Focus on Non-HeritageStudents

Soohee Kim, Emily Curtis and Jessica Likens

13th Annual AATK Conference and Professional Development Workshop

at SUNY Binghamton, NY

Overview of Workshop

Soohee Kim and groupConclusions

Jessica Likens, Korea Studies, U of WA

Part III: In the classroom

Dr. Emily Curtis, Linguistics, U of WA

Part II: Explaining Korean: Comparing and Communicating

Soohee KimPart I. The Non-Heritage Track: Connecting (with) these learners

Soohee Kim,Univ. of Washington, Asian L&L

Introduction -

Introduction

University of Washington • dual-track program• since 2000• non-heritage enrollment

Textbooks written with non-heritage (NH) students in mindSome thoughts on attracting, teaching and retaining NH students

Part I. Connecting (with) NH learners

Target audience: Who are NH students? What are their background and goals?Based on UW/Seattle

Part I. Connecting (with) NH learners1. Adoptees

Background:• minimal or no exposure to language• no exposure to social culture• some exposure to “big Culture” and pop

culture Goals:• develop sense of identity (Korean, K-A, or

American) through big Culture and social-culture through language;

• better use and understanding of accessible pop culture (Korean web);

• learn basics of language• (retention will vary)

Part I. Connecting (with) NH learners2. Loved ones(those who are friends with, dating, or

married to Koreans or other family members of Koreans (adoptive and step-/half- parents and siblings, grandparents):Background:• some exposure to & appreciation of linguistic

and cultural differences; • minimal exposure to “big Culture” and pop

cultureGoals: • learn basic social-culture, big Culture and

ability to communicate – indicating potentially high rentention

Part I. Connecting (with) NH learners3. “Budding linguists”

(linguistics and other(-Asian) language students and others who want a challenge, an ‘exotic’language)Background:• some appreciation of the concept of linguistic and

cultural differences through linguistics and other-language studies;

• minimal exposure to “big Culture” and pop culture

Goals: learn basic grammatical structures, less emphasis on basic social-culture, big Culture and ability to communicate – until we hook them!

Part I. Connecting (with) NH learners4. Scholars

(those with specializations that involve Korea and the need to read Korean– history, literature, art, business, IR):Background:• some appreciation of the concept of linguistic

and cultural differences; • minimal exposure to “big Culture” (and pop

culture) and Korea viewed through their scienceGoals: • learn basic grammatical structures for scholarly

reading purposes• less emphasis on basic social-culture and ability

to communicate – until we hook them!

Part I. Connecting (with) NH learners5. Hallyu fans(often SE Asian students (heritage or exchange),

interested in pop culture, pop music, dramas, etc.Background:• some appreciation of the concept of linguistic and cultural

differences as seen through pop culture exchange – note that only Japanese is linguistically similar

• minimal knowledge of grammar or specific grammatical differences

• minimal exposure to “big Culture” (and pop culture) and Korea viewed through “Asian focus” news and culture

Goals: • learn basic, communicative and casual-spoken language

for increased access to Hallyu• learn basic social-culture• less emphasis on grammar, communication and big

Culture– until we hook them!

Part I. Connecting (with) NH learners

Summary1. Adoptees 4. Scholars2. Loved Ones 5. Hallyu Fans3. Budding Linguists Scholars group is small these daysmost want natural, spoken, communicative skillsall have minimal, if any, exposure to Korean grammar and sociolinguistics

Part I. Connecting (with) NH learnersDiscussion – in groups of ~4:1. Do these groupings represent the potential NH

audience in your area?2. Can you identify any other NH groups that

might be relevant for your teaching? If so, what are their background and goals most likely to be?

3. What local community groups, support, activities and services, including the internet, might be relevant to expose these students to or get them interested in?• adoptee/adoptive groups?• church groups?• Korean-town? restaurants & stores?• business & internship opportunities? …

Part I. Connecting (with) NH learners

Time for comments and questions on Part I

Part II: Explaining Korean: Comparing and Communicating

most NH students want natural, communicative speaking/listening skillshave minimal exposure to mainly pop cultureall have minimal, if any, exposure to Korean grammar and sociolinguistics

Part II: Explaining Koreanenter the classroom with minimal exposure to sociolinguistics/culture – via cross-cultural communication (Loved Ones)probably no exposure to the language (structure, semantics, grammar) itselflack the experience and assumptions of European languages (even EA students) Korean is difficult – ranked as XXX level of difficulty for Eglish speakers by …

Part II: Explaining KoreanConsider:

first phrase they seek to learn ‘hello’:안녕하세요?

is 5 syllables longhas unfamiliar sounds (geminate [n] and [ɤ])

forgettable and “scary”the make-up of the word/phraseand when it can be used (i.e. not between friends; and cf. ‘goodbye’)• concepts that NH learners have no exposure to

Part II: Explaining KoreanDON’T: scare them away

focus on cultural and grammatical differences --or difficulties

DO: draw them inhelp them to understand the language and culturetheir goal is to communicate with people they know in many NH cases

focus on what each Korean expression means to connect NH students with Korean language and its speakers

Part II: Explaining Koreanfocus on what each Korean

expression/structure meansfew Korean expressions have exactparallels in English (-지(요), 끼다,…)many have limited usage, unlike their typical English translations• such as 안녕하세요, or –을게요 (Part III)many have multiple usages & multiple translations in English which don’t entirely overlap in their usages with the Korean expression

Part II: Explaining Korean

Example: -는거 (gerund clause)1. How is this expression translated into

English?‘doing x’ as in ‘Baking cookies is fun.’

2. (are there cases where the English translation can be used but the Korean expression would not be the right translation?)

I am baking cookies now/tomorrow….

Part II: Explaining Korean

3. How can the example sentences be translated into English?

• What is the most natural translation of each?

• Is there any one English translation for 는거that can be used in all cases?

2020

neungeo example sentences

Part II: Explaining Korean

Your Turn:In groups of ~4, think about examples,

translations and the basic meaning of GRAMMAR POINT

Hints: EXAMPLE SENTENCES

Part II: Explaining Korean

Million-dollar question:How much linguistic analysis does a teacher have to do to clearly explain

a grammar point such as this??

Part II: Explaining KoreanWhat is the basic meaning of the Korean

expression – paraphrased or explained in English (as opposed to translated)?

• In Part III: more discussion of how to get NH students to an understanding of this basic meaning

• From Part I, recall that NH students may assume Korean expressions have the same meanings and usages of any simplistic translations

Part II: Explaining KoreanSome answers:1. awareness that there are differences in the

extensions and limitations of usage of Korean expressions and of the English translations suggested by the textbooks is half of the battle won• Teachers will become – and many are already

– sensitive to their own usage and to students’ use and misuse

2. gather example sentences from textbook(s), real life, the web, writings (newspapers, magazines…)

3. encourage students to generate sentencesgather erroneous usagesdiscuss with the studentsdiscover the limitations and extensions of the Korean structure

guide students through mini-linguistic analysis (In the end, that is what grammar teaching is.)

Part III: In the Classroom

What should NH class time be used for?

Part III: In the classroomGiven a difficult grammar point…

-게

What is the English translation?

Part III: In the classroomTextbook Examples

요즘 아주 바쁘게 살아요.

(음식을) 맛있게 드세요.

그 책을 재미있게 읽었어요.

크게 말하세요.

종이에 이름을 작게 쓰세요.

걔는 나를 피곤하게 만들어요.

예쁘게 그리세요.

Part III: In the classroomTranslation of 게:

Not always “-ly”!Textbook says: “In general, -게 has the meaning of “in such-and-such way” or “so it becomes such-and-such ADJECTIVE.”

What should class time be used for?

Part III: In the classroomTypes of Classroom Activities

Structured Free

Teacher fronted student participation

Example Lesson for -게

Examples on the board: 오늘 맛이 있게 먹고 재미있게 놀았어요. 음식을 너무 맵게 먹지 마세요. 조금 싱겁게 드세요. 이렇게 하세요!

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Example Lesson for -게

Other structured practice:1. Conjugation practice2. Grammar drill worksheets3. Other forms of examples

• T acts out and students describe• T asks students to act out as a class

4. (Textbook) exercises designed to use the grammar point in a given situation

Example Lesson for –게

More contextualized practice: 1. Speaking—role plays, fill-in-the-blank

dialogues (with embellishment)2. Listening—textbook/workbook

materials, dictation, semi-scripted dialogues read by teachers

3. Reading--textbook/workbook materials, authentic materials (online)

4. Writing—response to what they’ve read, diary entries, emails

Your turn!

Working in small groups of ~4 members, can you make a lesson for grammar

point (으)ㄹ게요? what activities? in what situations is it used?limitations on usage?

Example Lesson for –(으)ㄹ게요

Textbook explanation (from “한국말 하시네요! / You speak Korean!”

“Promissory future –(으)ㄹ게요:This sentence ending corresponds to the English “I will VERB,” but has a strong promissory sense to it along with the indication of future action. For example, 할게요 I’ll do it indicates a promise or an offer or seeks the listener’s approval in some way. Therefore it cannot be used to talk about someone else’s actions (you can’t promise for them) or about inanimate subjects such as the weather or falling objects!”

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Example Lesson for –(으)ㄹ게요

Textbook Example Sentences (from “한국말 하시네요! / You speak Korean!”skdjghakfih\akjfdha\akfjsbaakfjbaafjbaajksfba

Part III: In the classroom

Summary: textbook provides background for active discovery of the core meaning of grammatical structures in Korean• (textbook will provide some exercise

ideas – for use in classroom?)the teacher and active classroomare an NH student’s best resourcesTime for Questions and Comments on Part III

ConclusionNH background and exposure are so minimal as to merit serious explorationof the precise meanings and usages of Korean expressions • of the non-overlap between Korean

expressions and their typical English translations

limited usagemultiple usages & translations

Importance of examples, generated by textbook, teacher, studentsImportance of an active classroom

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ConclusionIt is our belief that even when the “right explanation” is not on the tip of the teacher’s tongue, an honest, open-minded attempt by the teacher to explore, exemplify and explain will resonate with students and keep them engaged and encouraged. Many NH Korean students expect a challenging course and are enthused by semantic nuances and the cultural differences – and similarities –that they embody. The Korean and English languages are structurally very different, but we hazard to claim that they are expressively quite similar and mutually engaging.