If you are looking to improve your Korean and haven’t heard of Eggbun yet you need to download the app now!
As someone who’s tried so many different ways to learn Korean- watching Youtube videos, completing workbooks, listening to podcasts, etc- I’ve found that Eggbun is the answer, and in my opinion the best app for learning Korean.
Right off the bat, Eggbun is a beautifully designed interface. The app is simple to use and easy to navigate through lessons and readings. With over 550 lessons, Eggbun’s teaching methods are set up as in a chat format where you converse with “Lanny”.
The lessons are short and range from learning the simple alphabet Hangeul (νκΈ), to classroom vocabulary, self-introductions, grammar patterns, and advanced conversations. I’ve found that this format is the most effective in keeping me engaged and interested in completing each lesson. All lessons have sub-lessons, vocab lists, and quizzes to guide you along.
So who is Lanny?
Lanny is a cute little automated tutor who teaches you Korean through interactive lesson plans. (You can also chat with Lanny outside the app through Facebook Messenger here.) But, with any automated tutor, there are learning restrictions. Since Lanny is a pre-programmed tutor, you are unable to ask specific questions or control what you are learning within each lesson. You do have the option to retake lessons to review, but when doing so you are following the same pre-programmed lesson plan each time.
Eggbun also offers a Korean culture section with an abundance of information from teaching popular phrases in K-dramas, to Korean slangs, to K-pop lyrics, etc. You can get a strong understanding of Korean culture 101 just by scrolling through a few of these culture cards!
My overall honest thoughts:
What makes Eggbun the best app for learning Korean:
- Audio and pronunciations. The app offers audio recordings for the words and phrases for the user to familiarize themself with different pronunciations and their nuances.
- Typing and the Korean keyboard. Eggbun taught me not only how to type in Korean but also provided a lot of practice using the Korean keyboard on the iPhone (which makes texting friends on KakaoTalk a lot easier!)
- Currently, Eggbun offers two other apps for learning Japanese and Chinese. Each of their apps operates the same way with the same signature lessons in each language with the same organized design.
What I do not like about Eggbun:
- Eggbun is advertised as free…up to a certain point. The free version includes most of the app’s features, but the Premium option unlocks more lessons, word quizzes, and access to ebooks.
- Lessons are pre-planned out. You can’t really control what you are learning within each lesson and you cannot decide which vocabulary is presented in each lesson or ask any clarifying questions.
- When you make errors, you simply re-type your answer until it’s correct. There are no real penalties or ways to ask questions when you answer incorrectly or are confused, which, depending on how you approach it, can encourage guessing rather than understanding.
Overall, I’m a fan of Eggbun and has kept me engaged and inspired to keep learning Korean. I was looking for the best app for learning Korean that would motivate me to continue learning and help with my conversational fluency, and working through these lessons has achieved both. I can only expect to see improvements and expansions within the app and I look forward to future additions!
