Module Catalogue 2025/26

Pre Requisite Comment

N/A

Co Requisite Comment

N/A

Aims

1. To establish the most basic foundation in the language systems (grammar, orthography and phonetics) of Korean, upon which students can build language competence with a view to further study.
2. To allow students to begin to develop receptive (reading and listening) and productive (writing and speaking) skills.
3. To begin to provide students with skills necessary to become better language learners.

This is the first part of a Korean Beginners course designed with the non language specialist in mind. It is intended for absolute beginners and covers both language systems and the four skills: writing, reading, speaking and listening. At the end of the module, the students will have gained an awareness of the basics of the language. They will understand and use some familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type.

Outline Of Syllabus

These are the Communication and Grammar that will be covered in this module:

Communication: Vocabulary; Speaking and Listening skills:
• Greetings and introducing yourself
• Talking about your nationalities, school years, occupation
• Sino-Korean Numbers
• An expression asking the other party’s opinion
• Talking about classes and describing people
• Talking about one’s immediate surroundings and basic activities
• Expressing possession
• Making requests
• Talking about home and your family

Grammar:
• ‘to be’ equational expression
• Topic particle
• Yes/no questions
• ‘to not be’ Negative equational expression
• Polite-ending conjugation for simple verbs and adjectives
• Subject particle and Object particle
• Expressions of ‘there is/are…’
• The honorific ending

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

By the end of the module students will be familiar with the most basic grammatical structures and vocabulary, and the orthographic and phonological systems of the language. This will act as a foundation upon which they may build language skills later on.

Intended Skill Outcomes

By the end of the course, the students should be able to:

Reading:

• read all Hangeul letters and syllable blocks.
• understand short, simple texts a single phrase at a time, picking up familiar words and basic phrases.

Writing:

• write all Hangeul letters (40 letters: 19 consonants and 21 vowels) and form syllable blocks.
• compose very simple sentences and passages introducing him/herself.
• write short answers in Korean to basic personal questions.

Speaking:

• communicate in a very simple manner on familiar topics using the most basic grammatical structures and vocabulary.
• present basic information about herself/himself and describe other people.

Listening:

• understand simple instructions addressed carefully and slowly to him/her and follow the instructions.
• recognize some familiar words and phrases and demonstrate understanding of information from short, recorded passages which are delivered slowly and clearly.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

1. Teaching in the language seminars will focus on communication skills. Grammar will be taught systematically to enable students to produce and manipulate the foreign language. Use of the target language will be made as much as possible to develop listening skills. All four skills: listening, reading, writing and speaking are fully integrated in the language seminars and associated work and preparation, and will be tested equally.

2. Independent learning and learner autonomy are further developed through online guided tasks, pair and group work, assessment preparation and completion, and self-study at home, via the University’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and in the Language Resource Centre. Particular initiative is expected from students, e.g. course participants will be asked to contribute their own materials to the classes and activities.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The portfolio will help students assess their progress and identify their strengths and areas for improvement. It will test student’s ability to communicate effectively, identify relevant information and produce a structured text in the target language.

General Notes

N/A