The Development of the Cultural Video Project and Its Impact on Korean Learning

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study sought to evaluate the potential of a customized, video-based language learning instrument, the Cultural Video Project (CVP), which was designed to meet the needs of both heritage and non-heritage students learning Korean in a mixed university classroom setting. The CVP was a series of short authentic Korean video clips and matching assignments that the researcher created. The goal of this study was to design and create the CVP, document the implementation of the CVP, and then to assess the effect the CVP had on students' language and culture acquisition. The selected videos were adapted from contemporary Korean broadcasting programs and Korean films. Each video segment displayed linguistic structures, vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, and cultural conventions that were partly addressed in the course's elementary Korean curriculum. The CVP videos were available on the school's Blackboard for students to use for practice and review, and were presented during the classroom lessons. The findings reveal that through the CVP practice, students increased their cultural understanding, improved their listening skills, but there was no test score difference between heritage and non-heritage students. Students reported that authentic video instruction improved their understanding of language use in a variety of culturally specific social situations.