Modern Korean breaks new ground in the field of Korean studies by providing students with a skillfully constructed text for intermediate-level Korean-language study. The text emphasizes the development of reading proficiency, but its exercises, which employ a communicative approach emphasizing student-student and student-teacher interactions in real-life scenarios, reinforce skills learned through conversation practice.<BR>Its twenty-four lessons are divided into two groups of twelve lessons each. A single lesson consists of a main text, written in expository or descriptive prose that often incorporates a conversational style; a dialogue; a discussion of new word usage and structural patterns; substitution and grammar drills; exercises; and a vocabulary list. Lessons in the second half of the book introduce Chinese characters. Along with improving their language skills, students will gain from this volume the means to better understand Korean society and culture. Among the text topics covered are Korean history, geography, holidays, literature, customs, and people.<BR>Used either for classroom instruction or for self-study, Modern Korean guides the student through a critical transition in the learning process, from the ability to carry on a conversation to the acquistion of intermediate skills needed to read the written language.