Embassy of the Republic of Korea to Norway

Studying at a Korean Language Institution

Synne Ulltang

If you dream about studying in Korea, one option can be to study Korean at a language institution. I am currently studying at Pai Chai University (배재대학교) in Daejeon, as part of a scholarship, and will give you a short introduction to daily life here.

The goal this year is to reach level 3 of the Korean Proficiency Test (TOPIK), before entering a Korean university. When we first arrived in late August, we took a language test which placed us in different classes based on our level of Korean. In the beginner level, the first week consisted of learning the Korean alphabet. After that, we are expected to move up one level after every ten weeks. If you decide to do a year at a language institution, I highly recommend that you already study hangeul by yourself before you arrive, so that you can focus more on pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar.

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A typical day at school starts with the introduction of new vocabulary. We have four hours of class every day, and three teachers who alternate on teaching us. As such, we experience different teaching styles, which is good when facing a daunting task. We are, after all, learning a new language in one year. Therefore, we are tested frequently, and every day we need to memorize new words in order to keep up. Fortunately, the teachers at my language school are both enthusiastic and patient, and our class has a very positive learning environment.

Language is more than grammar and vocabulary, so in addition to classroom lessons, we are introduced to Korean culture in various ways. So far, we have experienced a temple stay at Guinsa Temple, and enjoyed both a traditional gugak performance and a hanbok fashion show. It truly is a year of learning a new culture. And we are embracing Korean culture from a variety of backgrounds. In my classroom we are a total of fourteen nations, who all share an enthusiasm for Korea. I know for sure I am making memories for life. Therefore, if you are considering learning Korean, do not hesitate to spend a year at a Korean language institution.​