediate level by now.”
For example, when teaching a child math, which do you think would help them learn faster and more accurately: telling them to “learn freely,” or teaching them step by step—addition first, then subtraction, followed by multiplication and division, and then decimals and fractions?
Of course, learning in a structured, systematic way allows them to master math faster and more accurately.
In fact, if you think about it, most of the knowledge you’ve acquired in your life was probably learned systematically, wasn’t it?
The things you learned in school, at work, and in society—weren’t most of them taught to you in an organized, step-by-step way through classes or training programs?
So why is it that when it comes to Korean, people think they can just get by with their own method?
Korean is no different.
The correct order of learning wasn’t just arbitrarily decided by someone.
It’s the result of research and trial-and-error by countless learners before us, who discovered the most efficient way to master Korean.
That’s why using the wisdom of those who came before us is the smartest way to approach your Korean studies.
That’s why I always tell my students, regardless of their reason for learning Korean, “First, master the beginner-level vocabulary and grammar.”
By beginner-level Korean, I mean the 1,600 vocabulary words and 80 grammar points that I provide in my course.
To put it another way, can you really achieve any meaningful Korean learning goal without knowing these?
I’ve met students with all kinds of reasons for learning Korean, but I’ve never thought that a student didn’t need to learn beginner-level Korean based on their goal.
That’s why, rather than jumping into random, self-directed study, following a structured and systematic approach is ultimately the faster path.
And once you’ve studied systematically up to at least the beginner level—ideally the intermediate level—using your favorite actor’s drama lines or song lyrics for learning will become surprisingly easy to understand.
Students like that, who have a solid foundation, tend to improve much faster in their Korean studies from that point onward.
That’s why I always recommend learning Korean in a systematic way, no matter what your reason for starting may be.
Reason Your Korean Isn’t Improving: You’re Not Studying Efficiently
The second biggest reason your Korean isn’t improving, even after years of studying, is that you’re not studying efficiently.
Everyone, what determines how much your Korean improves?
The answer is very simple: it all comes down to efficiency and time.
So, when you study Korean, how much do you actually think about “efficiency”?
Everyone understands that no matter how much time you spend studying, you won’t improve if your study methods are inefficient.
However, surprisingly few people actually make various efforts to improve that efficiency.
The first is using too many different textbooks, the second is not reviewing, the third is not doing any output, the fourth is multitasking while studying, and the fifth is not setting goals or making a study plan.
These five habits are the main reasons why Korean study becomes inefficient.
It goes without saying that if you’re using inefficient study methods, no matter how much time and effort you put in, you won’t be able to improve your skills.
So be sure to avoid falling into any of these five bad habits.
Using too many different textbooks
The first inefficient study method is using too many different textbooks.
Does anyone here have a bunch of Korean textbooks at home that you bought but never actually used?
This is a common mistake made by highly motivated beginners who are just getting started with learning Korean.
This often happens when someone is super motivated to start studying Korean and ends up buying multiple textbooks all at once from the very beginning.
You might be thinking, “What’s so bad about buying a lot of textbooks?”
The biggest problem with this pattern is that you end up not finishing even one textbook completely, and your study turns into a scattered sampling of multiple resources.
A textbook only truly serves its purpose when you thoroughly understand everything written in it.
So, unless it’s an extremely simple textbook, you’ll only start to build fundamental skills once you’ve thoroughly gone through a single textbook multiple times.
Jumping from one textbook to another is like digging many shallow holes, but studying one textbook is like digging one deep well. The deep well is where you find the most valuable water.
That’s why when students who’ve become “textbook collectors” come to me, I tell them, “Please put away any textbooks I haven’t assigned—somewhere out of sight.”
It’s true that simply owning a lot of textbooks can give you a false sense of security.
That’s exactly it.
You gain true confidence only after you’ve completed a textbook and seen a real improvement in your skills.
So instead of buying many textbooks all at once, focus on completing them one by one, thoroughly and with care.
Not reviewing
The second inefficient study method is not reviewing what you’ve learned.
What happened to the textbooks you used in the past? Don’t tell me you’ve thrown them away?
Humans are creatures that forget.
For example, I don’t think anyone can say they still remember everything from a 200-page textbook they studied six months ago.
That’s why I strongly recommend reviewing the textbooks you’ve already used.
But let’s be honest—no one really wants to review, right? You’d rather spend that time moving forward, wouldn’t you?
It’s true that moving forward—like going from Beginner 1 to Beginner 2, then to Intermediate 1—can be exciting and boost your motivation.
However, if you continue studying without reviewing, you’ll eventually run into moments where you think, “Wait… why does this grammar form change like this again?”
Those small moments of “wait, why was that again?” can gradually pile up and eventually bring your studies to a halt.
That’s why it’s important to go back and open your old textbooks to check whether you still remember what you previously learned.
You might be wondering, “But when exactly should I review?”
Basically, the best time to review is right around the point when you’re about to forget what you learned.
As a guideline, review one month after finishing the textbook, and then again about three months after that.
As for how to review, simply flipping through all the pages and recalling what you’ve learned so far is enough.
If something catches your attention along the way, just pause and read that part more carefully.
Also, make sure to go over the vocabulary and grammar lists at least once.
And try listening to any dialogue audio that comes with the CD as well.
Of course, if the audio is too slow for your level, feel free to listen at 1.5x speed.
Let me say it again—why is review necessary?
Because we forget what we’ve learned over time.
Is there anyone watching this video who can say, “I never forget anything I’ve learned”?
Even I, as a trilingual in Japanese, Korean, and English, often realize, “Oh, I’ve forgotten things I learned a while ago.”
That’s why I regularly flip through my old textbooks to refresh my memory and bring back what I’ve learned.
Some of my students have told me, “I’ve finished the beginner level,” but when I give them a basic test, they often can’t answer the questions at all.
If you’re studying with my video lessons and find it too challenging to rewatch all of them, at the very least, try to review by taking the grammar quizzes I’ve made available on my website.
Then, go back and rewatch the video lessons covering the grammar points you got wrong—that’s the most efficient approach, in my opinion.
Never continue moving forward just assuming you’ve understood something when you haven’t fully grasped it.
Not producing any output
The third inefficient study method is not producing any output.
Are you able to use the Korean you studied yesterday?
You might think, “There’s no way I can use something I just learned,” but if you don’t try, you’ll never be able to use it fluently.
And that very act of trying to use your knowledge—that’s what output is all about.
Language learning involves both input and output.
But in reality, very few people are actually aware of this.
Most people only focus on input-based learning.
Input means absorbing new information, while output means expressing that information as your own.
Reading and studying from a textbook is considered chiefly input learning.
But if you stop there, that knowledge remains unusable.
For example, even if you study how to introduce yourself in a textbook, can you immediately introduce yourself when someone asks you to? Probably not, right?
In other words, if you don’t practice using the knowledge you’ve gained, you won’t be able to use it when it really counts.
On the other hand, when you actively practice output, you often come to understand what you’ve learned on a much deeper level.
That’s why, as those taking my beginner course already know, I always encourage students to read the dialogues out loud and actually try pronouncing them themselves after listening.
I also always assign a writing task at the end of each lesson.
After showing you my model answer, I then ask you to write your own version using your own words.
For vocabulary homework, I don’t just say “Please memorize these words.” I always say, “After memorizing them, try taking a quiz that I made.”
Why?
Because in most cases, just seeing and memorizing the words visually gives you only the illusion of having learned them.
You need to practice retrieving that knowledge from your brain—pulling it out rather than just putting it in.
And by checking your knowledge in a different form, you can truly verify whether you’ve internalized it or not.
Knowledge gained through input alone tends to fade quickly, but what you learn through output is much harder to forget.
“Output immediately after input!” — This is the golden rule for effective language learning.
Multitasking while studying
The fourth inefficient study method is multitasking while studying.
Everyone, try to picture the environment you usually study in.
Think about your desk, the space under it, the lighting in the room, the sounds you hear, and everything that comes into your line of sight.
Among those things, are there items that help you focus—or, on the contrary, things that distract you?
Are there things unrelated to studying that are entering your field of vision or reaching your ears?
If there’s anything that distracts you from studying, the first step is to remove it from your sight.
The most common distractions are, of course, the TV and your smartphone.
Humans can’t focus on multiple things at the same time.
So studying while watching TV or fiddling with your phone isn’t actually studying at all.
Also, concentration doesn’t peak instantly—it takes time to build. So if you’re multitasking while studying, you’re essentially studying in a state where your focus never fully kicks in.
TVs are easier to avoid—just stay out of the room—but smartphones are tricky, since most people carry them around all day long.
My recommendation? If possible, turn off your phone during study time and leave it in another room.
It’s very important to keep anything unrelated to studying out of sight.
Also, make sure to clean your desk before you start studying.
There should be absolutely nothing on your desk that isn’t related to your study session.
It may sound obvious, but the best way to focus is to create an environment where you don’t have to think about anything other than studying.
Of course, some people may find it hard to turn off their phone completely, since someone might try to contact them.
But even just setting it to vibrate and placing it somewhere out of sight can make a big difference.
Try to keep your smartphone off your study desk whenever possible.
Not having clear goals or a study plan
The fifth inefficient study method is not having clear goals or a study plan.
Do you have a clear goal for learning Korean, and are you studying according to a specific plan?
Most people probably started learning Korean because they like Korean dramas or K-pop idols.
But that’s not a goal—it’s a motivation.
The truth is, if you rely only on motivation, you’ll struggle to push through when studying becomes difficult.
That’s why it’s important to take your motivation a step further and set a clear, specific goal.
For example, instead of saying “I’m learning Korean because I like BTS,” a better goal would be “I want to be able to write a heartfelt letter to my favorite K-pop idol, BTS.”
Of course, something like “I’m going to pass the TOPIK this year, no matter what” is also a great goal.
Turning your motivation into a clear goal will boost your motivation many times over!
At the very least, I’ve never met anyone whose motivation dropped after setting a clear goal.
So go ahead and set an exciting goal—something you genuinely want to achieve.
By the way, do you know the one essential element every goal must have?
It’s a deadline.
Please decide on a date by which you will achieve your goal.
At first, it’s okay if it’s vague.
A goal only comes to life once it has a set date.
Conversely, keep in mind that goals without deadlines have a very low chance of being achieved.
Planning
Next, let’s talk about planning.
Everyone, do you have a study plan?
For instance, by what date are you planning to complete the textbook you’re currently working on?
In any type of learning, whether or not you have a plan makes a big difference in how efficiently you study.
One of the reasons is understanding your current situation.
First, identify the size of the gap between your ideal self and your current self.
Then, once you calculate how many days are left until your deadline, you’ll understand how much effort you need to put in today.
By planning this way, those who study while understanding where they currently stand in their Korean learning journey—and how far their skills might improve by when—will undoubtedly be able to feel their own progress.
However, people who don’t have that tend to study aimlessly, and especially for those studying on their own, even small setbacks can lower their motivation and make it hard to continue.
Among my students, there are occasionally people who study Korean as a hobby without having a clear goal.
To those students, I say, “Please sign up for the next TOPIK (Test of Proficiency in Korean).”
In a way, this is like giving them a goal and a deadline, even if it’s a bit forced.
When they do that, even the students who initially said, “No way, I can’t do it,” eventually make up their minds and start studying with focus.
As a result, I’ve witnessed many times how their Korean skills improve at an incredible speed.
If you’re watching this video now and feel like your Korean studies have lacked a clear goal, try signing up for the next TOPIK—just trust me and give it a shot.
Just that alone can completely change the way you approach learning Korean.
So, always make sure to set goals and plans as you study.
Your goals and plans will become the driving force that boosts your motivation.
Reason Your Korean Isn’t Improving: You Haven’t Created Time to Study
The number one reason your Korean doesn’t improve, no matter how many years you study, is this: You’re not making time to study.
Let me ask you a straightforward question.
How many hours do you study Korean each day?
Actually, the other day, I conducted a survey about how much time people spend studying Korean.
I asked, “Including weekends, how many hours a day do you study Korean on average?”
The results were as follows: Less than 10 minutes: 35%, about 30 minutes: 28%, about 1 hour: 24%, about 2 hours: 8%, Others: 5%.
This result was unexpected for me, and I was really surprised.
Since many people who watch my videos are passionate about learning Korean, I expected their study time to be much longer.
But the most common answer was “less than 10 minutes,” and when combined with “about 30 minutes,” it accounted for over 60% of the total responses.
As you all know, no matter how great your materials are, and no matter how amazing your teacher is, your Korean won’t improve unless you actually study.
In short, the biggest reason your Korean isn’t improving is simply because you’re not studying in the first place.
For example, it takes about 200 hours on average to complete the beginner level.
If you only study for 10 minutes a day, do you know how many years it would take to master the beginner level?
Surprisingly, it would take over 3 years.
To reach the intermediate level, it would take more than 8 years based on that pace.
That’s clearly far too much time, and the chances of giving up along the way are quite high.
At this point, are you thinking something like, “But I’m too busy every day to study Korean,” or “I have work and house chores, so I just can’t make time”?
Of course, there are people who genuinely can’t find time because they’re extremely busy, but in most cases, with a bit of creativity, it is possible to make more study time.
In fact, many of my students preparing for the TOPIK exam had full-time jobs during the week and did household chores after coming home—at first, they could barely manage to find even one hour a day to study.
But after following my advice and putting it into practice, my students were able to increase their average study time to 3.5 hours per day in the three weeks leading up to the exam—and every single one of them passed TOPIK Level 2.
Even with the most efficient study methods, I believe passing the exam would have been difficult without securing that amount of study time.
So, for those of you wondering, “Then what should I do?”, I’d like to share three practical ways to make time for studying Korean—starting today.
If any of these seem doable for you, try putting them into practice starting today.
Use your “in-between time” for passive listening
The first way to make time for studying is: Use your “in-between time” for passive listening.
Did you know there’s a body part that plays a crucial role in language learning but is often left idle?
That part is—your ears.
Take a moment to think back on how you spend your day.
There must be moments when your ears aren’t doing anything.
Use all of that time to expose your ears to Korean—even if it’s just passive listening.
When you’re walking or driving to work, or doing household chores like folding laundry or cooking, make sure to play Korean audio in the background.
If you’re thinking, “Wait, didn’t you just say multitasking while studying isn’t good?”—good catch!
What I meant earlier was that when you’re sitting at your desk and able to focus, you shouldn’t let anything else distract you.
This time, I’m talking about using even the time when you’re busy doing other tasks, by letting your ears continue learning Korean.
Of course, when you’re on a train or bus, your eyes are also free—so it’s even better if you can use your phone to watch videos and learn Korean using both your ears and your eyes.
At the very least, consider any time your ears are idle as valuable time to study Korean.
Wake up early
The second way to make time for studying is: Wake up early.
What time do you go to bed and wake up each day?
And is that schedule something you can adjust?
If so, I highly recommend trying to wake up earlier.
In the morning, your concentration is at its peak, and since most people are still asleep, there’s little risk of being interrupted.
Of course, waking up two hours earlier might be tough at first, but waking up just 30 minutes earlier is something many people could start doing as early as tomorrow.
I wake up at 5 a.m. every day to study or get work done.
Sometimes, I’ve even finished all the studying I planned for the entire day just in the morning.
Waking up early is hard at first, but once you get used to it and it becomes a habit, you’ll be able to wake up naturally.
Give it a try within a range that doesn’t push you too hard.
Reevaluate your weekend schedule
The third way to make time for studying is: Reevaluate your weekend schedule.
Are you making time to study Korean on your days off?
Of course, some people might say, “Weekends are actually busier because my family is home,” but weekends often hide a surprising amount of underused time.
For instance, if you typically wake up late on weekends, simply waking up at your usual weekday time can create study time.
If needed, it’s also a good idea to talk with your family and ask to dedicate your morning to study time.
Be proactive and try negotiating so you can secure time for studying.
Has anyone thought, “But even if I try to study at home, I just end up wanting to be lazy on my day off”?
For people like that, I recommend deciding to simply go to a nearby café and study there in the morning.
When you stay at home, time tends to pass without doing anything meaningful, or you might get distracted by family and can’t focus on studying.
That’s why making the effort to go out and study at a café or library may seem like a hassle — but it’s very effective.
Another great option—if you have friends who are also learning Korean—is to coordinate your schedules and hold study sessions together.
The key is to shape your daily routine in a way that naturally keeps your focus on Korean learning.
Summary
That’s all for now!
Today, I talked about the Top 3 reasons your Korean doesn’t improve even after years of studying.
Reason #3 was not studying systematically, and I emphasized the importance of progressing step by step—from beginner to elementary, and from elementary to intermediate—instead of relying on your own methods.
If you’ve been studying in your way, it’s time to switch and start learning with a structured course right away.
Reason #2 was not studying efficiently.
I identified five inefficient study habits: using too many textbooks, failing to review, neglecting output practice, multitasking during study sessions, and not setting goals or making plans.
If even one of those applies to you, I encourage you to start making changes from tomorrow.
And the #1 reason was not making time to study.
As alternatives, I introduced three strategies: using passive listening during downtime, waking up early, and reevaluating your weekend schedule.
Study time isn’t something you simply have—it’s something you create. Use every trick in the book to increase your overall exposure to Korean.
I hope you’ll put at least one thing you learned today into practice starting tomorrow.
If you can’t fully understand this video the first time, watch it several times and make it your own!
Thank you so much for watching to the end again.
I’ll continue sharing helpful tips for learning Korean in the future as well.
See you again in the next video!
그럼 오늘도 행복 가득, 웃음 가득한 하루 되세요！
한국어 화이팅, 화이팅, 화이팅！！
