As we move further into the year 2011, many people are making a New Year’s resolution to learn Korean. One great way to enhance your listening skills is to watch Korean drama (드라마). A drama is a television series that usually runs for twenty episodes. Here is a list of some dramas of 2010 that span various genres.

Chuno (추노) is a type of historical and period drama. The drama is about the life of slaves and the grueling treatment that they receive from their masters. I would caution beginner learners of Korean because some of the dialogue in the drama is not the type of language spoken in modern day Korea. However, this drama is great for those who want to learn Joseon era Korean.

OB/GYN Doctors (산부인과) is a medical drama that focuses on the gynecological department of a hospital. It’s a realistic portrayal of how Koreans view motherhood and babies in general. This is a drama with some medical terminology, so if you want to learn some medical vocabulary in Korean, this would be a good one to watch.

Runaway: Plan B (도망자: Plan B) is an action and comedy tv series. It also stars Rain (비), so that may be already an incentive for you to watch. This drama takes place in several countries, so you hear a bit of Chinese, Japanese and English. However, the drama is mostly in Korean, so it’s still helpful in learning Korean. I would say this drama is helpful for intermediate to advanced learners of Korean.

Prosecutor Princess (검사프린세스) is a romance drama that focuses on a young woman who is a prosecutor. She is no ordinary prosecutor because she has a sense of justice while being interested in fashion. This drama takes place in the legal world, so there is some legal terminology used. If you want to learn some legal courtroom phrases, this would be a good one to watch.

God of Study (공부의신) is a drama targeted for teenagers and their parents. The plot of the story revolves around several students who work hard and raise their grades under the guidance of a devoted teacher. There’s some slang used in this drama, so if you want to listen to how Korean kids talk, then I would recommend this drama.

Remember, that not all of the dramas listed here are necessarily fun to watch. If you can get past some of the storylines and the occasional boredom, watching Korean dramas can be a great way to learn the intonation, pausing and phrasing of words, not to mention it’ll increase your vocabulary.