By Suzie K. Oh

Korean-Americans are very interested in helping their children develop and maintain appreciation for the Korean culture and language. They believe that by establishing schools that teach language culture, Korean-American children can develop a positive Korean identity. Because Koreans regard their heritage as an inextricable combination of culture and language, the Koreans’ heritage.

Korean language schools operate as part-time, supplementary educational enterprises. Classes are usually held on Saturday or Sunday for fewer than three hours per week. As weekend schools, Korean schools are limited in the amount and frequency with which they can promote the learning of Korean language and culture.

The instruction used in Korean language schools tends to rely on traditional, teacher-centered, and whole-class methods. The teachers have limited access to resources that would assist them to develop learner-centered, innovative strategies. Most teachers in Korean language schools have not participated in on-going formal teacher training programs that could have acquainted them with motivating, student-centered, interactive, and effective language teaching methods. Although Korean language schools, either independently or in collaboration with other schools, organize some staff development activities, many teachers I have come into contact indicate such programs are held too infrequently and fragmented. Teachers state that they have difficulty tailoring their instruction to the diverse levels of Korean language proficiency that are found among the students.

Korean is the dominant language of Korean parents, while English is the language which their children primarily rely on. Although children state that learning Korean is important, they often express ambivalence and sometimes negative attitudes toward Korean schools.

In summary, Korean schools are established by Koreans to help their children maintain Korean language and culture. The nature and function of Korean schools are similar to language schools that have been set up by other immigrants to the United States. Like other ethnic groups, Koreans’ language school activities are more extensive during the first and second generations. With succeeding generations, schools represent increasingly symbolic functions related to their role in promoting ethnic identification.

More research and professional dialogue for research-based and practice-validated practice is needed to determine the effects of the methods and materials used in Korean language schools on the students’ learning of Korean. Conducting long-term, in-depth observations would yield more valid findings about the nature of Korean language instruction and contribute to the identification of innovative methods and materials that are well-suited to the characteristics of Korean classrooms. This research may provide Korean educators with insights about how Korean school experiences could be more positive for children. Intensive and detailed analysis of the textbooks and supplemental materials may enable Korean educators to develop strategies for designing motivating instructional materials that teachers could use readily without extensive preparation. We also need to examine the extent to which parents and teachers can work together more closely to create natural Korean language learning opportunities, thereby establishing a mutually reinforcing linkage between the school and the family.

The deep respect that Koreans have for education and their dedication to hard work offer promise that they can continue their success in the difficult task of establishing and operating ethnic heritage language schools in the United States. With continued development, their schools can become more effective in helping Korean children experience the benefits of bilingualism and the value of positive identification with Korean and American cultures.


Suzie K. Oh is the Principal of Third Street School in the Los Angeles Unified School District and can be reached by email at sko1212@aol.com or by fax at (323)256-1765. She is in great demand as a speaker on educational matters including the Korean language and culture issues.