Can you believe that there are no Korean language
classes at the United States Naval Academy? I know…me neither. But luckily, a
student-established class began its first Korean language class in fall
2010. The Academy’s Korean American
Midshipmen Association, along with generous members of the local Korean church,
made the class possible, and every Saturday the midshipmen and teachers come
together sharing Korean language and culture. The program has about 30 students,
and there are three different levels taught by three volunteer teachers. The
teachers are enormously giving and very qualified; our intermediate teacher
actually has her master’s degree in “teaching Korean as second language,” and taught
at Korea National University for five years.
This year, I was very fortunate to receive a grant
through the CLS Alumni Development Fund, which we used to help purchase
textbooks for our Korean class. We now have more resources and can progress
more in Korean language studies. Thanks, CLS!
As well as the students, the teachers are also
greatly enjoying the class.
“I was shocked when I found out the Naval Academy
does not have a Korean class,” said beginner-level instructor, Oh Sea Ah.
Professor Oh is proud and grateful that she can
share her culture and language with the eager Naval Academy midshipmen.
The classes consist of students of all backgrounds:
Korean Americans, Mexican Americans, German Americans… the list goes on and on. The reasons for why the students attend are
all different. Be it to connect with their Korean heritage and learn about
their roots, to pursue an interest sparked by a Korean friend, or to simply to learn
a new language, one message remains clear – the interest in Korea and Korean
language is growing and growing fast!
Thanks to the help of CLS, we now have more
resources to use in class, and our class is better ready to provide and serve
these impassioned students.
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