The Bowdoin Orient

February 16, 2001
Volume CXXXII, Number 16

KASA offers Korean language and culture classes

by LAURA NEWMAN - A&E EDITOR

   In an effort to respond to a growing need in the Brunswick community, the Bowdoin Korean-American Students Association has created a Korean School designed to teach the Korean language and customs to those who wish to learn more about the culture. Says KASA member Brian Ryu, "(KASA) felt that we wanted to reach out and give back to the community."
   Within Bowdoin College's Asian Studies program are Chinese and Japanese language classes, but the college is currently without a Korean language program, despite the relatively large amount of interest in developing such a program.
   Those already involved in the KASA Korean School include families who have adopted Korean children and a large number of non-Korean Bowdoin students.
   The school will also attempt to make it easier for Brunswick residents to learn more about Korean culture without having to drive to Portland to attend the Korean School at a local church.
   According to Heather Park, a Bowdoin student and one of the founders of the Korean School, there are already 20 students "enrolled" in the Korean class.
   She first became aware of the need for such a school after being approached in the grocery store and at church by families who have adopted children from Korea and wanted their children to have contact with other Korean children and the culture.
   Park stresses how helpful the KASA and the administration have been in helping to create the school. Says Park, "We have a team of dedicated teachers who come in and organize the classes and teach every Saturday solely on a volunteer basis."
   The curriculum will be mainly devoted to learning how to speak, write, and read Korean and will last approximately two hours. The first hour will be primarily concerned with the instruction of language, followed by a short snack break. The second hour will introduce an element of Korean culture to the students, generally involving an activity like cooking or singing.
   The program will finish at the end of the semester with a Korean banquet, with members of the class learning the names of the dishes and ingredients of typical Korean food. The Korean school is an earnest attempt to combine learning and fun in order to bring a necessary educationcal element to the Bowdoin and Brunswick community.
   The school will run every Saturday from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. Please contact Heather Park at hpark@bowdoin.edu for school location information.

Photo couretsy of the KASA