I came to Korea to learn Korean. I ended up learning about the world
When I moved to Seoul to study Korean, I expected my education to be about Korea. I imagined improving my Korean, learning more about Korean society and gaining a deeper understanding of a country in which I hoped to build a future. What I did not expect was that studying Korean would teach me so much about the rest of the world. At times, my classroom at Korea University’s Korean Language Center…
I relocated to Seoul with the intention of honing my Korean language skills. My vision was to immerse myself in Korean culture, broaden my understanding of Korean society, and lay the groundwork for a future in the country. However, my journey exceeded my expectations by offering profound insights into the wider world. Occasionally, my classroom at Korea University’s Korean Language Center felt like a compact United Nations.
Throughout the year, I shared my learning space with individuals hailing from diverse nations like Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, and Turkey. Having grown up in Australia and New Zealand, I had limited exposure to these regions. Yet, I soon learned that multiculturalism is intrinsically tied to geography. Migration patterns, geographical factors, and historical contexts invariably influence the cultures we are exposed to in our daily lives.
Korea's strategic location near Central and Northeast Asia, coupled with its rising cultural impact and educational prospects, acts as a catalyst for bringing together students who might not have crossed paths otherwise. While our shared objective was to learn Korean, an unexpected byproduct was the mutual teaching that unfolded among us.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- I came to Korea to learn Korean. I ended up learning about the world koreatimes.co.kr
