KF뉴스레터-Outlook for Korean Language Education in the U.S.

Outlook for Korean Language Education in the U.S.

The annual conference of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), held in San Diego, California in 2009, proved to be a source of inspiration for me. Along with a record number of Korean teacher participants, there was also a booth for the Korean Language Teachers Association of American Schools, which reflected the steady growth of Korean language instruction in the U.S.

Second Chapter of My Life
After my children entered high school, I suddenly thought about my future without any children to take care of. Thinking it necessary to make preparations for my later years so that I might not place a burden on my children, I belatedly decided to become a teacher. Of course, I would teach art, based on my college major. Looking back, I cannot at all remember what made me prepare for a Korean proficiency test in the middle of working on my teacher’s certification.
Thanks to a Korean language teacher, whose name I do not remember, I was inspired by his passionate explanation about the excellence and beauty of Korean. I also thought I might resume writing, which I had undertaken earlier. However, I did not dream about teaching Korean even after I received my certificate for teaching Korean as well as art. Sometime after obtaining my teacher certification, I learned that a nearby school was looking for a Korean language teacher. I agreed to work as a teacher of Korean based on an understanding that I would be able to teach art after awhile.
However, there were various problems with the Korean class. For example, there were no textbooks for the students for the first three months. As a new teacher, I was quite at a loss since there were no teaching methods, instruction plans, or supplemental materials, except for the textbooks and accompanying workbooks. Before the arrival of textbooks, I thought I would be able to teach the students effectively enough, if only I could endure certain difficulty. There was an increasing burden on me to maintain the interest of the students, despite such challenges, and to provide them with adequate instruction. Whenever I came across a newspaper article that mentioned “Korean,” I read it carefully. And one day, after reading an article about a meeting of Korean language teachers, I went to the gathering although I did not know any of these people.

Korean Language Teachers
I have been inspired and encouraged by occasional meetings with the teachers of Korean ever since this time. Such gatherings made me decide to remain a teacher of Korean, rather than switching to art, and to think of the difficulties related to the teaching of Korean as being steppingstones, rather than obstacles. I have also learned about and admired the hard work of many teachers of Korean. I was able to attend the 2006 ACTFL annual conference, held in Memphis, thanks to my participation in such meetings with Korean teachers and support from the Foundation for Korean Language and Culture in the U.S. By spending three to four days together during a conference, we are able to broaden our relationships and to also become colleagues and friends. The positive impression from my first conference experience made me look forward to November of each year.
Five Korean teachers participated in the conference in 2007, and 11 in 2008. It was most regretful that more teachers could not attend the conference because of the expense. In 2009, however, 22 teachers were able to gather at the conference thanks to support from the Korea Foundation. Many teachers were informed of a grant program to assist with the cost of their participation, which in turn triggered additional support from several schools, thereby enabling a larger number of teachers to attend this year’s conference. In addition, a booth set up as part of the conference exhibition, with support from the Korea Foundation, served as a gathering place for the Korean teachers. I was indeed gratified to see so many Korean teachers attending a luncheon for the Korean Language Teachers Association of American Schools. And the teachers invariably expressed their desire to take part in next year’s conference as well.

Continuous Learning Experience
For myself, and the other teachers of Korean, this annual conference is an occasion to learn more about Korean language education and to evaluate ourselves in comparison to others, give encouragement, boost our confidence, and define ives for further development. It would be so wonderful if more teachers of Korean could attend this kind of conference, without having to worry about the related expenses, because these gatherings are invaluable as an opportunity to interact with each other on a professional and personal level. Over time, as more teachers of Korean are able to participate and benefit from this kind of learning and cooperative experience, the groundwork will be laid for the next generation of Korean teachers. On behalf of the teachers of Korean in the U.S., I would like to express our sincere appreciation to the Korea Foundation for its generous assistance.

한국국제교류재단

Outlook for Korean Language Education in the U.S.

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Outlook for Korean Language Education in the U.S.

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