Needs Analysis of Korean Language Programs

Abstract

ABSTRACT In recent decades, Korean language programs at both secondary and post-secondary levels have shown tremendous qualitative and quantitative growth in the US. According to the Modern Language Association (MLA), the number of students studying Korean in the US increased from 168 students in 1960, to 8511 students in 2009. At the University of Hawaii at Manoa (UHM), the first Korean language course was offered in 1946 to 10 students; as of Spring 2011, 582 students were enrolled in 50 Korean classes. As technology, pedagogical methods, and instructor quality have developed, language education has undergone tremendous change. And students' needs and motivations have changed enormously as well. In order to assess these changes, a needs analysis was conducted for Korean language programs in Hawaii, from high school through graduate school, in order to (i) identify Korean language learners' motivations and needs, and (ii) analyze differences among students based on (a) grade level, (b) proficiency level, and (c) status as heritage or non-heritage speaker. The results reveal the strengths and weaknesses of the current curriculum in satisfying the expectations and desires of students.