Foreign Language & Cultural Education for
Teachers in Critical Language Spheres

The KSIF and HUFS Center for Critical Foreign Language Education offer critical language education to Korean language teachers
Courses taught by professors of 11 critical languages to help teachers gain a better understanding of the local languages and cultures

▲ Korean language teachers sent to the Hindi language sphere learning Hindi online

The King Sejong Institute Foundation (KSIF, president: Kang Hyounhwa) is offering critical language and culture education program to help Korean language teachers sent abroad build their capacity to provide intercultural education.

The KSIF and Hankuk University of Foreign Studies Center for Critical Foreign Language Education (HKUFS CCFLE) partnered up to help boost the competency of Korean language teachers sent abroad in intercultural education, and as their first collaborative project, they carried out pilot courses on six language (Hindi, Malay-Indonesian, Mongolian, Polish, Persian (Farsi), and Uzbek) for 19 Korean language teachers in a non-contact manner from August 26 to September 2. The program was conducted based on the memorandum of understanding concluded by the KSIF and HUFS for mutual development back in 2016.

A teacher dispatched to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia who took the course said, “I was able to learn not only the language but also their relations with Korea, culture and history, so I think it’ll be very helpful for teachers who get sent abroad. I hope for more programs like this one in the future.”

Lee San-deul, a staff at the Education Support Department who is also in charge of the program, said, “This will be a great opportunity for Korean language teachers sent abroad by the KSIF to learn more about the mother tongue of the learners and gain a deeper understanding of local culture. The partnership between the two institutions will contribute to the spread of the Korean language and culture based on an intercultural perspective.”

HKUFS CCFLE plans to continue providing education on 11 critical languages (Mongolian, Swahili, Uzbek, Farsi, Malay-Indonesian, Turkish, Thai, Brazilian Portuguese, Polish, Hungarian, and Hindi) and related cultures to Korean language teachers sent to critical language spheres by the KSIF.