—At the Forefront of Internationalization at Yonsei
Yonsei’s Korean Language Institute (KLI) was established in 1959 as the first educational institute to offer comprehensive Korean language courses for foreigners. From its modest beginning, with fifty-six students, today the KLI enrolls around 2,700 students each term. On its fiftieth anniversary in 2009, the KLI unveiled its “Korean Language Institute Vision 50/50,” the mission of which is to reinvent itself not only as an educational institution, but also as a center of Korean culture and research. This year marks the KLI’s fifty-fifth anniversary; reflective of its enduring status as the preeminent Korean language institute, KLI is at the forefront Korean-language pedagogy, continually developing and revising textbooks, teaching methods, and curricula.
KLI Programs
The KLI offers a number of different programs, each of which is tailored to the needs of its diverse student body. The Regular Program is an intensive program for non-native speakers, while the University Korean Program is designed for students studying at Korean universities or planning to take academic courses at a Korean University. For professionals who cannot participate in the Regular Program due to their daytime work, there is the Evening Program; the Requested Program is organized for members of foreign organizations who request a specialized course. The Three-Week Program is intended for those seeking a short-term, intensive Korean experience, and the Summer Special Program welcomes students who want to take advantage of the summer vacation to learn Korean and study the culture. In 2010, the KLI opened a new branch at the Yonsei International Campus (YIC) in Songdo, where it offers the University Korean Program for students. While the YIC KLI began with only a few dozen students, today there are around 230 enrolled in the program.
In addition to these programs, which are designed to meet the specific needs of different types of students, the KLI publishes a number of textbooks for all its levels. These include: Yonsei Korean, Yonsei Korean Reading, Yonsei Korean Workbook, Korean Speaking for University Life, Academic Korean Speaking, Korean in 100 Hours, Korean Grammar Practice for Foreigners, Korean Vocabulary Practice for Foreigners, and Business Korean.
At the same time, all KLI instructors actively engage in research on foreign language acquisition and teaching methods. Their research plays a major role in the continuing development of teaching materials and techniques, and it is a key reason that the KLI continues to maintain its place as the top Korean-language institute.
Future Vision
According to Rhee Seok-chae, director of the Institute of Language Research and Education: “Currently, foreign students come to Yonsei to study the Korean language, but I would like to see the Korean language go out and meet students, rather than waiting for them to come here. Therefore, we are carrying out our plan to visit foreign universities and cooperate with them in locating overseas demand and planning smart and effective online courses.” This endeavor to establish cooperative relationships with overseas institutions is thus intended to expand the scope and influence of the KLI. In particular, the KLI has been sending Korean instructors to Shandong University and Sichuan Normal University in China to enhance Korean language education in that country, while recruiting participants for the KLI’s writing contest. The KLI is also preparing a project in Vietnam that will reform and enhance Korean language teaching there.
The KLI’s remarkable growth and evolution the past fifty-five years has resulted in a number of invaluable contributions to the internationalization of Yonsei University. Because of its massive role in disseminating Korean language and culture throughout the world, Yonsei is justifiably proud of the KLI’s status as the top Korean language institute in the world.