Korean Job Discussion Forums

[naturegirl321]

It seems like more than a couple people were interested in taking the course to help get points for the F2.-S visa. Anyone take it? How did it turn out? Do you think you'll end up finishing the whole programme?

[nick70100]

I'm doing the course now. I tested into the 4th level. (out of 5 total levels) Before you begin you have to take a placement test. The test covers Korean language, society, history, and culture. The test is deceptively easy. It doesn't seem very hard, but there is little margin for error. You need to score 90 points out of 100 to go directly into level 5, and missing even 2 questions can put you below 90.

Each level lasts a semester. The first 4 levels are 100 hours each, the 5th level is 50 hours. If you started at level 1 it would take 2 and a half years to complete the whole program. I tested into level 4, and started in March. I'll finish level 4 at the beginning of July. Then I'll move on to level 5 Starting in September and finishing in early December. So hopefully I'll be able to apply for the F2 before the end of this year.

The registration process was a huge hassle. They offer the courses at many different locations in Seoul, but they didn't actually decide on the class schedules until the very last minute. Which made it very hard to decide which one to apply to. It's also not very friendly to working people. Out of around 20 locations in and around Seoul, almost all of them were offering their classes during working hours on weekdays. I found one place offering the classes on Saturdays for 6 hours and luckily found another place offering the classes 3 times a week from 6:30-8:30 pm which is the one I ended up choosing. It's about an hour away from my house and I waste just as much time commuting as I spend in the actual class, but it seemed better than sacrificing most of my Saturdays for the rest of the year. Also, this is in Seoul. Many smaller cities only have one or two locations offering the class. In that case I guess if the schedule doesn't fit you're just out of luck. Another odd thing is that all of the registration material, the website, all of the information, everything is entirely Korean. It wasn't a problem for me, but if you don't speak Korean and wanted to start with level 1 you would absolutely need help from a Korean speaker to get it done.

There are 5 people including myself in the class that I'm taking, 2 Japanese, 2 Chinese, and me (American). The Japanese people are trying to get the F-2, same as myself, and the Chinese people are going after citizenship. We all speak Korean pretty well, are disappointed we didn't do better on the placement test, and have better things to do with our time which kind of ruins the atmosphere of the class a bit... no one really wants to be there. The teacher is a full-time Korean language instructor at the University where the classes are held, so she more or less knows what she's doing.

As far as I understand it there is only one test at the end of level 5. I've been told that it is easy, but I haven't been given any specific information about what's on it. In the previous levels you automatically move up as long as you show up to class. The attendance requirements are pretty strict. You must show up for at least 80% of the classes, and being more than 5 minutes late is considered an absence. This makes very little sense to me. If you get held up in traffic or are running a bit late you might as well just go home because you're not going to get credit for the class. We have an attendance sheet that the students and teacher must sign every day, and someone from immigration stopped by last week to do a surprise check to make sure there wasn't any attendance fraud going on. The teacher mentioned to us on the first day that this might happen, but I was shocked to see this person actually show up! Even though the policies seem ridiculous in several ways it probably won't be a problem for me. My work schedule is pretty consistent. However, I know a few other people in the class work later than I do and have already missed a few classes and "missed" even more by being late. So I'm curious to see what will happen if they don't make the 80% requirement.

The textbook has 20 lessons. Each lesson has an article about something related to Korean history or culture and is followed by grammar/vocabulary exercises. It's hit or miss I suppose. I find most of the language stuff to be easy. The articles vary a lot. Some of them seem like things anyone who has been in Korea more than a few months would know (Kimchi), and others are things I know absolutely nothing about (Social welfare programs in Korea). So that's the level 4 text book. I have no idea what the lower levels are like. In the class we only spend about half the time using the text book. The other half is usually spent discussing current events, issues in the news, etc. This part of the class I actually enjoy a bit.

I plan to finish the whole program, because I need the points for the visa. Other than the time commitment, there really isn't anything difficult about it. We do all of the work in the class, no homwork. I still don't know what that final test will be like, but I'll deal with that when it comes.

Another nice thing is that the program is 100% free. I haven't paid any registration fees, book fees, or anything. So if you're new to Korea or your language skills are lacking I think it could be a good way to learn Korean for free, as long as you can find a good schedule/location. While it seems like most people in my class are people who already speak Korean and just want to get it over with, I think if you actually need or want to learn Korean this program could be very useful.

[chrisinkorea2011]

if its a free program im sure that it isnt that hard in the first place. the ones you have to pay for including yonsei and others that cost money often are better because they have the funds for it. there is programs in gangnam that actually have 6 -7 levels and are progressively harder (not sure how much the difficulty compares to your program). but i suggest that school. i just have to remember the name.

[naturegirl321]

Hey, thanks so much. I've been looking into it. I work in the afternoons, so might be able to take the regular classes as long as they're close to where I live in Suwon. Commuting to Seoul would be out of the question. I guess I'm worried about keeping up with it. 2.5 years is a long committment and I'll be having a baby in the fall, so I'm not so sure.

I've heard there's an online course, so I might try for that.

Thanks again for all your info!

[chungbukdo]

[journal]

Hi Nick,

Have you noticed whether or not any of the information found on the placement test is in the textbook you're using? Would love to have a quick 'study guide' before the next test.

Thanks!

[nick70100]