Name: Shannon Kraemer
E-mail: skraemer@nd.edu
Location of Study: Seoul, South Korea
Program of Study: Sogan Summer Program
Sponsors: Liu Family

A brief personal bio:

My name is Shannon Kraemer and I am pursuing majors in Economics and the Program of Liberal Studies (i.e. Great Books). I was born in Evanston IL, and I am the middle of five children. Beside my faith, traveling abroad and doing service work are my two greatest passions in life. I attended an all-women’s high school which gave me several opportunities to travel abroad doing service work. I also had the fortunate chance to spend time studying Spanish in Antigua, Guatemala over the Summer of 2011. This year I began Korean 10111, and after two semesters with Professor Yoon, I could not be happier with my choice to begin learning the language!

Why this summer language abroad opportunity is important to me:

My SLA grant is essential for me in terms of obtaining a minor in Korean. The extra language credits gathered abroad will allow me the space I need in my schedule to complete the minor. My SLA experience is also going to help me reflect on who I am and what type of adult I am becoming in our increasingly globalized world. Another purpose of the trip will be to take advantage of all of Seoul’s incredible and global opportunities and apply them to my Economic Senior Thesis.
South Korea’s economy is very relevant to our own and I think that if I understand how it works I can have a much more complete view of how economics work.

What I hope to achieve as a result of this summer study abroad experience:

I look forward to being able to speak proficient Korean, comfortably and confidently. Sogang University has a very respectable reputation as a language-teaching institution. I picked this particular University to study at because it focuses on speaking and listening. I hope to learn as much as possible within the six weeks I will be in Seoul. This trip will be my proficiency turning point from beginning Korean to conversational. Alongside my language classes, I will take one in English about Korean history and culture. I hope to become familiar with the geographical layout of the city of Seoul, one of the most influential cities in the world.

My specific learning goals for language and intercultural learning this summer:

1. At the end of the summer, I will be able to converse with my Korean friends at a comfortable speed about general topics.
2. At the end of the summer, I will be able to describe the defining economic and political characteristics of the Republic of Korea.
3. At the end of the summer, I will be able to demonstrate a great amount of intercultural flexibility and a willingness to step out of my comfort zone.
4. At the end of the summer, I will be very familiar with when I should use the different levels of honorific speech.
5. At the end of the summer, I will be able to speak, read, write and listen at a level of proficiency equal to a semester of Korean coursework at Notre Dame

My plan for maximizing my international language learning experience:

I plan to hit the ground running by taking full advantage of Sogang’s intercultural programs. One such program that I am very excited to try is the “Buddy Program”. Sogang University pairs heritage students with international students in order for the immersion to be as complete as possible. With my new Buddy, I will help them practice their English while they help me practice my Korean. I believe it is essential to gain experience speaking naturally with a native speaker, and likewise cannot wait to get started! Additionally, I will go on whatever field trips that the university offers. From what I have read, students in seminars are given multiple opportunities to see Seoul and its surrounding areas. I think going on tours of Seoul would be a fantastic opportunity to submerse myself in the culture. Additionally, many students from my high school were international Korean students who now live in Korea: these friends were the ones who originally sparked my interest in the language and I am excited to finally try speaking with them in their own tongue!

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Reflection on my language learning and intercultural gains:

Reflection on my summer language abroad experience overall:

How I plan to use my language and intercultural competences in the future: