The University of Oxford in the UK Has Adopted Korean as the 12th Foreign Language at its Language Centre
The University of Oxford In The UK Has Recently Adopted Korean As The 12th Foreign Language At Its Language Centre
The Language Centre is dedicated to improving the academic and business language skills of Oxford students, staff, and the general public, with thousands of individuals learning languages there each year. Currently, the foreign languages taught at the Oxford Language Centre include eight European languages such as French, German, and Spanish, as well as Japanese, Chinese, and Arabic. Korean language classes are expected to begin as early as October 2024. The Korean textbooks used at the Centre are being written by Professor Cho Ji-eun from the Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at Oxford.
In an interview with the Chosun Ilbo, Professor Cho stated, “Until now, the foreign languages adopted by Oxford have mostly been those relevant to the everyday lives of students and staff in European countries or those needed for academic and business purposes. The adoption of Korean is unusual because it is driven by high demand from British millennials and Generation Z.”
She also added, “Just a few years ago, it was unimaginable to teach Korean in primary and secondary schools in the UK. However, schools have begun offering Korean as an after-school subject, not due to any educational authority’s requirements, but because students requested it. The number of schools teaching Korean has rapidly increased, with 45 schools in 2022 and 68 schools last year.”
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