KSIF administered online training to overseas Korean language instructors

‘2020 regional King Sejong Institute workshops (non-contact)’ were held over five days from the 23rd of November, with faculty participating from 65 countries
Intensive training in Korean cultural instruction for Korean language faculty to encourage cultural education amidst the COVID-19 pandemic

▲ Kim Minseon of OME Cooking Lab gave a special lecture on Korean cuisine on day one of the <2020 regional King Sejong Institute workshops> on the 23rd of November.

▲ Kang Hyounhwa, the President of KSIF, giving her opening remarks on day one of the <2020 regional King Sejong Institute workshops>on the 23rd of November.

Korean language instructors in 65 countries around the world, including KSI faculty and KOICA Korean language instruction volunteers, participated in an online capacity-building workshop.

The King Sejong Institute Foundation (KSIF, president: Kang Hyounhwa)’s ‘2020 regional King Sejong Institute workshops (non-contact)’ were held over five days from the 23rd to the 27th of November at the King Sejong Institute’s Education Center in Seocho-dong, Seoul.
This year’s workshops were broadcast in real time to the participants in 65 different countries, using videoconferencing systems.

The ‘Regional KSI Workshops’ were important faculty training events offered by the KSIF with the aim of boosting the professionalism of Korean language educators and building cooperative regional educator networks. The overseas workshops began in 2013, and this was the first year they were held online on a non-contact basis.

This year's workshops took place over five days, two hours daily, divided into three regions according to time zone (the Americas, Asia and Oceania, and Africa, Europe, and the Middle East). 11 countries participated in the Americas workshop, while 20 participated in the Asia-Oceania workshop. 34 countries attended the Europe-Africa-Middle East workshop, along with KSI educators, KOICA Korean language volunteers, and Korean language educators from a number of other overseas institutions.

The theme of this year’s regional workshop was ‘Korean Language and Culture Hand-in-hand’, under which training Korean language educators in Korean cultural instruction would be emphasized. The KSIF had administered a survey to prospective participants in each region, and the regional workshops had been tailored to provide training in the most sought-after areas.
The Americas workshop offered lectures on K-pop and Korean traditional performances, while Korean food and Hanji paper crafts lectures were provided to the Asia-Oceania workshop. The Europe-Africa-Middle East workshop attended lectures on Hangul calligraphy and K-beauty. Other offerings included lectures on Korean language teaching methods, teaching using the textbook ‘Sejong Korean Culture’, and practical training for KSI operations staff. Best-practice presentations and discussions also were held for each workshop.

Kang Hyounhwa, the President of KSIF, commented “Drastic changes have been seen in the education environment due to COVID-19, necessitating the sharing of information among educators. The workshops are meaningful in that they will bring together Korean language educators from the world over to share their educational experiences.” She added “With international travel restrictions in place, the task of providing Korean cultural instruction often falls on the shoulders of Korean language educators; it is hoped this year's workshops will prove helpful in that aspect.”