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[Photo courtesy of Kyung Hee University]

On day 1, the program participants gathered at the auditorium of Kyung Hee University Institute of International Education. They looked rather puzzled, being unfamiliar with the setting. The orientation, which kicked off with greetings from the organizers, went smoothly in a casual ambiance. Participants were given a detailed explanation of the coming schedule and some other useful information.
After the orientation, participants took a placement exam. Measuring their basic Korean language competence, the exam is a required process to determine the right class level for participants. The participants’ language skills were as varied as their nationalities.
The exam consisted of a speaking and a writing test. When their names were called during the written exam, participants moved to the speaking exam session for a one-on-one dialogue with an evaluator. The dialogue was casual conversation and questions varied depending on the student’s language level.
Though most participants had some command of Korean, Ami from Japan and Rhea from Singapore were total beginners, so they were given some time to be exposed to Korean before taking the test. When the exam was over, the participants didn’t look very happy. Some were close to tears saying the exam was too difficult. Though the exam was simple, we could feel how much the participants were serious about learning Korean. Nothing compares to passion when it comes to learning. We could feel that they would have a lot to learn over the course of the week.

[Photo courtesy of Kyung Hee University]

The opening ceremony took place in the afternoon. Some Kyung Hee University students were there as Korean language helpers of the FKLT. Each FKLT participant was assigned a Korean student buddy who would be their friend and teacher.
Following the opening address, there was an introduction of the participants, K-pop teachers, K-pop drama teachers, and other program staff. The entrance ceremony ended on a good note with expectations on a successful FKLT.
The participants and Korean helpers moved to another room for a meeting time to learn more about each other. The talk was held in an amicable ambiance, after which they assembled outside to take a tour of the school campus. This would be where the FKLT participants would be taking Korean language classes for a week.
The group walked past the main building and the central library to the Grand Peace Hall, a performance center on a hill. Though the weather was hot and the students were sweating, their faces looked bright. They looked like old friends, enjoying a casual conversation while laughing whole-heartedly. The campus tour ended at Cheongwoon building, where the school’s convenience facilities are located, and the students said goodbye to each other and promised to meet the next day.
Liu Yu Shan from China said “My student buddy and I decided to go to a gamjatang restaurant in Hongdae. It sounds delicious.” Deng Qui Liang, another student from China, said “My student buddy and I decided to do something fun after class tomorrow. Today, I will go home and watch the Olympic Games.”

The FKLT class begins from the time when participants leave their homestay home to go to class. All homestay homes are placed within an hour from campus by public transportation. Staying with a Korean family and being exposed to Korean culture and life is also a good way to learn Korean.
The long-awaited first class began. During this class, participants had a time to introduce themselves. The teacher introduced herself first, followed by the students. Ami and Rhea who don’t speak Korean had been given some notes in Korean from the teacher to introduce themselves briefly. Though their Korean wasn’t fluent, they succeeded in introducing themselves to the others in Korean.

[Photo courtesy of Kyung Hee University]

Genevieve from Singapore said she wanted to learn Korean because she loves the Korean idol group Shinhwa. Questions followed during the introductory class. By introducing themselves, the students not only practiced Korean, but they learned more about each other.
Then, they learned day-to-day vocabulary and various expressions. The students talked about various cultural themes, ranging from food, tourism to tourist sites, fashion, and jjimjilbang (Korean sauna). Then, there was a role play where the students were given a partner. The students had fun with the teacher’s active involvement in the role play and those who were reluctant to do the role play in the beginning soon found themselves engaged.
As the days passed, the students became familiar with the Korean classes and showed a high level of concentration and learning ability. In addition to the role playing, the FKLT classes included various other programs. Students learned to sing K-pops and dance or simulate a scene from a K-drama. Video materials are used for better understanding. The K-pops and K-dramas were very useful as they include many Korean expressions that are widely used in daily life. The students looked excited and they seemed to have fun with the classes.

[Photo courtesy of Kyung Hee University]

A big fan of Super Junior, Ami ran to a K-pop dance institute right after class. When classes end at 1pm in the afternoon, the students were busy enjoying Korea in their own way. Szeman from Hong Kong said “Korea is a great place for shopping. After class, I usually go shopping in Seoul.” Deng Qui Liang said “I can’t visit other cities because the program is short, but I want to visit many places in Seoul and experience the city.” Chen Jia Ling from Taiwan said “Unlike other friends, I will stay for a few more days in Seoul after the program so I can do more here. I will go shopping in Myeongdong and go to a JYJ concert.”
But the participants’ interests were not limited to K-pop, tourism, and shopping. Many of them were drawn to Korean food. Pan Sopeap from Cambodia, has a high interest in Korean cuisine even if Korean food is not widely available in his country. So, he actively used the ‘Korean food experience’ benefit of the FKLT and traveled to find good Korean food during his free time. Pan Sopeap is also the winner of the Korean speaking contest organized by KTO.
Though the FKLT program only lasted a week, most of the participants were extremely satisfied with the program.
“I took the program during my vacation. I came to Korea several times but this is the first time I stayed with a Korean family. I think the biggest advantage of the program is that we can be friends with a Korean family and learn about the culture from them. This is really fun.”
The Fun Korean Lesson Trip, or FKLT, is a great a fun and easy way of learning about Korea through Korean language classes, homestay arrangementst, and cultural exchanges with Korean friends.