[COVER STORY] Yonsei MOOCs Introduce Korean Language to the World
연세대학교 홍보팀 / news@yonsei.ac.kr
2016-05-25
Yonsei MOOCs Introduce Korean Language to the World
-Online Courses Attract Students from around the World
Yonsei has begun offering online Korean language courses through Coursera, the world’s largest Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) platform. The courses have already attracted students from around the world.
Yonsei is a leader in Korean-language education and Korean Studies. Through the online courses, students have access to fun and informative lessons as well as innovative online content; one of the MOOC’s unique contents is the Consonant and Vowel Combination Program, which aids students in improving pronunciation. Overall, these MOOCs are part of Yonsei’s ongoing commitment to sharing Korean language and culture with the world.
Professor Kang Seung-hye’s ‘First Step Korean’ was opened on February 5. Each week, between 1,200 and 1,500 new students register; thus far, more than 20,000 have enrolled in the course. Student evaluations have been overwhelmingly positive.
Largest Number of Students Hail from United States and China
Currently, students from 153 countries are enrolled in Yonsei Korean language MOOCs. The largest number of students comes from the United States (19%) and China (15%). The Open and Smart Education (OSE) Center sees this remarkable interest in the Korean language as part of the Hallyu, or Korean Wave. “Students from around the world,” said an OSE official, “are encouraged to learn the language as a means of acting on their interest in Korean culture, which has been fostered by K-Pop songs and Korean television dramas.” Many of these students have asked for additional Korean language courses and expressed interest in visiting Korea and even continuing their studies in this country.
To help meet the growing interest among international students, OSE has joined forces with Yonsei’s Korean Language Institute (KLI) to produce new lecture content, such as Korean for Beginners. The new content is scheduled to be launched in late June. At the same time, there are plans to develop new lectures and courses to meet the needs of different language learners and to prepare students for the TOPIK.
Plans to Develop New Content for Korean Studies Courses
Yonsei is a key participant in the government’s Korean Massive Open Online Course (K-MOOC) project. On April 25, Business Professor Kim Jinwoo opened the course “Experience Design,” while Economics Professor Jeong Kap-young launched “First Steps to Economy Part 1: Micro-Economy” on May 7. Currently, Yonsei offers seven K-MOOCs.
The Ministry of Education has selected Yonsei to be part of its K-MOOC Korean Studies Development Project. The first course to be offered as part of this project will be Professor Lee Doo-won’s “Korean Economic Development.” Scheduled to open by the end of this year, the course will be given in English, using a special K-MOOC English platform. The lectures will be geared towards international students in South Korea as well as interested students residing abroad.
Director of Academic Affairs Lee Ho-Geun said: “We wish to promote Yonsei globally by providing free and sophisticated online lectures. This is a wonderful opportunity for Yonsei to be known as the premium university in Korea. Also, this is a great occasion to realize an open and smart education and launch an innovative university education online.”
Information on the courses is available through the OSE MOOC webpage: mooc.yonsei.ac.kr.