A Study on the Selection of Idiomatic Expressions of Basic Colors for Korean Language Education

This study aims to establish classification criteria for Korean basic color idiomatic expressions and to select pedagogically appropriate expressions according to learner proficiency levels. Based on a survey of Korean language teachers regarding educational importance, fifty idiomatic expressions were selected and categorized into beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels according to lexical difficulty and semantic transparency. The results show that beginner-level expressions are relatively transparent and easy to infer, intermediate-level expressions mainly include semi-transparent types, and advanced-level expressions require cultural and affective understanding. The study proposes level-based instruction organized by color categories and semantic groups, contextualized presentation in discourse, and in-depth teaching of subtle semantic nuances in color terms. This research contributes to enhancing objectivity and systematicity in teaching idiomatic expressions.