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Korean Politeness Levels

Ninth graders learn Korean speech levels — 반말 (banmal, casual, with close friends) and 존댓말 (jondaemmal, polite, with elders and strangers). The same idea sounds very different in each. Choosing the right level is at the heart of Korean manners (예의).

Grade 9Politeness Levels50 minutes1 class periodACTFL / World LanguagesExplicit teaching4 StandardsACTFL
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Tell casual from polite.
  • ✓Learn 반말 & 존댓말.
  • ✓Sort speech by level.
  • ✓Choose the right one.
Essential Question

Same message, different respect: when do you use casual vs polite Korean?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Sort It · Interactive

Casual or Polite?

Project this and sort each phrase into 반말 (casual) or 존댓말 (polite).

🗣️ Sort each — casual (반말) or polite (존댓말)?Try it
😎 Casual — 반말
🙇 Polite — 존댓말
Tap a phrase, then tap a box.
The Lesson · Language Flow (Warm-Up · Present · Practice · Speak · Reflect)

50 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Warm-Up — Same Words, Different Respect

6 min

When do you use casual vs polite Korean?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Say “annyeong” then “annyeonghaseyo.”
  • Ask who each is for.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Listen.
  • Wonder.
  • Get ready.
2

Present — Politeness Levels

12 min

Students learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Casual or Polite?
  • Note banmal vs jondaemmal.
  • Note the ‑yo / ‑mnida endings.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Sort.
  • Note it.
  • Note it.
3

Practice — Practice

13 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Make “gomawo” polite.
  • Make “mwo haseyo” casual.
  • Pick a level for a teacher.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Change.
  • Change.
  • Pick.
4

Speak — Speak

13 min

Students speak.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Greet a friend (banmal).
  • Greet an elder (jondaemmal).
  • Ask a partner both ways.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Greet.
  • Greet.
  • Ask.
5

Reflect — Reflect

6 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name the two levels.
  • Say when to use polite.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name them.
  • Say it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the ACTFL World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages (Intermediate-Low).

ACTFL
Cultures 2.1

Explore respect & manners in speech.

ACTFL
Communication 1.1

Interpersonal: choose register.

ACTFL
Comparisons 4.2

Compare politeness systems.

ACTFL
Communication 1.3

Presentational: adjust formality.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Phrase pairs (casual/polite).
  • Who-to-use-it-with chart.
  • Model both aloud.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with annyeong / annyeonghaseyo.
  • Sort one at a time.
  • Use pictures of people.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Add 하십시오 formal.
  • Rewrite a text two ways.
  • Discuss age & status.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 🗣️Phrase cards (2 levels)
  • 💻Casual or Polite?
  • 👥“Who to use it with” chart
  • ✏️Notebooks
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

높임말 (nopimmal)honorific speech반말 (banmal)casual speech존댓말 (jondaemmal)polite speech~요 (yo)polite ending~니다 (nida)formal ending감사합니다thank you (formal)고마워thanks (casual)예의 (yeui)manners / courtesy
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What is casual Korean speech called?
반말 (banmal).
QUESTION 2
What is polite Korean speech called?
존댓말 (jondaemmal).
QUESTION 3
Which would you use with a teacher — banmal or jondaemmal?
Jondaemmal (polite).

Reflect: politeness levels.

Have students write a greeting two ways in Korean — casual and polite. A printable Korean politeness sheet is in the World Languages library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Korean Politeness LevelsFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Korean Politeness LevelsQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Korean Politeness LevelsPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: ~니다 (nida), ~요 (yo), 감사합니다, 고마워, 높임말 (nopimmal), 반말 (banmal), 예의 (yeui), 존댓말 (jondaemmal)
  1. manners / courtesy
  2. thank you (formal)
  3. honorific speech
  4. polite ending
  5. polite speech
  6. thanks (casual)
  7. casual speech
  8. formal ending

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What is casual Korean speech called?
  2. What is polite Korean speech called?
  3. Which would you use with a teacher — banmal or jondaemmal?
Answer key — Part A: 1) 예의 (yeui) · 2) 감사합니다 · 3) 높임말 (nopimmal) · 4) ~요 (yo) · 5) 존댓말 (jondaemmal) · 6) 고마워 · 7) 반말 (banmal) · 8) ~니다 (nida)
Part B: 1) 반말 (banmal). 2) 존댓말 (jondaemmal). 3) Jondaemmal (polite).