Name: Jiyun Yang
E-mail: jyang12@nd.edu
Language: Korean
Location of Study: Seoul, South Korea
Program of Study: Seoul National University
Sponsors: Center for the Study of Languages and Cultures and the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies
Blog URL: http://sites.nd.edu/sla2017/author/jyang12nd-edu/
A brief personal bio:
My name is Jiyun (Jena) Yang from Mishawaka, IN and I am a rising sophomore studying Economics and ACMS with the intention of pursuing a minor in Korean. After Notre Dame, I hope to pursue a Ph.D. in international economics. On campus, I am involved in the Notre Dame Symphony Orchestra, KSA, Club Golf, and College Democrats. Among my interests are traveling, listening to music, watching movies, baking, and reading.
Why this summer language abroad opportunity is important to me:
My SLA Grant is important to me for three main reasons. Firstly, Korean is my mother tongue and although I can speak with little to no imperfections, I am not as skilled in reading and writing due to a lack of constant practice and use of the language. I hope to achieve fluency and accuracy in all three aspects of the language. Secondly, I hope that this study abroad experience will allow me to make progress regarding my goal of obtaining a minor in Korean. Thirdly, I hope that my fluency in Korean will allow me to work in an international field where I can employ my knowledge of the language to help bridge cultural gaps. I am confident that my goals for the summer will be met because I will be able to give my full attention to the language and culture by living among native Korean speakers and interacting with them on a daily basis.
What I hope to achieve as a result of this summer study abroad experience:
As a result of this summer study abroad experience, I intend to achieve fluency in Korean which is made possible by being in a fully immersive atmosphere. All in all, with the help of the study abroad program, I hope to be more confident in my abilities. I think that spending the summer in Korea will help me gain a thorough understanding of the language, since it is a more effective way of learning a language compared to simply studying it in a classroom setting with textbooks. Also, the continuous exposure to the language and nuances of the culture will allow me to sharpen my comprehension skills.
My specific learning goals for language and intercultural learning this summer:
By the end of my summer study abroad experience, I will be able to become fully comfortable engaging in lengthy conversations with native Korean speakers who live in Korea.
By the end of my summer study abroad experience, I will be able to expand my higher level academic vocabulary and be able to understand idioms and other colloquial terms and phrases.
By the end of my summer study abroad experience, I will be able to gain a more extensive understanding of the customs and culture (historical and popular).
My plan for maximizing my international language learning experience: