Korean Job Discussion Forums

[lukas]

Has anyone taken either of these two classes and can give me a recommendation/opinion of it?

I'm mainly looking for opinions of which class has better content. I'm not a beginner either if that has bearing on your response. I've been studying korean for about 6 months and I am most likely at a pre-intermediate level.

They're both major universities, so I would guess that the courses are similar.

[APETRO]

I can't speak for SNU but I will tell you that Yonsei's KLI program is very focused on grammar and writing. I did KLI Level 1 during my exchange sem. in 2008, but if I had to do it all over again i'd go to Sogang. Everyone i've met that has done the Sogang program seems to think highly of it, pretty much functional Korean/conversation.

[Murakano]

as the above poster said, go to SOGANG University.

[toby99]

Yep. Sogang is the best game in town for speaking. I've never even heard SNU being in the discussion.

[lukas]

Sounds like Sogang is the way to go. Anyone here take a class there and can tell me what it's like? Will we just practice dialogs all day or what?

[T-J]

I think it depends on what you are looking to get out of the courses you take.

If you are looking to get a quick infusion of conversation practice, then Sogang.

If you are looking more long term and really want to drill down the basics then Yonsei.

The truth is Yonsei is much more grammar intensive and the real pay off from what you learn there will not be realized for months after the course, but what you do learn will be a more solid and lasting foundation to build on for the long term.

My two cents.

[lukas]

[misher]

Did 3 levels at Sogang and it was great. I wouldn't continue there though. I need grammar, vocab, reading and writing now. I can practice Korean with Koreans outside of class. I don't need to sit and memorize dialogues. Like the above posters said, if you are looking to gain some fluency then sogang. If you are going to be here for a llong time and wish to pursue academic studies in the Korean language then Yonsei. In the end what you will get out of the program is what you put into it. I knew some western guys in level 5 at sogang and their speaking wasn't that great. They could memorize dialogues, listening scripts etc to pass the exams but their spoken language is not that much better than mine. And mine is pathetic. Classes here don't guarantee squat.

[T-J]

I went through the Yonsei program but that was 93~95.

[hostness]

[rchristo10]

I went to Yonsei for one semester and found it absolutely horrible. I've received a masters in Korea and speak Korean fairly fluently, but wanted to get some real training to better myself.

I was put in level 4 and found the book utterly useless and poorly made. The class was taught primarily as a lecture and there was very little in the way of actual language *training*. The language level of most of the students in my class would also be considered semi-fluent by most standards considering that some of the students had been living in Korea for more than 20 years and have already received M.A.s in Korean-taught programs.

Their level assessment is horrible and a total money scam.

[madoka]

[Slowmotion]

I went to SNU. It's a well balanced program. Downside is a lot of the students go there in hopes of getting into grad school at SNU, so they are quite boring. The fun students are at Yonsei, just heard the program sucks.

Everyone on this board seems to big up Sogang, but ironically most of those people can't speak worth a damn. Just saying it it was so great, i'd expect them to be pretty good at Korean.

[T-J]

[NaD00D00]

I went to Yonsei, then SNU, and will be returning to Yonsei.

The content/level is pretty much the same. But Yonsei's program is much better structured than SNU's. Classes at SNU are so disorganized. That, and the teacher does all the talking.

The testing is much worse at SNU, too. It's way too easy; I think it's impossible to fail the speaking test.