By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter
Passion for learning the Korean language and exploring cultural differences have motivated 25 U.S. students to visit Korea.
The American students arrived here Tuesday, to participate in the eight-week Korean language program organized by Kyung Hee University and the University of Pennsylvania. The program falls under the ``National Security Language Initiative’’ launched by U.S. President George Bush in 2006.
Columbia University graduate student Zachary Hooker, 24, doesn’t fully understand private lessons after class, which are common among many students in South Korea.
``My parents didn’t spend much money on private education. I graduated from a public high school and studied about five to seven hours a day for college admission,’’ Zachary said.
Asked for his advice on Korean students who aim to get admitted to top U.S. universities, Zachary suggested studying efficiently saying ``I think the style of education is different between the U.S. and Korea. I know Korean high school students study all day; working hard is good but studying smart is also very important.’’
Brandon Marc Higa, 25, is a Japanese American who just graduated from Stanford University. Higa wants to be an analyst of Japanese national defense.
Hence, knowledge of Korean national defense strategy is also very important in order to realize his dream. Higa mentioned that military violence was the main discussion topic during his class.
`` Military service for Korean youth is a very big commitment and I feel that many Americans think that it is an unnecessary requirement,’’ Higa said.
``However, I actually think that it is good for people to appreciate their country and know what the army does for them,’’ he added.
Deborah Ma, 19, an ethnic Korean student studying at Barnard College, said that she wants to learn about Korean culture as well as achieve polished Korean language skills.
``I know that college seniors sometimes force their juniors to drink liquor. Although I hope to experience more Korean culture here, I don’t want to go through that kind of experience,’’ Deborah said. ``We American students cannot imagine that kind of situation, even though they like to party with alcohol.’’
She also mentioned that American college students seem to be more concerned about political issues compared to their Korean counterparts, who are striving to land jobs due to a highly competitive job market.