Kyung Hee University (KHU)’s Institute for International Education (IIE) and Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) hosted a ten-day language and culture exchange program on March this year. Nine students from Penn State, accompanied by volunteer students from KHU, visited Korea and toured various parts of the nation, including historic sites and education institutions. The visit was “a successful and immersive learning opportunity” for all involved, according to Professor Jayoung Song of the Dept. of Asian Studies at Penn State, who supervised the visit.

Prof. Song, a graduate of the KHU Dept. of English, has been actively fostering collaboration between Penn State and KHU. Aiming to provide her students with the opportunity to experience Korea firsthand, she created the Penn State-KHU language and culture exchange program and has been heading it for four years. In this interview article, Prof. Song shares her teaching experience at Penn State and how it was like visiting Korea with her students on this year’s exchange program.

Q. During your time at KHU, you were an undergraduate at the Dept. of English, learning about the ways of the west. Now, you teach Asian linguistics and Korean culture at Penn State. Was there a particular experience during your time at KHU that affected your decisions leading up to your becoming a Professor of Korean and Applied Linguistics at Penn State?

A. When I was an undergraduate, I volunteered as a language partner for foreign students at IIE. It seemed like a good opportunity to practice English and make new friends. What I quickly found out was that it was quite fulfilling to introduce foreign students to Korean language and culture. Also, I found it fascinating that students of different nationalities struggled with distinct parts of the Korean language. I took an interest in understanding these differences and made up my mind to apply to the Korean linguistics Education major for my graduate studies. This eventually led up to my becoming a professor of Korean and Applied Linguistics at Penn State.

Q. Your currently teach Asian Linguistics, Korean Linguistics, and Korean Language and Culture. Among these subjects, are there any specific topics that Penn State students are particularly interested in?

A. Students seem to like my Asian Linguistics course, in which I teach the basics of various Asian languages, such as Hindi, Malaysian, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. Students are particularly interested when I teach them Korean. Korean is quite unique compared to other Asian languages. It has its own unique alphabet while most others have the roman alphabet incorporated in them. It has a fascinating history, with one single figure solely responsible for its conception. It is also extremely easy for Penn State students to learn to read. Even a novice can master the sounds in less than three hours. That is not possible in the other languages I teach. Other than that, students enjoy learning about the various aspects of Korean culture and history: K-pop, the Korean entertainment industry, and north-south relations.

Q. As a Korean Professor at Penn State, when are the moments you feel the most gratified?

A. Students often visit me at the end of the semester or just before graduation to leave Thank You notes and presents. I am incredibly happy when that happens. Also, some students contact me years after graduation. Hearing them talk about how they paved their own paths makes me proud, especially when they find jobs in areas related to what I taught them on.

Q. Four years ago, you established cooperation between Penn State and KHU’s IIE. Under your guidance, both institutions have run language and culture exchange programs ever since, giving Penn State students the opportunity to visit South Korea and learn from the locals. What was the motive behind this, and why KHU?

A. The best way to learn a country’s language and culture is to live in it. My students rarely have the chance to practice Korean outside classes. For these students, having the opportunity to go to Korea and immerse themselves in the local environment really helps them improve. I wanted to provide my students with such an opportunity, so I started looking for a Korean university to hold exchange programs with. KHU’s IIE was an obvious choice as it is one of the earliest Korean universities to hold exchange programs with foreign universities. I knew I could trust the IIE to devise a suitable program for my students. That is the reason behind the exchange.

Q. For this year’s language and culture exchange program, nine Penn State students came to South Korea to immerse themselves in the everyday lives of Korean society. KHU students volunteered as language partners to accompany them. What was the purpose of this year’s visit, and what events were the most memorable for all of those involved?

A. The purpose of the visit was to provide Penn State students with a truly immersive experience in Korean culture. Each day of the one-week visit had its own theme. The first day’s theme was the city of Seoul. Penn State students toured various historic and tourist hotspots in the capital, such as Gyeongbokgung palace, Bukchon, and Insa-dong. The second and third days focused on the Korean education system: Penn State students visited an elementary school, two high schools, and a social community center. They ate lunch, played games, and participated in classes with the Korean students. I think that was a great opportunity for my students to better understand the Korean educational system and explore the school culture here. A visit to the demilitarized zone was also planned during the next couple of days, but recent North Korean provocations made that impossible at that time. Instead, the tour was rerouted to local museums and monuments in the vicinity. Regardless, my students say they were fascinated to be near such a significant location. The final day was dedicated to the Korean Entertainment industry. Penn State students enjoyed tours of a Broadcasting station at Sangam-dong, a Korean film museum, and the SM Entertainment building. All in all, this ten-day visit was a great opportunity for Penn State students to understand Korean culture better by sharing interesting questions and observations with KHU volunteers and other locals.

Q. What does the future hold for the language and culture exchange program between Penn State and KHU?

A. This year’s program was an enormous success, so I do not plan to make any drastic changes to the program soon. Although it would be great if we could obtain a larger grant, which would allow us to extend visits. This year’s program took place during the spring break week, but in the future, we will aim for visits lasting for a couple of months, or even for an entire school vacation season.

Q. It has been almost two decades since you graduated. Any words of advice you would like to give to current students of KHU?

A. Two Things. First, be proud of the fact that you are studying at KHU. The key experiences that helped me achieve my current position were the ones I gained at KHU. My professors were very passionate, and I learned much from them. KHU is a great learning environment in which students can immerse themselves in their studies. Be proud. Second, try to experience as much as possible. Looking back, I was never afraid of engaging in new activities, and all those little experiences eventually made me into who I am today. For instance, I would not have become a professor of Korean if I had not volunteered for that language helper program during my time as a KHU undergraduate. Try to experience everything, even if you are usure of whether it will be useful for you or not. Every novelty you encounter can help you grow in a new direction. It really will.