Kim Hye-ran, teacher

Could you introduce yourself and your institute?

My name is Kim Hye-ran and I teach Korean at Moscow KSI, Russia. I’ve been living in Russia for the last 19 years and it’s been about four years since I’ve been working as a Korean teacher.

 

Moscow KSI opened in 2008 and it’s quite a big institute as there are thousand students who attend the class annually. So obviously there are a lot of staffs as well. It’s a hectic place with 7 operating staffs and 14 teachers. 70% of learners are university students. Now there are more number of high school students and employees of Korean companies attending the weekend classes which have been open recently. Most of high school students come to learn Korean as they plan to major in Korean language in universities.

 

​ Please share major strengths of Moscow KSI.

The major strength of our institute is that teachers actively exchange information about their classes. We take a pleasure in sharing lesson plans and teaching materials with other teachers. This contributes to improving ourselves together.

 

​ What are the areas to be improved at your institute?

Unfortunately, the space for classes is rather limited. There are already a lot of students attending the classes but also there are many Russians who wish to attend the class. However, compared to that number, there are limited classrooms, chairs and desks. We hope to expand our KSI facility to accommodate everyone who wishes to learn Korean.

 

​ How do Russians perceive South Korea lately?

South Korea’ economic and political status in Russia has ascended lately. As a consequence, there are more Russians who wish to learn about South Korea and learn Korean language. For an instance, the number of Russians who visit South Korea for a medical tourism has been rapidly increasing. This is because Russians are now well aware of South Korea’s advanced medical technology. Some of our students at the institute learn Korean as they plan to enter a medical school in South Korea. These days, there are Russians who are interested in Korean politics as well, not just Korean medical treatments. In fact, there are Russian public officials who learn Korean as they want to learn South Korea’s administrative system.

 

​ Why did you choose to become a Korean language teacher?

Actually, I had wanted to become a Russian teacher but after living in Russia I decided to become a Korean teacher. I majored in Russian language and literature at a university. In 1999, I came to Russia to enhance my Russian language skills. I had originally planned to go back to Korea and teach Russian to Korean students. However, while I was studying here I met an Italian man who later became my husband and we settled here in Russia. For a while, I didn’t know what to do with my career. I could not teach Russian to Russian people. Meanwhile, a Russian friend of mine inspired me as she was teaching Russian to foreigners. Then, I wanted to teach my mother tongue to foreigners like her. Plus, while working as a Korean teacher, I could instill Korean identity to my children. So I took an online course on Korean educational linguistics from a cyber university.

 

​ Do you have your own know-how as a Korean language teacher?

My forte is that I can speak Russian fluently. I majored in Russian and I’ve lived here for a long time so I can speak Russian quite well. Hence, I can directly translate any word that students may not know.

 

Additionally, I explain Korean language with interesting anecdotes and examples from my daily life. For example, I showed my own traditional wedding ceremony when I was explaining about Korean traditional wedding culture. Also I use common mistakes that my Italian husband makes so that my students would not make similar mistakes. I guess, my students find them more interesting and feel related as these are real stories of their teacher. So there are a lot of feedbacks from the students that they are grateful since the classes have been memorable for them.

 

​ Do you have any memorable student from KSI?

The most memorable student is Ana, professor of public administration from Oryol University. Oryol is a city which takes six hours for a round trip from Moscow. Ana who lives in Oryol would spend six hours just to learn Korean. She would come to Moscow the day before the class and stay at her friend’s place overnight. Then she would come to my class on the following day and go back to her home in Oryol. What is amazing is that she still attends the class! She’s so passionate to learn Korean.

 

​ What kind of advice would you give to those who aspire to become a Korean language teacher?

Being a Korean teacher is a meaningful and enjoyable profession. I sincerely hope that those who aspire to become a Korean language teacher achieve their dreams. As a Korean teacher you will meet such passionate students every day. Those learners have a passion to learn Korean. Just witnessing their zeal inspires me. Sometimes, I receive thank you letters from my former students and these are my proud moments. Furthermore, it’s an invaluable profession to enhance the position my native country.