Fans of Korean culture would know the pains of consuming our favourite form of K-media. It doesn’t matter if it’s a drama hit like Hotel del Luna or a newly-released album from our bias groups – as much as we love them, nothing beats the pains of waiting for those darn English translations to be released.
Love knows no language boundaries, and in this case, it hasn’t stopped us from keeping up. But I get it – the waiting sucks. Fortunately, loads of Korean language schools have popped up over the years to cater to the Hallyu wave. If you’re seriously considering learning the language, check out these cheap Korean classes in Singapore.
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Bugis is a hotspot for all things food and shopping, and if you frequent this area often, you can easily swing by Ganada Korean Language Centre.
From $24/class, you’ll be sitting through a total of 9 2-hour sessions, which takes place once a week. All their teachers have completed the Korean Language Teachers program under Seoul National University, so you can be sure they know their stuff.
Other than the classes, you can also look forward to free bi-monthly cultural workshops like hanbok introduction sessions as well as cooking lessons. Food that you’ll learn to prepare include traditional delicacies like songpyeon as well as dishes like japchae and kimbap.
Address: 420 North Bridge Road, North Bridge Centre #02-20 Singapore 188727
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 2.30PM-9.30PM, Sat 11AM-6PM
Telephone: 6336 4255
Standard teaching tools include powerpoint slides and printed notes, but teachers from Hanok Korean Class encourage interaction amongst classmates. You’ll be using games and picture cards to learn your stuff – those might be items you’d use to teach children, but since you’re starting from scratch, this teaching method does prove hella useful.
Their outlets are found at both Jurong East and Tanjong Pagar, so it’s super convenient for Westies and office workers in the CBD. Prices start at $24/class, for a package of 12 1.5 hour sessions.
Jurong East outlet
Address: Block 133 Jurong Gateway Road, #04-293 Singapore 60013
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 4PM-10PM, Sat & Sun 11AM-4PM
Telephone: 6564 1234
Tanjong Pagar outlet
Address: International Plaza, 10 Anson Road, #03-55 Singapore 079903
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 4PM-10PM, Sat & Sun 11AM-4PM
Telephone: 6564 1234
We may think that courses conducted in polytechnics are reserved solely for its students, but there are actually loads of them for the public. You can hit up Singapore Polytechnic, which holds 30 2-hour Korean lessons from $12/class.
There’s a range of courses depending on how in-depth you wish to go. If you’re just looking for sufficient skills to get you through your next visit to Seoul, go for their Survival Korean class. Alternatively, those looking to pass the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK) Basic can build their foundations with Korean 1.
Address: 500 Dover Road Singapore 139651
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 8AM-5.30PM
Telephone: 6775 1133
Most of us would prefer to go to classes near where we live. And with Korean classes held at neighbourhood community centres like Boon Lay, Tampines, and Bishan, we can easily pop by the one nearest to our house without any fuss.
With lessons of different difficulty levels available, you can slowly work your way up from the basics all the way to the more advanced lessons. Best of all, prices start at just $11/class, which are an absolute steal given that you’ll be following a curriculum similar to those from other classes.
Check out where these Korean classes are being held here.
You’ll find Sejong Korean Language School in two locations: Tanjong Pagar, as well as Jurong East. Unlike other language schools, they produce their textbooks in-house, which come stocked with helpful infographics and references designed to help students remember their lessons better.
These start at $20/class, which would net you a weekly 1.5-hour session for 12 weeks. Apart from just covering language skills, teachers will also delve into Korean history to ensure that their students gain a full appreciation of the language they’re studying.
Tanjong Pagar outlet
Address: 10 Anson Road, #10-25 International Plaza, Singapore 079903
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 2PM-10PM, Sat & Sun 11AM-5PM
Telephone: 8688 8803
Jurong East outlet
Address: 80 Jurong East Street 21, Devan Nair Institute for Employment and Employability (E2i), Singapore 609607
Telephone: 8688 8803
One of the things to consider while picking a class is the teacher-student ratio. The smaller it is, the better we learn – and with a tiny class size of 7 students, courses by Hana Korean are more personalised.
Lessons are run in a “tutorial” style, where students are seated around a table instead of facing the whiteboard. You’ll find their learning centre nestled in the middle of Somerset and Dhoby Ghaut. Prices start from $25/class, and you’ll get 12 2-hour sessions in total.
Address: 20 Kramat Lane #05-05, United House Singapore 228773
Opening hours: 10AM-7PM, Daily
Telephone: 6589 8674
Residents from the North-West region can easily swing by Onlyou Korean Language School, which is situated a stone’s throw from Beauty World MRT. Each class will have at most 9 students, which provides a conducive environment for both the student and the teacher.
Group lessons cost $30 each, where you’ll get a package of 8 classes per level. Should you want a private one-to-one lesson, you can opt for those starting from $50/hour.
Address: 170 Upper Bukit Timah Road, Bukit Timah Shopping Centre #05-06/07 Singapore 588179
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 2PM-9PM, Sat & Sun 10AM-5.30PM
Telephone: 6957 6548
When we learn a language, we don’t just want to learn the technical stuff. Be it the food or culture, we should also make an effort to immerse ourselves in the other aspects of a country.
Exploring that is something you can do at Korea Education Centre. While you can attend a beginner’s Korean course for $30/class, their other courses also focus on food and culture, costing $35 for a single 2-hour session.
Address: 35 Rochester Drive #02-16, The Rochester Mall, Singapore 138639
Telephone: 8523 2152
While we may only learn two languages while in school, picking up another language is a valuable skill to have. Not only are your days of waiting for English translations over, you might also open other doors for yourself.
You might be made fun of for learning Korean content now, but stick to it, and you might just net yourself a job – and who knows, perhaps even a Korean oppa on the side.
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Cover image adapted from: @sejongkorean
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