In AY 2017, GLS initiated a four-year pilot of Korean language in response to student demand. Students completing Korean I through Korean IV will have the opportunity to attain a basic level of competency in spoken and written modern standard Korean, with particular emphasis on consolidating basic conversational skills and reading.
Our Korean curriculum uses innovative pedagogical methods integrating language and culture at all levels. Students engage in learning activities that enable them to become proficient in aural comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing. In addition to the program of language study, GSL offers several courses in East Asian Studies (taught in English) that take up Korean culture, history and society.
Students can use their Korean subject credits toward a HASS concentration in “Other Languages” or “Asian and Asian Diaspora Studies.”
The surge of interest in Korean at MIT is a phenomenon seen on campuses across the US — a combined result of the global “wave” of Korean popular culture, the growth of career opportunities, South Korea’s reputation for innovation in science and technology, and the dynamism of inter-Asian linkages in the region. The division of North and South Korea is also one of the major unresolved international issues of our time.
Fall 2019 Course Offerings
21G.901 Korean I
21G.903 Korean III
21G.S02 Korean V (NEW!)
Korean V is designed for learners who have a background in Korean IV or have equivalent background in Korean language and culture. to improve students’ skills in listening, reading, speaking, and writing in Korean. By the end of the course, students will have attained the Intermediate High/Advanced Low levels on the ACTFL proficiency scale. The students in this course will explore various topics such as Korean contemporary culture, tour sites, regional products, interpersonal relations, humor, cultural heritage, daily life, and other related subjects, and will be able to compare, in writing and speaking, the Korean context with their own backgrounds.
Looking ahead:
IAP 2020
21G.901 Korean I
Spring 2020
21G.902 Korean II
21G.904 Korean IV
21G.906 Korean VI (NEW!)
A note regarding the enrollment policy of the Global Studies and Languages section: Enrollment limited to 16 for pedagogical reasons. Preference will be given to pre-registered students, including pre-registered undergraduates who were cut from the same class the previous semester due to the enrollment cap. Please note that you have to attend the first day of class to maintain your preference level. In case of over-enrollment, preference will be given in the following order: declared majors, declared minors, declared concentrators, first-years, sophomores, juniors, seniors and graduate students.
