KHU-NUS Korean Language Immersion Programme 2018 Reflection Loh Hiok Huang Clara

In June 2018, I embarked on a three-week long Korean language and cultural immersion

programme in Kyung Hee University (KHU) in Seoul, South Korea. The programme was organised in partnership with the Korean Language programme at the National University of Singapore. On weekdays, I attended three hour long Korean language classes which were scheduled in the mornings. In addition to classes, cultural immersion activities such as a session on Korean music and cooking classes were organised on some afternoons. Field trips to the Icheon Ceramics Village, Korean Traditional Folk Village and Everland theme park were also scheduled on two Thursdays. I was glad to forge a friendship with a Korean buddy whom I grew close to through the course of the programme. Nearing the end of the programme, I was able to participate in a short two day, one night homestay with a local family. On the last day, my classmates and I formed teams and gave short presentations in Korean on our observations of the differences between Korea and our home country, Singapore.

The Korean language classes were very well planned out. There were targeted speaking, listening and writing modules supported with textbooks and worksheets prepared by the teachers. The content taught in the classes were relatable and applicable during my stay in Korea. Being able to immediately apply the sentence structures and vocabulary learnt in class in my daily conversations increased my fluency and general interest in learning the language. Having patient and understanding teachers who kindly corrected my speech increased my confidence to carry out conversations in Korean. During lessons, teachers shared interesting snippets of their lives from time to time which helped a lot in remembering most of the vocabulary and grammar structures taught in class. As the program progressed, I felt that I was able to better understand and engage in casual conversations with the locals. Nearing the end of the programme, I felt a greater drive to improve my proficiency in the Korean language.

Being an avid food lover as well as a cooking hobbyist, I enjoyed the cooking classes which were held in KHU’s Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism. Food is a gateway to understanding a culture and its identity and the cooking classes during the programme definitely served that purpose. In the first cooking class, we were taught to make Hwajeon, a traditional dessert pancake, and Omija Punch, a traditional Korean drink made by soaking Omija berries which gave off five flavours of sweetness, bitterness, saltiness, sourness and spiciness all at once. In the second cooking class, we were taught to make Japchae, a savoury glass noodle dish, and Misugaru latte, a roasted soybean powder drink that is said to be widely consumed in the summer. What made the cooking classes fun were the well-planned easy to follow recipes as well as the guidance of the cooking class teachers. Clear explanations of the dishes and their brief histories were explained at the start of every class. In addition, being able to cook and devour the end products with my classmates made it all the more enjoyable.

I fondly remember looking forward most to the field trips held on the Thursdays of first and second week of the programme. On the field trips, my classmates and I were given task sheets with fun missions to complete which ensured that we gained full exposure to the place that we were visiting. The first field trip encompassed a ceramics building experience at the Icheon ceramics village and a trip to the Korean folk village. In the Icheon ceramics village, my classmates and I were welcomed to a ceramics studio where we were introduced to the various types of Korean ceramic making methods and ceramic wares. Thereafter, we tried our hands at decorating our own porcelain mugs and hand building ceramic wares using the coiling method. Some of us who completed our hand built wares earlier even had a chance to throw a bowl at the pottery wheel! For lunch, my classmates and I were treated to a delicious spread of food at an Icheon Salbap restaurant as in addition to ceramics, Icheon is also famous for its rice production. Visiting the Korean Folk Village in the afternoon allowed us to get a glimpse of how life in Korea was in the late Joseon period. My classmates and I observed a tightrope performance to the percussions of nongak, farmer’s music, and performances on horseback. The second field trip was a fun filled one at the Everland theme park. Though many of us had visited theme parks such as Universal Studios in Singapore, the Everland theme park was uniquely Korean. I especially remember how safety instructions for one of the rides were delivered in a rap! Of course, riding the famous hair raising T-express roller coaster was one not to be missed.

At the start of the programme, I was assigned a Korean buddy who is a student at Kyung Hee University to aid in my Korean language study and to help me to adapt to life in Korea. Having a buddy to have casual conversations with outside of the classroom environment aided me the most in language acquisition. My buddy and I enjoyed a Korean barbeque meal at a restaurant she recommended near school and even visited Lotte Tower together. Through my buddy as well as the buddies of my classmates whom I got to interact with, my classmates and I were able to have a glimpse into the similarities of university life in KHU as compared to our own.

A highlight of the programme for me would be the homestay experience. Two of my classmates and I were hosted by a very kind retiree couple in their apartment in the Jamsilnaru area. As it was the state election period, our host uncle brought us to the election polling center and we briefly discussed the differences between Korean and Singaporean political systems and election procedures. Most of our time spent during the homestay was having our host uncle take us on long walks with around his neighbourhood to the Olympic Park, Jamsil Hangang River Park, Lotte World and Seokchon Lake. During our walks, our host uncle enthusiastically shared his knowledge on the histories of the areas. At the Olympic park, we visited the Seoul Baekje Museum, which housed some of Seoul’s historical artefacts, the Olympic Park indoor swimming pool and of course took a photo at the famed lone tree. We sampled wild raspberries, identified crops of fruit and vegetables and were taught how construction of the dam accommodates the migratory reproduction cycles of fishes at the Jamsil Hangang river park. We

also engaged in precious conversations where our host would share his career and travel experiences as well as offer little life advices. After our walks, we returned home to a warm home cooked meal prepared. Our hosts made sure that we ate till we were very full, true to the Korean Jeong culture. Looking back, it is amazing how much knowledge I gained in the short span of the homestay! If I were to offer advice to anyone visiting Korea or any country, a homestay is a must to immerse fully in a culture and attempt to gain understanding of it.

On the last day, my classmates and I showcased our group presentations in Korean. The school prepared a short ceremony where we received our certificates of completion marking the end of our stint with KHU. Being able to present in Korean with the help of our teachers gave us all a sense of achievement.

In all, I would strongly recommend participating in this summer immersion programme to future Korean language students. Not only does one gain exposure to a Korean-speaking environment, one is truly able to be immersed in a culturally and historically rich environment where knowledge gained is only self limited. I must say that my Korean language has definitely improved in speaking, writing and listening much more than I would have if I had not embarked on the programme. In my opinion, the programme has succeeded in its objectives and has increased my yearn to perfect the Korean language and understand the history and culture of Korea.