Korean language and culture education at universities in Hong Kong : curricula with an example

The details of Korean language and culture education in undergraduate programs at universities in Hong Kong are not nearly as well known as other countries. This study aimed to examine the Korean language and culture curricula of Korean Studies/Korean Language major/minor programs offered at four major universities in Hong Kong, and then to examine a specific case of Korean language and culture education for college students through the Korean minor program at Hong Kong Polytechnic University. The conclusions of the study are as follows. First, the contents of Korean popular culture, a.k.a. the Korean Wave, (e.g., K-pop songs, dramas and films, variety shows, webtoons) need to be actively utilized in Korean language teaching, and teaching materials and textbooks incorporating Korean popular culture need to be developed more. Second, effective Korean language teaching methods that could facilitate Korean learning by Hong Kong learners whose native language is Cantonese, especially at the beginning level, also need to be devised.