1. In recent years interest in Korea has been growing steadily in many parts of the world. The people who come to Korea study Korean in order to do their graduate work or advanced research in Korean or Asian studies. Moreover, more Korean programs hav...
1. In recent years interest in Korea has been growing steadily in many parts of the world. The people who come to Korea study Korean in order to do their graduate work or advanced research in Korean or Asian studies. Moreover, more Korean programs have been offered abroad. This paper intends to give some preliminary suggestions for the improvement to teaching Korean as a foreign language (Hereafter abbreviated K.F.L.).
2. Teaching of K.F.L. can be defined as instructing foreigners how to learn Korean. But this can also include teaching Korean to Koreans born abroad.
3. K.F.L. had been studied and taught in China as well as in Japan from ancient times until 1910. Since the last decade of the 19th century, especially the Japanese were studying and teaching Korean. Korean was also studied and learned by the Christian missionaries from the same time on.
4. The first teaching of K.F.L. (after 1945) was undertaken by Seoul National University in 1958. This program was stopped after one year. The brief history of Korean programs in Korea is as follows:
1959: Established Korean Language Institute, Yonsei University for the Christian missionaries and foreign service officers.
1962: Offered the Korean Program at Seoul National University for Korean students born in Japan. It was reorganized as an independent institute in 1970.
1964: Established Myoˇngdo Institute for Catholic missionaries.
1966: Offered the Korean Program for Peace Corps volunteers.
1969: Offered the Korean Program at the Language Research Institute, Seoul National University for foreign students.
1972: Offered the Korean Program at the Language Training Research Center for foreigners who are unable to attend the other institute programs.
Korean lessons are given in the extension program of the University of Maryland, 8th Army. A department of K.F.L. was established in Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in the spring of this year. This program prepares teachers of K.F.L. abroad. The activities of Korean Programs overseas are as follows:
Korean Programs in the United States have been offered in eleven universities and two special institutes. Many textbooks and dictionaries have been published in that country. In Europe Korean Programs have been offered in recent years, for example, in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Holland, Sweden, and Italy. In Asian countries Korean Programs have been offered in Taiwan, Japan, and Malaysia. There are departments of Korean Language and Literature at two Taiwanese universities.
5. The teaching of K.F.L. raises many difficult problems because it is still undeveloped. These problems can be found in both the teaching of Korean to foreign students studying in Korea as well as in propagating Korean abroad. The most important points in teaching of Korean are as follows:
(1) Improvement of school facilities and curriculum for training foreign students in Korea.
(2) Compilation of textbooks and dictionaries suitable to foreign students in Korea as well as for language instruction abroad.
(3) Adaptation of teaching methods to Korean needs and analysis of Korean in contrast with the native tongues of the foreign students.
(4) Training of teachers for propagating Korean abroad. This problem can be partly sloved by giving certificates to foreigners who have passed the Korean Proficiency Test.
(5) Organization of an association for the teaching of K.F.L. and publication of journal.
6. According to answers on the basis of a Questionnaire for Foreign Students Studying in Korea, most foreigners think their insight and knowledge about Korea can be widened through learning Korean. Moreover, they hope to continue to study Korean after leaving Korea and attend occasional seminars for learning Korean. On the other hand, they say, the most important point which hinders them to learn Korean is the use of their native language (e.g. English) by Koreans.
In conclusion, it seems that it is most desirable to further encourage the foreigners' positive attitude toward learning Korean and to foster among Koreans a better understanding of the foreigners' need to learn Korean.