GWIKS Signature Conference, Korean Linguistics

According to statistics from the Modern Language Association, Korean experienced the highest increase in enrollments among commonly taught languages. Enrollments rose from 8,449 in fall 2009 to 13,936 in fall 2016, and further to 19,270 in fall 2021. Notably, from 2016 to 2021, while enrollments in most languages declined, Korean, Hebrew, and American Sign Language saw increases. Specifically, Biblical Hebrew programs grew by 9.1%, whereas Korean language programs surged by 38.3%. Over the period from 2009 to 2021, Korean enrollments increased by 128%, marking the most significant growth among foreign languages taught in colleges.

This surge is attributed to the global influence of Korea's popular culture, which has sparked widespread interest across diverse age groups. The popularity of Korea’s soft culture has naturally extended to the language. The Korean music industry, with its primary audience being Korean speakers, has seen its transnational popularity bring people of various ethnic backgrounds into contact with the Korean language. Recent studies indicate that engagement with target popular culture positively impacts students’ motivation to learn. This conference aims to bring together scholars and researchers to discuss the linguistic influence of Korea's popular culture and explore its pedagogical applications. 

For more information, here is a link to the program, with speaker profiles and abstracts.

Host or Publisher GW Institute for Korean Studies