Issues in the Development of Korean Language Materials for English Speaking Beginners

The primary purpose of this paper is to lead a new direction for the development of Korean language materials especially for beginner. Under this purpose, firstly it is focused on the examination of present teaching materials, and secondly it is looking back on difficulties that we had in designing them 1) There are two types of materials for Korean language teaching; the one is that is written and published in Korea It is characterized by its well-designed conversations, readings, and cultural tips. However, for its lack of consideration for translations, it is not quite adequate as university textbook in foreign countries. The other is that written and published by foreign universities. It also has some problems because of its grammar-oriented approach. 2) For a development of new materials, there are some points that we should take into consideration. They are as follows : - Target learners and area : For whom, and in which area is it used for? - Purpose or goal: Is it for only language teaching-learning? Otherwise, does it have to end up with a historical/cultural study on Korea? - About grammar : Does it have to teach grammar directly or not? - Approach : Communication-oriented approach or grammar-oriented approach? - Method : Should it start with Korean alphabet? How to organize words? What does it teach first