A Graduate Student Perspective-KI Graduate Summer Language Study Grant Summer 2015, Kimberlee Sanders, G2, RSEA (currently G1, EALC)

Through the generosity of a Korea Institute Summer Language Study Grant, I was able to spend five weeks in Seoul, South Korea studying at Sogang University. The program developed all four major language acquisition skills, and primarily focused on building my ability to speak and effectively communicate with native Korean speakers. As my future research will likely involve ethnographic surveys and interviews with consumers of Korean popular media, a high level of speaking ability will be critical to the progress of my projects. The experiences afforded to me this summer by the receipt of a Korea Institute grant gave me the opportunity to hone my Korean skills and experience the life and vibrancy of Seoul.

I spent the majority of my time at the Sogang University Korean Language Immersion Program attending six hours of class a day. Four hours in the morning were devoted to course work in speaking, reading, and listening, while two hours in the afternoon were given for cultural experiences within Seoul. Through these cultural classes students had the opportunity to reinforce what they had learned in the classroom by interacting with native Korean speakers in a somewhat organic context. Opportunities included cooking classes, taekwondo, and even K-Pop dance. Thus, due to Sogang’s programming I was able to familiarize myself with the intersection between language pedagogy and cultural exposure in the South Korean context.

Furthermore, spending time in Seoul was an invaluable opportunity to explore a city full of art, history and music. Thanks very much to a strong cohort of Harvard students with whom I was able to spend time, group outings to art museums, live street performances, and historical areas such as Insadong, Bukchon, or Namsan were quite frequent occurrences. Additionally, living in an area between three universities (Sogang University, Yonsei University, and Hongik University) allowed me to be right in the center of Seoul’s vibrant youth culture and live music scene. These experiences deepened my appreciation of Seoul’s diverse cultural landscape and increased my desire to return and explore more in the future.

Through the support of a Korea Institute Summer Language Study Grant, I was able to begin laying the conceptual groundwork for interpreting the South Korean media and cultural landscape. By having received a Korea Institute grant to attend the Sogang University Immersion program, I will be able to proceed more smoothly through language training with a more solid foundation to build upon. Additionally, I have begun to gain the cultural fluency needed to move towards exploring a complicated and fascinating dynamic of cultural production in urban South Korea.