Korean Category

Excerpts from an interview with alumna Bilqees, NSLI-Y South Korea, Summer 2015 Bilqees sought out opportunities to study Korean even before she knew about NSLI-Y. Early in high school, she started learning it online “on a whim” and later enrolled in weekly classes at a Chicago-area Korean-American Community Center. Bilqees learned about NSLI-Y in her high school Arabic class and was ecstatic to learn of the Korean language option. It is this curiosity and openness to new experiences that seems to have helped Bilqees develop her language skills as aRead More

In October I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the 5th Swedish Film Festival in Seoul, Korea. Over the course of the week I got to see six excellent films that embraced the theme of diversity in Sweden and in the world. Having lived in Japan and now Korea, one of the things I have observed is a lack of exposure to other cultures. People often base their knowledge of outside cultures on what they see on T.V. or read in books. Several of my classmates once told meRead More

NSLI-Y Interactive is excited to announce the final Virtual Event of the 2016-2017 Academic Year featuring current Academic Year students on the NSLI-Y Korean program in Seoul, Korea. Three NSLI-Y students will present on their winter break projects and their final projects. Following their presentations will be a Q&A with the audience. Topics will include: Korean Pottery’s Making Processes and Cultural History The Definition and Value of Traditional Filial Piety in Modern Korea to Different Generations Korean Shamanism and Gut Sasang Constitutional Typology The Crisis of Elderly Poverty in KoreaRead More

Since I’ve come back from my summer in Korea, I have been unable to properly convey how much the experience changed me. I could easily ramble off the list of facets that made my summer unique and unforgettable – the food, the culture, the city. What I remember most fondly, however, and what truly made my summer, was my time with my host family – more specifically, the myriad car rides I took with my host mom. What’s so special about a car ride? At the beginning of the program,Read More

My summer resolution was to return to the country my parents and grandparents call home and reconnect with my Korean roots through NSLI-Y’s unique language and cultural immersion program. Although aspects of Korean culture are still present in my everyday life, this past year I realized how detached I had become from the Korean side of my Korean American identity. I had lost the majority of my Korean speaking skills, could not write or read Hangul, and could not list South Korea’s most important holidays and traditions. My grandparents hadRead More

Each month, the NSLI-Y program takes us on a “cultural enhancement excursion” to experience various aspects of Korean culture and help us think in new ways. These trips are always some of my favorite times of the month and each one has been unique and insightful. Our November cultural enhancement program took us south-east to a traditional village in Andong called “하회 마을” (Hahhae village). The trip was lots of fun and as someone who isn’t a huge city person, I really enjoyed the escape into the countryside where lifeRead More

Through the Eyes of a Host Family: A collection of interviews on what it takes to be a successful student or host family, language learning, culture shock in both Korea and the U.S., and many more topics. By Alexi, NSLI-Y Korea AY 2015-2016 Chapter 5: Advice from an American host family What advice would you give to foreign students who are coming to the U.S.? What makes the host student successful? 미국에 오는 외국인 학생들에게 어떤 조언을 해주고 싶으신가요? 어떤 것이 학생들이 성공적인 경험을 할 수 있도록 도와주나요? Willingness toRead More

Through the Eyes of a Host Family: A collection of interviews on what it takes to be a successful student or host family, language learning, culture shock in both Korea and the U.S., and many more topics. By Alexi, NSLI-Y Korea AY 2015-2016 Chapter 4: Korean Host Family on Returning Back to Korea Post U.S. Trip, and Reflections What do you miss about the U.S.? 미국의 어떤 점이 그리운가요? Response 1: The thing I miss the most is the Hanover green and campus. Every morning we went to the Co-opRead More

Through the Eyes of a Host Family: A collection of interviews on what it takes to be a successful student or host family, language learning, culture shock in both Korea and the U.S., and many more topics. By Alexi, NSLI-Y Korea AY 2015-2016 Chapter 3: After Hosting an American Student, Koreans Experience the U.S. for Themselves As you were speaking English at the dinner table, what were you thinking? (Difficulties and pleasures of exchange student life, about learning languages, etc). 영어를 말하는 가족들과 함께 탁자에서 이야기하면서 무슨 생각을 했어요? (교환학생의Read More

Through the Eyes of a Host Family: A collection of interviews on what it takes to be a successful student or host family, language learning, culture shock in both Korea and the U.S., and many more topics. By Alexi, NSLI-Y Korea AY 2015-2016 Chapter 2: Thoughts on the NSLI-Y Program, Advice to Future Host Families You have now received three American students who went to Korea to study Korean… Among the things you have learned from these students, what is the most important and interesting thing? 한국에서 교환학생을 3명 받았는데Read More