Increased Demand for Korean Language Courses Leads to Two New Summer 2023 Online Classes from UMass Amherst Department of Languages, Cultures and Literatures

Content

In response to increased demand for Korean language courses both nationally and at UMass Amherst, the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures will offer two new, online classes in the summer 2023: Beginning Korean I and Beginning Korean II.  

The classes are designed to teach the fundamental skills to read, write, listen, and speak in elementary level Korean.  

“The course textbook comes with AI-enabled conversation practice sessions (PIP Lang), which will make online learning much more efficient,” says Chan Young Park, director of the Korean Program. 

Both classes are open to the public, including non-UMass students, and will be delivered asynchronously, providing flexibility for different populations of students. 

With no set meeting times, classes may appeal to participants with conflicting schedules. The course will use Canvas— a robust learning platform that allows for the use of different types of media that are specific for language acquisition—as its Learning Management System (LMS). 

While U.S. college student enrollment in Korean language classes has risen 78 percent from 2009 to 2016, according to a recent article by NPR, a similar trend has emerged within the UMass Amherst Korean program, which has grown steadily over the past decade, “with enrollments increasing four times since my first semester at UMass,” says Park, who will teach both courses. 

Learn more about the classes or register to enroll through University Without Walls.