This book is for Korean language learners who want to improve their proficiency while learning about Korean culture. Reading the folktales in this book, students will gain a deeper understanding of Korean culture and improve their communication skills in the language. This accessible book is suitable for a range of levels, from beginners to more advanced learners.

The book is organized into three sections according to language proficiency levels. The stories in each level contain level-appropriate vocabulary, expressions, grammar, and sentence types. It also provides a sequence of readings and activities that progressively increase in difficulty, enabling students to practice grammar structures and learn new ones.

The beginning-level section includes short traditional stories that introduce basic vocabulary and grammatical expressions. The stories in the intermediate-level section are relatively longer than those in the beginning level, utilizing complex sentences. The advanced-level section contains narratively complex stories that are much longer than the beginning and intermediate-level stories. They are written in a more formal, descriptive style using expressive vocabulary and highly complex grammatical expressions. These tales are based on historical novels or pansori.

This book may be used as a reading text for self-studying learners, or as a supplementary text for Korean language classes of all levels. Containing a full list of vocabulary and expressions in addition to the translations of each story, the book permits students to fully understand the content of each folktale. The book has accompanying on-line audio-visual materials.

Kim Mimi Mijeong

Teaching Professor of Korean, Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures, Washington University in St. Louis)

Lee-Smith Angela

Senior Lector II of Korean, Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures, Yale University