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"Korean programs such as Running Man, Weekly Idol and Infinite Challenge make me laugh. The most annoying thing about Korean programs is that I have to rely on translations. I want to understand the Korean programs without English translations. So, I wanted to study Korean."
Yeng See Leong was the runner-up in Monash University's Annual Korean Speech Contest in 2019.
She tells SBS Korean that she started learning the language in order to watch her favourite TV shows without relying on English subtitles.
She attributes much of her interest in Korean language and culture to K-pop, the popular music genre which originated in the East Asian country, that has risen in popularity internationally over the past decade.
It's a path that's becoming increasingly popular among students and youngsters, according to Dr Adam Zulawnik, a Korean language lecturer at Monash and the University of Melbourne.
BTS is one of the most popular K-pop groups. Image via Trafalgar Releasing. Source: Trafalgar Releasing
He says Korean language learning at both establishments and across Australia has been increasing over recent years due to the 'Korean Wave', or Hallyu, which refers to the global popularity of South Korea's cultural economy exporting pop culture.
“This year, the number of students enrolled in Korean studies and Korean language courses at Monash University has been the highest ever since the university opened the related courses," he said. "At the University of Melbourne, Korean class received explosive popularity as well.”
It's a trend that appears to also be happening at the grassroots level.
Eun Yeong Yoo, the facilitator of the Korean Bilingual Program at Sydney's Campsie Public School, says she's noticed a huge spike in the number of students looking to learn Korean.
The school's program is in its
“The 'Korean Wave' is becoming very popular all over the world. I've heard that the number of people taking the Korean language proficiency test is increasing exponentially every year,” she says.
“Sydney University also has over 300 students enrolled in the basic Korean language course this year. But we know that we're not able to meet this demand.”
The winner of Monash University's Korean Speech Contest, Hirzy Putra Laksana, who is studying politics and international studies at the University of Melbourne, says he intends to use the language to further his career.
“At first, it seems that the 'Korean Wave' was a big influence. I liked watching K-pop or dramas,” he said.
“Since my major is politics and diplomacy, I wanted to learn Korean more because I am interested in Korean politics and international relations. My dream is to become a diplomat, so learning Korean will help my work and I will continue to use Korean in my future job."
Dr Adam Zulawnik and students at the 2nd Monash University Annual Korean Speech Contest 2019 Source: SBS Korean
Korean language learning in public schools
Around 10,000 students in 67 primary and secondary schools across Australia are learning Korean.
The majority of those programs are part of each school's regular curriculum.
Campsie Primary School is the first in Australia to introduce the program, which runs for students from Kindergarten to Year 6.
Deputy Principal Sarah Jones says introducing the program a decade ago was challenging.
"We had big ideas but to actually put it into practice was very challenging," she says.
“It was something very different that no one had done before. We had visited schools in Melbourne that were bilingual to get some ideas about we might go about it. But our plan was different to everywhere else.
“So the biggest challenges were around curriculum development and program and resources. There were no resources in Korean that matched the Australian curriculum, the NSW curriculum that was a huge challenge and very time-consuming for our teachers.”
Eun Yeong Yoo says she looked at numerous educational materials before forming the program.
“We found out about the best program in the academic world, it’s called CLIL (Content Language Integrated Learning). It is now not only a well-known language education program but also the most effective method of teaching a foreign language. It is the way that we teach our curriculum contents in Korean,” she said.
“If students don’t listen to it carefully and they can’t understand it well so student’s concentration becomes higher. They learn Korean according to the curriculum and eventually follow the Korean language skills as well.”
Teacher Eun Yeong Yoo and students on the Korean bilingual class at Campsie public school Source: SBS Korean
Booming in weekend schools
Sue Young Kim, a teacher at the Korean Language School of Melbourne, says the number of Australians wanting to learn Korean has increased.
"When I first came here, the school had three to four classes for adults. But now we are running seven classes depending on the level of students," she said. "We have different classes from beginning to a high level. Students who are studying at an advanced level are very good at speaking Korean.”
The former lawyer said teaching Korean to Australians was a rewarding exercise.
“Teaching Korean is very fun. I think this is a kind of service to the Korean community. That's why I started teaching in a Korean language school.”
Venus Cheung, a student from the Melbourne school, says she hopes that her education will help her find a job relating to Korea.
Teacher Sue Young Kim and students at the Korean language school of Melbourne Source: SBS Korean
“When I was young, I watched a Korean drama in Hong Kong and was very interested in Korean food. I wanted to do something related to Korea. I’d like to work in a cultural area or with Korean clients,” she says.
The SBS National Languages Competition 2019 is an SBS Radio initiative to encourage and celebrate a love of learning languages in Australia. This year we encourage Australians of all ages who are learning a language, including those learning English and AUSLAN to participate by sending us a drawing or writing that shows us ‘How does learning a language make a world of difference?’.
