best korean language immersion program

[flips]

i am looking to eventually transition from an english teacher to a korean language student. i was hoping some people with experience could advise me between: yonsei, snu, ehwa, and sogang's 20hr/week programs. (or any others)  i'd like to eventually go to graduate school in korea, either studying visual art, possibly english lit., or international relations/development, if that makes a difference.

also, i understand that one can work on a d-4 visa, after a period of 6 months. has anyone worked part-time while studying to supplement their income? how was the experience?

best.

[kanpekilove]

I was a student of the Sogang Korean Language Program, and I think it's the best immersion program because it focuses more on speaking than reading and writing. Other programs can train you really well for reading and writing, but will give less time for speaking practice. Sogang is especially good if you don't have a lot of time to study Korean, and want to use the language as quick as you learn it.

[Koenji]

I second Sogang University........I used to study there too and there were many defectors from Yonsei (they were happy switching to Sogang from what they told me.

As the previous poster said, if you want a conversation focused course then Sogang....butYonsei is more grammar focused orientated with drilling style teaching methods.

[flips]

since my end goal is to attend graduate school in korea, where a majority of the courses aren't taught in english, per my understanding, i think that knowing how to proficiently read and write would be of the utmost importance. saying that, i don't mean to diminish the importance of speaking, rather i believe i would need a balanced program. yale's site seemed to indicate that the ehwa course had a nice balance between the four language skills. does anyone have experience studying korean at ehwa?

[peasgoodnonsuch]

I'm in the same boat flips! Only I'm looking to study mass media/communications. I've been researching  or trying to, but it all seems so vague.

A couple of things you may want to consider: if you want international relations/development check out the Global Studies department at Korea University or Kyunghee University. You can get a degree in that area while taking English courses and studying Korean.

Also, have you thought about the implications of studying English lit. in a non-English speaking country? First of all, the program will look quite different from one in a country where English is the official language. Secondly, it won't look very legit to the employers back home if your English Master's was done in Korean.

As for language programs, which is more on topic, I'm currently favoring Yonsei, since it seems more attuned to Academic purposes. I've also heard they offer an elective in Hanja, which I've been told is absolutely necessary for people studying Korean in an academic setting.

[flips]

Also, have you thought about the implications of studying English lit. in a non-English speaking country? First of all, the program will look quite different from one in a country where English is the official language. Secondly, it won't look very legit to the employers back home if your English Master's was done in Korean.

hah. i did think about that paradox a bit, but found the pursuit intriguing, if for nothing else than the intellectual challenge of it. i found that seoul national university has a graduate program in comparative literature, presently i have a query out to them to find out whether the program and coursework are in english.

[scottdk]

Just about everyone that I've talked to says it is good to start off (like a year) somewhere like Sogang and then make a switch into Yonsei.  If you are trying to go into a graduate program in Korea, you will be only taking Korean classes for your first year.

[flips]

Just about everyone that I've talked to says it is good to start off (like a year) somewhere like Sogang and then make a switch into Yonsei.  If you are trying to go into a graduate program in Korea, you will be only taking Korean classes for your first year.

do you think that advice still holds, if i were to intensively self-study from the sogang text and workbooks for a year?

[mgfreen]

Have you had a look at the textbooks from the different schools? Obviously they aren't the only difference between the different programs, but they'll give you an idea of where the focus is in each program. I found that Yonsei's books work best for my learning style, but your mileage may vary.