A Case Study of Teaching Korean History in English in Korea

Abstract

This paper is a report as well as a case study of teaching pre-modern Korean history in English by Korean teachers who have studied in Korea. The students who took these courses consisted of three different groups: American exchange students, Chinese students, and Korean students. Each of these groups showed varying interest based on their intellectual backgrounds. The American students exhibited more interest in interactive learning such as Korean traditional music and field trips to sites of various examples of Korean historical architecture, while the Korean and Chinese students found this architecture familiar and were not as enthusiastic as the American students. Regarding the three groups’ general responses to the course, the Chinese student were surprised to find China being depicted as invaders, while the Korean students were intrigued by different interpretations of their national history than they had been accustomed to. The American students, on the other hand, were quite unemotional concerning the various interpretations of Korean history. These reactions showed how ones’ perspective on history is heavily influenced by ones’ educational background. Overall, these courses were very interesting and helpful as they allowed both students and lecturers to widen their understanding of how Korean history is perceived and perpetuated by different academic societies.