KOREA FOUNDATION

KF Korean Language Education Internship

I have been participating in the KF Korean Language Education internship at the University of Tübingen in Germany, since last April. The internship provides hands-on experience in teaching the Korean language in overseas institutions under the guidance of qualified instructors. At Tübingen’s Department of Korean Studies, over 320 students are studying the subject for bachelor’s or master’s degrees or as a minor subject.
  During the summer, I made grade reports, interviewed students, prepared for the winter semester, developed supplemental educational materials, and participated in the Academy of Korean Studies (AKS)’s Core University Program for Korean Studies Directors’ Meeting.
  To make grade reports, I marked exam papers and informed the students of their grades. During two rounds of interview evaluations, I corrected students’ mistakes and showed them how they could improve in learning the Korean language.
  The preparation for the winter semester began by reviewing the students’ feedback about the previous semester’s classes. After confirming what needs to be covered in the coming semester and discussing where the classes should be headed, I submitted a teaching plan.
  In the winter semester, I will teach four subjects—Basis I and Basis III, which will be focused on grammar; Tutorium I, which offers reading and writing lessons; and Aktiv III, which trains listening and speaking skills. I feel a little pressure, as I have more classes than the last time and will be teaching new subjects, but I have thoroughly prepared using educational resources.
  I have been working on developing supplemental teaching materials since the end of the last semester, with a special emphasis on securing materials for the Aktiv III class to boost the students’ listening abilities. I referenced questions from previous TOPIK I tests and textbooks used at other universities to guide my preparations, and I was able to learn a lot through useful feedback from other teachers.
  The AKS Directors’ Meeting, held at Tübingen’s Department of Korean Studies on August 8–11, was a significant opportunity to meet world-renowned scholars in the field. I found it particularly meaningful to hear from them about major issues and goals of Korean Studies Departments at foreign universities.
  The past semester was a memorable opportunity for me to actually see and take part in Korean language education in foreign classrooms. My internship will come to an end in February next year, and I will do my best until then by making the most of what I saw, heard, and felt during the past six months.

•   University of Tübingen, Germany
•   Shin Sunhae