Certificate

Korean Non-Credit Programme (Not offered for 2024/25)

The School of Modern Languages and Cultures offers a three-year programme open to students in all faculties. The aim of the Korean Non-Credit Programme is to provide students with broad understanding of both spoken and written Korean to master their Korean proficiency to upper-beginner level(TOPIK I – 2nd grade). By the end of the programme, students will build their proficiency to an upper-beginner level with balanced emphasis on reading, writing, speaking and listening skills as well as an understanding of the culture and society of Korea.

  1. Programme Structure

This programme consists of three language courses. The three levels are designed to be covered in courses of 100 hours. The courses are organized as follows:

YEAR I Korean I (100 hours) Beginner Level

– TOPIK I (1st grade)*
YEAR II Korean II-A (100 hours) Upper-Beginner Level

– TOPIK I (2nd grade)*
YEAR III Korean II-B (100 hours)

* Students who successfully completed this course will be able to apply for the TOPIK examination

 

  1. Programme assessment structure
  • There will be internal assessments throughout the course as well as an examination at the end of the year which will determine whether the students can progress to the next level.
  • After successful completion of 300 hours of courses, students may apply for the School of Modern Languages and Cultures Certificate in Korean Examination.
  • Students will be encouraged to apply, if they so wish, for the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK) examination at the level they have studied at the university.

 

  1. Course description

Korean I

The course is designed for complete beginners who are interested in learning Korean language and culture. The aim is to provide students with a solid foundation in both spoken and written Korean, and a basic knowledge of Korean culture. By the end of the year, students will be able to participate in simple conversations related to daily life and will acquire basic knowledge of the written forms of Korean language.

At the end of Korean I, the student will be able to;

  • Pronounce Korean words accurately according to Korean phonetic rules.
  • Conduct basic daily life dialogue in the Korean
  • Read and write short texts about daily life
  • Acquire knowledge of social and cultural aspects of Korea and Korean culture.

Internal assessment throughout the course will be provided. The evaluation will be based on 100% coursework.

 

Korean II-A

The course is offered to the students who have passed the Korean I course. Applicants who have a comparable level of Korean through studies in other institutions may also be admitted upon an interview and assessment. The aim of the course is to build up on the skills already acquired in the previous year and to add further skills which will enable students to deal with texts and situations which are linguistically more challenging than those experienced in lower levels. Introduction of more complex structures and vocabulary will develop students’ proficiency to a level where they are able to express their opinions on topics covered in class.  On completion of the course, students will be able to master basic grammar and the vocabulary and write short essays in the Korean language. Students will also be able to develop their communicative competencies in various situations and subjects through role-plays, short speeches and discussions.

At the end of Korean II-A, the student will be able to;

  • Express their personal experiences, feelings, situations on familiar topics.
  • Apply various grammars and expressions depending on different language settings and interlocutors
  • Produce short essays on familiar topics using appropriate written forms (formal/informal forms) on a given topic.
  • Express their opinions on various aspects of Korean society.

Internal assessment throughout the course will be provided. The evaluation will be based on 100% coursework.

Korean II-B

The course is offered to the students who have passed the Korean II-A course. Applicants who have a comparable level of Korean through studies in other institutions may also be admitted upon an interview and assessment. The aim of the course is to further increase students’ ability in their use of spoken and written Korean established in Korean II-A to an upper-beginner level. On completion of the course, students will be able to acquire grammatical structures and essential vocabulary at an upper-beginner level so that they can participate in situational conversations and write essays. Students will also be able to compare Korean society with their own and analyze different and/or similar elements those societies have.

At the end of Korean II-B, the student will be able to;

  • Communicate effectively in Korean at an upper-beginner level.
  • Participate in conversations on familiar topics using more complex grammatical structures.
  • Produce essays on familiar topics and express their opinions in the Korean
  • Identify cultural differences and similarities between Korean culture and their own.

Internal assessment throughout the course will be provided. The evaluation will be based on 100% coursework.

May 2011

Amended July 2016