Recipient Profile
E-mail: lyoo1@nd.edu
Language: Korean
Location of Study: Seoul, South Korea
Program of Study: Yonsei University
Sponsors: Center for the Study of Languages and Cultures, College of Arts and Letters, Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies
Blog URL: http://sites.nd.edu/sla2019/author/lyoo1/
Pre-departure
A brief personal bio:
My name is Lauren Yoo and I am currently a sophomore a Political Science, Sociology, and Economics major with a Korean minor. I am from Northvale, New Jersey, but currently reside in Lewis Hall. I am currently the Co-Vice President of the Korean Student Association, and am involved in College Mentors for Kids and Student Government. I really like watching horror movies, crime shows, and eating Korean food! I am very excited to go to Korea this summer!
Why this summer language abroad opportunity is important to me:
The SLA Grant is important to me because I believe that studying in the country of the language one is learning is a crucial step in becoming fluent, which is my ultimate goal. I am currently very interested in Japanese-Korean relations during World War II, so learning Korean in the country would help me become better at reading and writing. I would like to write my senior thesis on that specific topic, so knowing how to read Korean would help while searching for primary sources. I am also thinking of working in the government after graduation, and am hoping to work in the field of American-Korean relations, so learning the language would definitely help in interacting with native Korean speakers. This SLA Grant offers me the opportunity to be immersed in both the culture and the language, which will help me both academically and holistically.
What I hope to achieve as a result of this summer study abroad experience:
I hope to become conversationally fluent in the language through this experience. Although I can speak to a certain extent to my peers and my parents, I cannot convey my thoughts with perfection. I would like to be able to have lengthy conversations with native Koreans and learn vocabulary pertaining to different situations. I believe that being immersed in the language and the culture will allow me to pick up on phrases and ways of speaking better than solely learning in a classroom setting. I also hope that I will learn more about Korea’s history and culture. I am not too familiar with Korean traditions, history, and monuments, so I hope to learn more about them while I am studying there.
My specific learning goals for language and intercultural learning this summer:
1. By the end of the summer, I will be able to speak simple conversations with native speakers without hesitating. 2. By the end of the summer, I will be able to speak simple conversations formally with native speakers. 3. By the end of the summer, I will be able to understand and know how to act in accordance with Korean culture in specific settings.