Welcome to our Korean programme!
The Korean wave such as K-pop, Korean TV series and Movies has become a global phenomenon since the start of the 21st century. Now, the Korean wave has expanded to traditional culture, food, fashion, literature and language. Studying Korean language at CUHK will open doors to various aspects of Korean culture and society.
Korean is the 13th most widely spoken language in the world and it uses a unique writing system called “Hanguel” that has been described as the most scientific and systematic writing system. King Sejong, the 4th king of the Joseon Dynasty, and his scholars created Korean alphabet to help the ordinary people to read and write easily. “Hanguel” is the most significant cultural achievement in Korean history since, unlike other writing systems, it was created by identifiable people at a specifiable time. “Hanguel” consists of 14 consonants and 10 vowels, total 24 characters and it can practically express up to 10,000 sounds.
Our Korean Programme at CUHK provides students with a solid foundation in Korean language through an interactive and integrated learning environment from beginner to advanced level. In addition to the language courses, we also offer content courses and cultural activities to enhance understanding of Korean culture and society.
Students are required to complete a minimum of 18 units of courses as follows:
| Units | |||
| (1) | Required courses [a]: | ||
| (a) KORE2000 Korean II [a] | 3 | ||
| (b) KORE2001 Korean III and KORE3000 Korean IV, or KORE3050 Korean III & IV | 6 | ||
| 3 | ||
| (2) | Elective Courses: | ||
| Any KORE courses other than KORE1000, 1001, 2050 and those listed above | 6 | ||
Total: | 18 |
Explanatory Notes:
| [a] | Students who have prior knowledge of Korean before admission may be exempted from taking KORE2000, 2001, 2050, 3000, 3001 and 3050. They should seek the advice of the Department to take substitute courses in accordance with their academic qualifications. |
| [b] | Students who have taken the summer intensive course KORE2050 will be recognized as having fulfilled this requirement. |
| [c] | Students who have taken the summer intensive course KORE3051 will be recognized as having fulfilled this requirement and 3 units of elective courses of Requirement (2). |
| Code | Course Title | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| KORE1000 | Korean I | 3 |
| KORE1001 | Invitation to Korean Online | 1 |
| KORE1100 | Gateway to Korea | 3 |
| KORE2000 | Korean II | 3 |
| KORE2001 | Korean III | 3 |
| KORE2050 | Korean I & II | 6 |
| KORE3000 | Korean IV | 3 |
| KORE3001 | Korean V | 3 |
| KORE3002 | Korean VI | 3 |
| KORE3020 | Sounds of Korean | 3 |
| KORE3021 | Korean Conversation | 3 |
| KORE3031 | Creative Writing in Korean | 3 |
| KORE3041 | Business Korean | 3 |
| KORE3050 | Korean III & IV | 6 |
| KORE3051 | Korean V & VI | 6 |
| KORE3060 | Korean through Drama | 3 |
| KORE3061 | Korean through Folktales | 3 |
| KORE3062 | Korean through Media | 3 |
| KORE3100 | Special Topics in Korean | 3 |
KORE1000 Korean I (Course Outline)
This course invites students without prior knowledge of Korean to explore the basic features of the Korean language. Supported by audiovisual aids, students will receive intensive practice in spoken and written Korean through interactive class work, homework and online exercises with special emphasis placed on oral communication and pronunciation. They will become familiar with the basic concepts of Korean grammar and learn how to interact in some simple everyday situations.
Note: For students who have learnt Korean before, please contact the teachers of the language programme for placement test.
KORE1001 Invitation to Korean Online (Course Outline)
[This course is offered via asynchronous online mode. Students should register the course via KEEP, a CUHK eLearning platform where the course materials are uploaded.]
This online course invites students without prior knowledge of Korean to explore the basic features of the Korean language and topics of Korean culture and society. Supported by audiovisual aids, students will learn basic concepts of Korean grammar and vocabularies for simple daily communication. This course serves as a taster for students who may consider taking Korean courses in the future.
Students intending to take any of the one-unit language courses to be offered via online mode must read the following information:
One-unit Online Language Courses – Information for Students
KORE1100 Gateway to Korea (Course Outline)
This course examines Korean history, language and culture from interdisciplinary and cross-cultural perspectives and makes systematic comparisons between Korea and Hong Kong.
No pre-requisites.
KORE2000 Korean II (Course Outline)
This is the second of a 6‐term long language course which provides basic training in spoken and written Korean, oral practice for various everyday situations and essential grammatical structures. It also gives a general introduction the Korean society and culture.
Pre-requisite: KORE1000
KORE2001 Korean III (Course Outline)
This course aims to further enhance students’ communication skills in the four language domains listening, speaking, reading and writing. Students are expected to communicate confidently in a wider range of social interactions including more formal situations and simple professional contexts as well as reporting past events and sharing experience.
Pre-requisite: KORE2000 or 2050.
KORE2050 Korean I & II (Course Outline)
This is summer intensive course designed for the students without any prior knowledge of Korean covering KORE1000 & KORE2000. With emphasis on drills and class interaction, students will build good foundations of both spoken and written skills. Course coverage includes basic sound system, grammatical structures, vocabulary and practically used survival expressions.
Note: For students who have learnt Korean before, please contact the teachers of the language programme for placement test.
KORE3000 Korean IV (Course Outline)
This course aims at increasing students’ communicative fluency in oral and written Korean. Using a variety of classroom activities and multimedia, students will build up their competence in the four language domains listening, speaking, reading and writing. Through intensive practice they will be able to communicate in a wide range of social situations with the appropriate awareness of the pragmatic rules involved. They will be trained to write longer compositions in Korean in different registers and styles relating to past, present and future events.
Pre-requisite: KORE2001.
KORE3001 Korean V (Course Outline)
This course focuses on the further development of communication skills in Korean with emphasis on the expression of personal views and the training of argumentative strategies. The course will also engage students in critical reflections on various aspects of life in Korea and their own social environment. Students will be guided to analyze various types of data to support their views. They will learn how to express their wishes and aspirations using the appropriate registers.
Pre-requisite: KORE3000 or 3050
KORE3002 Korean VI (Course Outline)
This course builds on the knowledge acquired through previous Korean language courses. It aims at leading students to a proficiency level comparable to the threshold from Level 3-4 of TOPIK(Test of Proficiency in Korean) thus making them “independent users” of Korean. To achieve this goal, students will be encouraged to work project-based through independent or collaborative work with their peers. At the end of this course students will have mastered the most important grammar features of Korean and be able to communicate effectively in a wide range of everyday situations and a number of professional contexts. They will be able to use their oral and written language skills to relate to, reflect on and analyze past and current issues involving the Korean-speaking societies.
Pre-requisite: KORE3001.
KORE3020 Sounds of Korean (Course Outline)
This course introduces the phonetic system of the Korean language. Supported by audiovisual aids, students will understand the sound of the vowels and consonants, the pronunciation rules and the intonations in different contexts of the Korean language. The articulation of some Korean sounds that are more difficult for Chinese speakers will also be examined. Through interactive classroom learning activities, students’ accuracy of Korean pronunciation will be enhanced.
Pre-requisite: KORE3000,3001,3002,3050 or 3051
KORE3021 Korean Conversation (Course Outline)
This course provides students with opportunity to develop their oral proficiency in Korean. Supported by teacher’s guidance and audiovisual materials, students will practice spoken Korean intensively in diverse sociocultural settings through interactive class work and homework. Preassigned readings before the class enhance students’ reading skills and understanding the background of each discussion session. They will practice speaking in a variety of speech styles, from the most casual dialogues to formal group discussions. Students will explore how to develop communication skills more appropriately in various social contexts in this process.
Pre-requisites: KORE3001,3002 or 3051
KORE3031 Creative Writing in Korean (Course Outline)
This course aims to improve students’ creative writing skills in Korean. It includes a systematic review on the grammar of Korean language and various activities for students to practice their writing skills. In each writing task, students will recognize their personal writing style and reduce common mistakes by receiving peer evaluation and the teacher’s feedback. Also, students will create a portfolio to keep track of their writing progress. This course encourages students to build confidence in writing, explore different writing skills, and produce texts align with them.
Pre-requisites: KORE3001,3002 or 3051
KORE3041 Business Korean (Course Outline)
This course introduces learners of Korean to useful vocabulary and essential communicative skills in a Korean-speaking business environment. The topics are organized in language functions such as writing business emails, giving business presentations, and conducting and attending job interviews. Sufficient opportunities to enhance the four basic language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) in the business setting will be provided. Students will be exposed to a wide range of authentic materials taken from the traditional media and the internet, and participate in a variety of learning activities such as group discussions, role-play tasks and oral presentations. This course highlights cultural factors in the practice of business in Korea and aims to improve corresponding cross-cultural communicative skills therein.
Pre-requisite: KORE3000, 3001, 3002, 3050 or 3051
KORE3050 Korean III & IV (Course Outline)
This is a summer intensive Korean language course, covering the full syllabus of KORE2001 and 3000 (2002).
Pre-requisite: KORE2000 or 2050
KORE3051 Korean V & VI (Course Outline)
This is a summer intensive Korean language course, covering the full syllabus of KORE3001 and 3002 which builds on the knowledge acquired through previous Korean language courses. It aims at leading students to ‘independent users’ of Korean. Through selected student-oriented stimuli and topics related to social issues and contemporary affairs, students will practice the expression and exchange of ideas and personal views. Classroom activities may include dialogue, role-play, narration, speech, group discussion and debate in direct approach or using multimedia. Lively oral practice and an interactive learning environment will help students to build language confidence and fluency, to react spontaneously in social interaction and acquire conversational techniques commonly used in a Korean-speaking environment.
Pre-requisite: KORE3000 or KORE3050
KORE3060 Korean through Drama (Course Outline)
This course will improve students’ colloquial communication skills through Korean multi-media, TV dramas. It will emphasize the training of listening and speaking skills in authentic everyday situations as they are presented effectively, provoking some kind of curiosity and interest, which leads students to achieve a natural mastery of the language. Since the multi-media materials do not only provide authentic communication situations but also present real life cultural elements, students will be able to gain a better understanding of many aspects of Korean society while practicing their 4 language skills. Placing a drama at the end of the term will be one of the major assessment methods given to students, in which students develop their creativity and fluency.
Pre-requisite: KORE3000, 3001, 3002, 3050 or 3051
KORE3061 Korean through Folktales (Course Outline)
This course is a combination of content learning and language learning. Making use of famous Korean folktales, students will enrich their understanding of the Korean language as well as their knowledge about Korean folktales and culture. The tales taught will be read in simplified versions in Korean.
Pre-requisite: KORE3001, 3002, or 3051
KORE3062 Korean through Media (Course Outline)
This course is designed to help students improve daily conversational skills learned from Korean media such as dramas, news, advertisements, and K-pops. With exposure to various communicative situations through Korean media, students will be able to learn colloquial Korean and different styles of speech while understanding Korean culture and society deeply. This class will provide an opportunity to share students’ learning of media expressions, phrases, and grammar, through classroom activities, assignments, and group projects using their creativity. Students will also be encouraged to take their learning further, scrutinize differences in expressions of Korean media, and discover similarities and differences between Korean media expressions and those from their own countries. All the materials and the medium of instruction will be in Korean.
Pre-requisite: KORE3001
KORE3100 Special Topics in Korean (Course Outline)
This course aims at furthering students’ understanding of selected area(s) of Korean language, literature or culture. Topics will vary from year to year. Offerings with different subtitles can be taken up for credit, up to a maximum of two times.
Korean language and culture:
Online dictionary
http://www.zkorean.com/dictionary
Korean language learning
http://www.korean-language.org/
http://www.lifeinkorea.com/language/korean.cfm
http://www.learnkoreanlanguage.com/
Tourism
http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/index.kto
Official websites
Republic of Korea (ROK) (South Korea)
http://www.korea.net/korea/korea.asp
Consulate of the Republic of Korea in Hong Kong
http://hkg.mofat.go.kr/eng/as/hkg/main/index.jsp
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) (North Korea)
http://www.korea-dpr.com/
Consulate of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in Hong Kong
http://info.hktdc.com/vod/visa_nkorea.htm
