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Korea Academic Year Program

Language: Korean
Age of Students: High School Students ages 15 to 18
Class Hours: 120 hours total
Target Proficiency: Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced
Overseas Language Institution: Sogang University, Seoul, South Korea 
Overseas Partner: YES International
Host Family Accommodation: Korean families in Seoul

Course and Program Description
The goal of the NSLI for Youth Summer Intensive Korean Language Program administered by iEARN-USA and YES International is to rapidly increase students’ Korean vocabulary and ability to communicate with confidence. Classrooms will provide a creative environment for students to extensively practice their Korean skills with a focus on speaking and comprehension skills. Other activities and homework assignments will be theme-based and will include writing dialogues, along with organized opportunities to practice dialogues outside of the classroom setting. Korean will be the primary language of instruction and students are expected to speak only Korean during class and program related language events. Over the course of six weeks students will maintain a portfolio of their language work and progress. Upon completion all students will receive grades from Sogang University, based on their performance in class and progress in the language as shown on tests or quizzes.

 
Academic year program students will attend a local high school from mid-August to June 2012 upon completion of a six week summer intensive preparation program. Year long program students will attend Korean high schools that will be single gender or co-ed. Students will have language tutoring at least six hours a week and cultural excursions
with fellow participants at least once per month during the semester program. All high school classes are taught in Korean and will likely include Literature, Science, Art, Music, Math, Korean history and many others. All courses will be determined by school counselor.
 
The academically rigorous Korean Language Program will include the following:
 
  • 120 hours of Korean Language Instruction at Sogang University in Seoul
  • Organized language enhancement opportunities with Korean University students, also referred to as the “Buddy Program”.
  • Six weeks of Host family living with Koreans throughout the Seoul area.
  • Guided excursions of Korea by local tour guides.
  • Courses on Korean cuisine, history, art, music and taekwondo.
  • Minimum of 6 hours per week of Korean Language tutoring during academic year.
  • Monthly cultural excursions with other NSLI-Y participants.
  • Yearlong host families in Seoul, Bucheon or Iksan area of Korea.
Homestay
All students will live with host families to further enhance their Korean language skills, and cultural understanding.Students coming to Korea for a yearlong program will live with two/three different host families. Their first family will be assigned for their summer preparatory program and a second family for the fall while attending high school.
These families are inspected and approved by the local high schools and YES International program coordinators. The program coordinator will do their best to match students with a homestay that suits each students’ personal needs. Generally, host families will live 5 - 30 minutes from their assigned school. Depending on the distance, students will either walk, take the local city bus or school bus to their classes.
 
Text Books and Materials
Textbooks and materials will be provided by Sogang University and will be supplemented with authentic and current language materials including short newspaper articles, radio listening exercises and other relevant Korean materials.
 
Cultural Activities
Students will be grouped together with college students who will serve as cultural guides with the goal of providing further understanding of Korean culture and society. Students will also have organized opportunities to learn about Korean cuisine, attend taekwondo classes and to learn about religion, historical sites and cities, all while enhancing their language skills. Once the yearlong program begins in mid-August, students will either have cultural excursions once per month on the weekends or free time to spend with the host families. However, much time will be spent with host families. During the winter break (January to February 2012), all NSLIY students will participate in a winter break program with Korean youth to further practice their Korean language skills. Students will also participate in a local community service projects.
 
Final Presentation
Students will present and showcase their final language portfolios during a formal gathering of all participants at the end of the program. Students can choose to present on a specific topic in their portfolio, including their experience with cultural activities.
 
Course Goals
The Program has a five-fold objective:
  • Develop students’ Korean skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) at the elementary, intermediate and advanced levels in an immersion learning environment.
  • Improve students’ understanding of traditional and modern Korean culture through various kinds of interactive cultural activities.
  • Build new personal and institutional relationships between our students and their Korean peers, host families, and between the United States and Korea.
  • Foster continued study of the Korean language and culture upon the students’ return to the United States.
  • Enhance students’ self-awareness and confidence and build interpersonal communicative skills.
For a brief video, click here.
 

 

National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y)

About the Program

The Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, in cooperation with American Councils for International Education, AFS-USA, and iEARN-USA, is awarding U.S. government funding to high school and just-graduated students (ages 15 – 18) to participate in summer and full-year language programs in countries where these languages are widely spoken. 

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