Korean Language

Korean is a native language of over 80 million people, the national language of Korea, the heritage language of diasporas in the US, China, Russia, Central Asia, and Latin America. Since the 21st century, it has also become a global language through the spread of Korean popular culture.

Korean Language at UCLA

Since Korean language instruction was first offered at UCLA in 1986, the Korean Language Program has become one of the top Korean language programs in the United States. The program offers four years of undergraduate Korean language instruction, heritage and non-heritage tracks, and advanced elective courses to build fluency and facilitate language acquisition. The graduates of our programs have gone on to become professionals in a wide range of fields including government, business, education, entertainment, research, mental health, law enforcement, education and more.

The Korean language program is designed to meet the diverse needs of learners and align with broader educational objectives. These include

1. Language Proficiency: Develop comprehensive skills in speaking, listening, reading, and writing in Korean, enabling effective communication in various contexts.
2. Cultural Understanding: Enhance students’ appreciation of Korean culture, history, and traditions, fostering intercultural competence.
3. Academic and Professional Preparation: Prepare students to function successfully in academic or professional fields related to Korean studies, such as translation, interpretation, and cultural specialization.
4. Global Leadership: Cultivate translingual and transcultural competence, empowering students to become competent global leaders.
5. Real-Life Application: Provide opportunities for students to apply their linguistic and cultural knowledge to real-life situations through authentic materials and tasks.

Korean Language Instructional Faculty

The Korean language faculty have decades of professional experience and work regularly to develop innovative pedagogy and language-learning resources. We aim to:

• Equip students with level-appropriate Korean language proficiency skills
• Cultivate students’ professional and global competencies by enhancing learners’ intercultural communication skills
• Empower students through supportive learning communities in and outside of the classroom

Curricular Roadmap

Four-Year Core Sequence

The core of the Korean language program is a four-year sequence. Courses in the core sequence target Korean language acquisition with the aim to achieve advanced fluency by the end of the four-years. Courses target listening, speaking, reading, and writing, covering both oral and written skills.

Students with no prior knowledge of Korean should enroll in Korean 1, which is offered every Fall quarter. Heritage speakers of Korean can opt to enroll in Korean 1A: Elementary Korean for Korean-Heritage Speakers, which is also offered every Fall quarter.

Enrollment in any other Korean courses and levels require fulfilling existing prerequisites or completing a placement examination.

First-Year Sequence

Prerequisites: none for fall enrollment. Courses must be taken in sequence. I.e. Korea 2 requires taking Korea 1; Korea 3 requires Korean 2 or Placement Exam

Course Title	Fall	Winter	Spring
Elementary Modern Korean	Korea 1	Korea 2	Korea 3
Elementary Korean for Korean-Heritage Speakers	Korea 1A	Korea 2A	Korea 3A

Second-Year Sequence

Prerequisites: Completion of First-Year Sequence (Korea 3 or 3A) OR Placement Exam; Courses must be taken in sequence. I.e. Korea 5 requires taking Korea 4; Korea 6 requires Korean 5

Course Title	Fall	Winter	Spring
Intermediate Modern Korean	Korean 4	Korean 5	Korean 6

Third-Year Sequence

Prerequisites: Completion of Second-Year Sequence (Korea 6) OR Placement Exam; Courses must be taken in sequence. I.e. Korea 100B requires taking Korea 100A; Korea 100C requires Korean 100B

Course Title	Fall	Winter	Spring
Advanced Modern Korean	Korean 100A	Korean 100B	Korean 100C

Fourth-year Sequence

Prerequisites: Completion of Second-Year Sequence (Korea 100C) OR Placement Exam; Courses may be taken out of sequence.

Course Title	Fall	Winter	Spring
Fourth Year Korean	Korean 101A	Korean 101B	Korean 101C

Advanced Electives

The Korean language program also offers advanced electives outside the four-year core sequence.

For more information about our majors, please contact the ALC Undergraduate Student Affairs Officer