In-Flight Korean : Learn Before You Land (Living Language In-Flight)

Rating:
Summary: Crash Landing
Review: The blurb on the back of the package claims that if you work on this programme during your flight, you will learn enough of the language to get by. Unless your flight will be equal in length to a flight to Mars, you will certainly not be able to absorb enough of this 60-minute course to even nearly get by. This is a CD "update" to Fast & Easy Korean (also by Living Language). In Flight Korean boasts over 400 essential words & phrases (a 100 word increase from Fast & Easy). Less is sometimes better. Each phrase on In-Flight is only spoken once (rather than twice as on the Fast & Easy series), not enough if you want to gauge your progress. The native speakers sometimes mumble and speak WAY too fast. While there are people in everyday life that mumble, you certainly don't want to learn a language from them do you? It comes with a "boarding pass"(booklet with the entire script, but no Korean script, very bad when you end up needing help from a native speaker). If you are already familiar with the language, the In-Flight series might actually get you up to speed in between the in-flight movie & the meal (soda pop & peanuts). If you are trying to learn Korean, try Pimsleur's Korean Compact (expensive but effective). Pimsleur Korean has 10 lessons, and will get you SPEAKING (the course is audio only) in 10 days. If you are short on time and need a "survival" course, get Language/30 Korean (by Educational Services Corp). Language/30 comes with 2 tapes and a booklet (has Romanised script as well as Hang-gul, in case you need help from a native speaker). There aren't very many good resources for Korean Language learning around, In-Flight Korean proves the point. Great marketing, shoddy product.

Rating:
Summary: quick and easy!
Review: When I walked into the bookstore to buy an audio tape, I was sold over by the Living Language In-flights. They're perfectly painless and great for a quick and easy overview of the most useful expressions and vocabulary. I used it almost everyday for a month or two while driving and now I think that if I ever go to Korea, I'll actually be able to make myself be understood! It's a really good way to get started on learning a new language.