KOREA FOUNDATION

Review

ASEAN Language Conversation Course 

From January 19 through 29, an eight-session long ASEAN language course was held at the ACH with a focus on conversation. The conversation class was a special program of the “ASEAN Language Course,” which the ACH has conducted for the past three years, and offered just ahead of the regular language program that is to start in March. 

   The conversation class, which was held for the first time this year, was conducted for those who completed the 2019 languages programs in Thai and Vietnamese. To prevent the spread of COVID-19, all classes were held online. Despite the difficulties presented by social distancing, instructors and students all tried to make the best of real-time online classes and communicated frequently with one another. Students were especially enthusiastic about this opportunity, with many expressing satisfaction about the progress made in their ASEAN language skills. After the first conversation class, one student said that she appreciated the opportunity to learn an ASEAN language as it is spoken “in real life” in a fun way. 

   Following the success of this conversation course, the ACH will be re-designing its language program so that conversation courses will be offered in the winter and summer, while the regular language courses will be offered in the spring and fall. Based on the positive feedback from current students, the ACH is planning to include conversation courses not only for Thai and Vietnamese but also for the other ASEAN languages that are covered in the regular language program. 

   If the COVID-19 situation in Korea sufficiently improves, this summer’s conversation courses will hopefully take place offline. The ACH welcomes all those who are interested in learning ASEAN languages, which is essential for the greater task of gaining a better understanding of the region’s culture.