Although DTU only first offered its Korean Language major in 2020, many new Korean lecturers have arrived to teach the high-quality curriculum, which already attracts many applicants. Here’s what Dr. Kim Zae-hi says about the importance and allure of the language.,
Reporter: Can you tell us more about the increasing trend of learning Korean?
Dr. Kim Zae-hi: The number people studying Korean is increasing rapidly globally. In cities, on Friday evenings, the popularity of locations where “hallyu” fans listen to K-pop songs together and share their love and happiness is increasing dramatically. I lived in Germany in the 1980s and 1990s and students only studied Japanese and Chinese to qualify for better jobs, with little interest in Korean.
Dr. Kim Zae-hi lectures at DTU
Later, when they began learning Korean, finding good jobs was also the main reason but I think the influence of “hallyu” also played a role in North America, South America, Africa and Asia. By imitating Korean idols, like BTS and Black Pink, and watching Korean television and movies, students began to embrace Korean popular culture in their lives.
Hoi An once flourished as a staging point between Europe and East Asia and, similarly, I hope that Danang will become the focal point for “hallyu” festivities, where Koreans and locals can meet and experience both Korean and Western cultures at the same time.
Reporter: The desire to learn Korean stems from a love of the culture and is a path to better career opportunities in a changing workplace that now has high need for experts in Korean to work in business, tourism and on foreign exchanges. How important is a knowledge of Korean or other languages for Vietnamese students?
Dr. Kim Zae-hi: Knowing a foreign language is like having the most trusted and kind-hearted friend in the world. Through the internet in particular, it allows us to have a clearer understanding of what’s happening in the world of those who speak that language. If you only know your mother tongue, you have very few chances of extending international relationships. Speaking additional languages helps us to study and work across borders and will help in many unforeseen situations in life. A second language can enable us to establish vital international connections to achieve our aims.
Dr. Kim Zae-hi, with lovely, enthusiastic and diligent students
Reporter: You chose DTU to teach Korean. What’s your opinion of the international environment here?
Dr. Kim Zae-hi: Five years ago, when I first visited Danang, I stayed at the Novotel Hotel, with a view of DTU from my window. Mr. Kim Jae-wan, a PhD in Quantum Physics, told me that he sometimes gave special lectures at VAST in Hanoi and at DTU, and another friend, Mr. Lee Han-woo, a PhD in Political Sciences, said that DTU was a well-known private university here. As a researcher in Korean Studies, I understood the status of Korean-language education in Vietnam and could clearly appreciate that DTU was internationalizing itself by inviting several Korean lecturers to work there. Now I want the University could become the cradle of Korean language studies and Vietnam’s interface to our country in the not-too-distant future.
Reporter: Can you give your opinion on the importance of employing native university lecturers? How do students benefit from this?
Dr. Kim Zae-hi: Foreign languages can, in principle, be self-taught, if you study hard and enthusiastically. If you can work with an experienced native speaker however, you can learn more effectively and faster. Also, picking up the precise pronunciation, the foundation all listening and speaking, can only be achieved through regular face-to-face interaction with a native teacher. If you can’t do this, watching television and movies, or listening to and singing songs is also very useful.
Reporter: Having taught Korean for many years, what can you say about the standard, progress and passion of the DTU Korean Language students?
Dr. Kim Zae-hi: I’ve taught Korean to students of diverse nationalities and ages. Almost all my students, including those at DTU in particular, are always brimming with enthusiasm and a desire to become proficient in Korean. I’m researching and experimenting with new and more stimulating teaching methods here and hope that they can then be used at other universities in Vietnam.
Reporter: Thank you for your interesting insights into Korean language education.
The DTU Korean Language major offers two minors, Korean Interpretation & Translation and Korean for Tourism, with course lengths from 3.5 to 4 years and a total of 135 credits. The program is designed to educate students in all the required specialized knowledge and skills to work in a Korean environment.
For the first two years, DTU students study basic Korean language, as a stepping stone to more practical, career-oriented courses in the third year. They can select a minor, such as Translation for Economics & Trade, Translation of Legal Documents & Movies, Travel Guide, Overview of Accommodation, Principles of Foreign Tour Operation or Import–Export, leading to Bachelor’s degree in the Korean Language and confidently enter the workplace immediately after graduation.
For details, contact:
The DTU Enrollment Center
254 Nguyen Van Linh, Danang
Hotlines: 1900.2252, 0905.294390, 0905.294391
Website: http://tuyensinh.duytan.edu.vn
Email: tuyensinh@duytan.edu.vn
(Media Center)