ALL ABOUT KOREAN LANGUAGE CLASSES AT PIKE ROAD

Have you met Mrs. Mary Chon at one of our events or classes yet?  If not, let me introduce you.  Mary Chon joined AKEEP’s teaching team this past spring and has gained valuable experience through her involvement in the Summer 2022 Startalk Program, teaching Exploratory Korean to middle schoolers at Pike Road and LEAD Academy this fall and assisting with an afterschool Korean club.   

I asked Mrs. Chon for an update recently and she gave the following report: “The Korean Exploratory classes at PRJHS are going well.”  During the first nine weeks, students have acquired a new language needed to tell “All About Me”.  In the midst of language learning, Mrs. Chon also enjoys teaching students about Korean culture.  Already this year, she has been able to share the Chuseok holiday (similar to Thanksgiving) and traditional Korean quilts (‘Jogakbo’).   To celebrate Chuseok, “we made Chuseok holiday posters and invitation cards for friends, prepared Chuseok food ingredients and made our own Songpyeon (the special food of Chuseok).”  As they enter the second nine weeks, students are learning what they need to be able to talk about their “Daily Routines” and will learn “the importance of the history and meaning of Hangul Day” in Korean culture. Mrs. Chon’s students truly are learning “that language and culture are inextricably intertwined” and can be acquired in a fun, interactive environment. 

By Sharon Hobbie