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Visited 2 days ago
Ruth Ko (김명수)
Professional TeacherTeaches
Korean
Native
Speaks
English
Italian
Bengali
Other
Experienced more than 8 years, Specially in absolute beginners, TOPIK students & graduate students..
Teaches
Korean
Native
Speaks
English
Italian
Bengali
Other
Experienced more than 8 years, Specially in absolute beginners, TOPIK students & graduate students..
About Me
Me as a Teacher
My lessons & teaching style
Resume & Certificates
From Republic of KoreaLiving in Seoul, Republic of Korea (09:42 UTC+09:00)
About Me
italki teacher since Apr 23, 2017InterestsFilms & TV SeriesReadingHistoryFoodWriting
Hi, I’m Ruth—a Korean teacher specializing in **absolute beginners, TOPIK prep, and graduate students**. With **8+ years on Italki** and a doctoral degree in Korean education, I help learners move from "안녕" to deep, confident conversations.
Having lived in Nigeria, Italy, and Bangladesh, I understand the struggles of learning a new language. My lessons focus on **real-world skills**: listening first, then cultural fluency, so you can do more than just greet—you can *connect*.
Let’s tailor your journey, whether it’s mastering Hangul, acing TOPIK, or discussing Korean short stories. I’ll make sure every step feels achievable.Me as a Teacher
Before teaching Korean I taught English to Korean teenagers over 10 years in Seoul. I'm a TESOL-qualified teacher.
Just before coming to Milan, I got a degree and a certificate in teaching Korean to foreigners. In Milan, I taught Korean at Universita Della Terza eta. My first students were beginners without knowing even the Korean alphabet. Most of all they were busy and could spend only one hour a week. After 4 times they could read and talk in Korean.
On returning to Korea, I started to teach Korean at Yongsan Library. During my doctoral course, I taught a graduate student preparing TOPIK. She achieved a high score. At present, I teach
Korean in Bangladesh.My lessons & teaching style
My lesson is tailor-made to students' needs. Some students have their own material, and some want to prepare for an examination, or just talk in Korean. In the trial lesson, students and I talk about her/his interests, purpose, learning style, etc. Through it, we decide what class, what material, and what method will be used.
If students have no idea how to start Korean, I recommend my Basic Class style. Each lesson has a very useful dialogue some vocabulary, 1-2 grammar rules, and practice. Before the lesson, I send some pages and audio files. During the lesson, we take role-play according to the student's level.My teaching material
- PDF file
- Text Documents
- Presentation slides/PPT
- Audio files
- Image files
- Video files
- Flashcards
- Articles and news
- Quizzes
- Test templates and examples
- Homework Assignments
Certificates
Certificate of Korean Language Teacher - Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Republic of Korea - 2015
Certificate verified
TESOL - California State University - 2012
Certificate verified
Teaching experience
2024 - 2025
Korean Language teacherI taught Korean to foreign students of Korean level 3, who want to study Korean University.
2024 - 2025
Korean Language teacherI taught Korean to foreign students of Korean level 3, who want to study in Korean University.
2023 - 2024
LecturerI taught Korean to Bangladesh Students in English as liberal arts.
2024 - 2024
InstructorI taught Korean to Bangladesh people who passed EPS test and were going to work to Korea.
2022 - 2023
volunteer teacherI helped a 2 grade Korean student who seldom talked in school. I interpreted English to Korean in her English, math, science, and social studies. Sometimes I mediated the conflict between the student and the teacher and other students.
Education
2019 - 2022
Doctorate - Multicultural StudiesI studied the skill of teaching the Korean language and culture to foreigners, the attitude of Koreans to get along with foreigners, and the law for Korean immigrants. Besides I studied Korean culture and history, and Asian countries' culture.
1991 - 1995
Bachelor’s - English Language and Literature
2012 - 2014
Bachelor’s - Teaching Korean for foreigners
Work Experience
2016 - 2017
Korean teacherI taught some italian adults korean alphabet, simple grammar, practical expressions, and some korean culture.
2017 - 2018
Korean TutorI taught some italians who were interested in Koean with textbooks, story books, and talking in Korean
2017 - Current
Professional Korean teacher
2019 - 2020
Korean TeacherSince March in 2019, I 've been teaching Korean to foreigners at Yongsan Library every Saturday. The students are very beginners, so I teach them Korean Alphabet and simple expressions.
2019 - 2019
instructorFrom Aug. 31 to Dec. 21 in 2019, I worked as a co-teacher to introduce a foreign country's culture and its world heritage at some elementary schools.
5.0
Rating
115
Students
797
Lessons
100%
Attendance rate
98%
Response rate
Korean Lessons
Trial Lesson
61 lessons completed
USD 10.00+
Korean Alphabet & Pronunciation
A1Language Essentials110 lessons completed
USD 10.00+
Package with 4% off
Basic Korean
A1 - B2Language Essentials520 lessons completed
USD 10.00+
Package with 4% off
Short Stories in Korean
B1 - C2Language Essentials42 lessons completed
USD 10.00+
Package with 4% off
K-pop Demon Hunters
A1 - C2Conversation0 lessons completed
USD 10.00+
Availability
Based on your timezone (UTC+00:00)
144 Reviews
Francesca
1 Korean lesson
Teacher’s pick
I had so much fun! The lesson was tailored to my needs and interests, and very entertaining.
I can't wait for the next one!
Aug 11, 2022
Tia
1 Korean lesson
First time booking with my teacher, and prior to our very first lesson she sent me some files so I can prepare for the class.
It was so useful!! so simple to do but nobody I met on the platform did this before, I love that process. so efficient.
During the class today, she demonstrates a lot empathy and makes an effort to ensure I understand the content of the text.
Also, I had the opportunity to read for the first time with her, and I really appreciated the pronunciation corrections.
Thank you and have a wonderful weekend, teacher!
Aug 2, 2024
Rachel
11 Korean lessons
Excellent class again and our hour always passes extremely fast:) I love that our lessons are mostly in Korean cause it really helps in practicing listening and understanding!
Dec 29, 2020
Susan Bilodeau
1 Korean lesson
Ruth Ko was very patient and understanding. I will be very happy to continue with her as a tutor.
Jun 26, 2025
usrobertssummer
10 Korean lessons
My first lesson with Ruth was great! She introduced me to new vocabulary in a step-by-step way and she was patient and encouraging throughout the lesson. Thanks, Ruth!
Mar 29, 2024
Rachel
11 Korean lessons
It’s been awhile since I’ve had a lesson but we managed to get back in the groove real fast and 선생님 is always super encouraging and willing to answer all questions:)
Dec 28, 2020
Trial Lesson
USD 10.00
Your final payment will be made in USD