Korean pop culture reshaping Korean teaching

Abstract

Korean pop culture is becoming more and more popular outside of Korea and Asia. This trend draws enormous attention to Korean culture, history, and of course, the language. Surveys show that more and more people are learning the language precisely because of their love for Korean pop culture. Such a tendency could not but affect how Korean is taught. In this article, I will look into how the syllabus, teaching methods, and materials used in the KFL classrooms have changed under the influence of Korean pop culture. Moreover, in order to identify if the use of materials related to pop culture can benefit students’ motivation and performance, I conducted an experiment with two groups of students, all starting their beginner-level course (three months). The results of the study showed how the use of such materials in the classroom can affect students’ motivation and attitude toward learning.