The Beauty of Korean Culture By: Abigail Arakawa 한국어
The Beauty of
Korean
Culture
By: Abigail Arakawa 한국어
A little bit of History...
The Korean Language is called “Hangul”
In 1446, King Sejong created the korean alphabet
The Korean alphabet is extremely easy to learn
which is why Korea has one of the highest literacy
rates in the entire world
Approximately 65 million people speak Korean, 45
million of those living in South Korea
Respect embedded in
LanguageMost cultures have a respect for the elderly, but in Korea there
is an extremely high sense of respect for elders and while many
may seem rude or obnoxious, it is not culturally interpreted as
offensive
A lot of Asian countries are heavy on the “respect” factor and
this also flows into the education setting where there is a
certain hierarchy between teacher and student
Their language consists of formal and informal patterns where
normally informal speech is only used in home setting or with
friends
I want my Space!They dislike public touch and
outward displays of opinions or
emotions, indicating a reserve
that is sometimes characterize
as “introverted.”
Even when Koreans greet each
other they face each other and
bow. This is often a part of the
“respect” factor, but also shows
the dislike for public touch.
In American culture we often
hug, kiss or shake hands
Going elsewhere...
Spaces in Korea (houses,
rooms, stores, etc.) are
generally very small. This
forces students to go
elsewhere.
Karaoke bars, clubs,
restaurants, coffee shops,
etc. are extremely popular
hangout spots for students
to meet up at.
School Time!Great stressed is placed upon korean students to
excel in their education; highly, highly valued
Their education system is based off of...
6 years in Primary school (equivalent to
elementary)
3 years in Middle School
3 years in High School
4 years in College
No time for Fun...
Most parents will try to get their kids into the best
schools possible; extremely competitive
Most of pre-college education functions as
preparation to getting into college (which are much
harder to get into than those in the U.S.)
Once in college life is a little easier for students
(opposite of the U.S. where students work much
harder in college than in pre-college education)
Making the most of time...In Korea, 30 minutes is allotted for a person to be late
without communicating an offense.
However, since many students spend a lot of their time at
school, to make the most of their free time they’ll go
straight from school to their favorite hangout spot with
other school friends
“Opening” barriers.
American students tend to be a little louder and open
when it comes to discussion or sharing.
Korean students are a little more introverted and may
have a hard time opening up
Also due to the language barrier they may not feel
comfortable speaking and getting involved
Learning style
Through different studies it shows that Koreans learn
better when they are in a setting in which they are
able to follow directions [this may be due to their
strong cultural awareness of the “respect” ladder;
basically they do what their elders tell them to do]
Learning in America is more interactive. While the
normal student in Korea is used to being taught, in
American classrooms many times students are
offered opportunities to get involved.
Language barriers and
how far they reach...There will definitely be some language barriers
Korean students may have a hard time in class
taking notes or understanding a certain concept (this
may lead to frustration of classmates or teachers)
Socially it may be harder for them to be able to make
friends because of cultural differences. This could
lead to them having a hard time asking for help from
different people.
Traditional-
Most Korean
students learn
in a classroom
where the
teacher is the
head of the
class and
teaches all of
the material
Learning-
Students are often introverted in class
There are rarely such things as “class discussions”
If material is not understood then students will often
research on their own to find the answers
Education is the students responsibility and no one
else’s. Because education is valued so highly,
students strive to do their best out of self-ambition as
well as fear of failure and disappointment
Style.
Korean learning is more-so an individual style and
group work is not often used unless in an athletic
setting
Academically, Korean style is the responsibility of the
individual which is often why there are not as many
cases of group work
Because students are culturally encouraged to be
more introverted, it is harder for them to work in
group settings
Teachers style
The teachers continue to teach through lecture and
notes (questions are not exactly encouraged)
Not exactly the most “interactive” class setting but
never the less teachers are still highly concerned
about the well being about their students but are not
exactly held as “responsible” for students failure (as
they are being accused of in American schools)
Parental StyleParents are extremely concerned about their child’s
education and will often pay hundreds or even
thousands of dollars for their child to get tutored or
go to the best schools
They often put intense pressure on their child to do
well in their studies and get into a good college
While this does “motivate” their child to work to their
fullest potential, this also puts a lot of pressure on
them. Due to this intense pressure, many times this
can cause students to feel overwhelmed, stressed,
unhappy, and shameful.
SocietyThe cultural pressures that society engrains in
students is also a huge factor
“You can’t get a good job unless you go to a good
college.” These kinds of pressures that society
advertises adds to the stress of students.
While it is effective in getting students to work hard
academically, it puts intense stress on them as well
as unimaginable fear of failure.
Ultimately in many Asian countries this leads to an
increase in suicides and depression. And not
surprisingly it is extremely high in teenagers
(students)
Bibliography
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-
etiquette/south-korea-country-profile.html
http://www.learnkoreanlanguage.com/Korean-
Culture.html#Education
http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Zhenhui-
TeachingStyles.html