StudentCorenr Bridging the gap

By Lee Jun-won

As I have lived almost my entire life in the United States, I find college life here in Korea to be vastly different from that in my high school. The primary differences, of course, are the language and culture.

In Irvine, California, where I have lived for 10 years, everyone speaks English, so I could easily understand what everyone was saying.

In fact, I was complemented for being fluent in a second language, Korean. I was familiar with my Korean heritage, secure in my identity as a Korean-American.

However, things changed upon arriving in Korea. Everyone spoke so quickly that I had difficulty understanding what they are saying. I did not understand the culture very well.

The culture as I knew it was too different from the reality that Korea presented me with. Most fellow freshmen students and “sunbae,” or senior students, expected me to speak Korean well, as opposed to non-native international students.

There is a language barrier, at least for now. In terms of content of discussions, I do not understand much about popular culture or other topics. For instance, when older guys talk about their military experience, I feel left out.

Finally, I feel that Korean universities emphasize the idea of “togetherness.” If you want to isolate yourself from your friends, and have a little bit of time of solitude, they tend to regard you as anti-social.

I enjoy social scenes as much as anyone, but I feel I need a breather after these past few weeks. It seems that the individualistic attitude in America is missing here.

According to my personal beliefs, this cultural gap between America and Korea stems from educational environment leading up to college. In the United States, you are encouraged to spend time in clubs and volunteering organizations where you spend time voicing individualistic views.

You are encouraged, above all, to find your passion, one that is tailored to your specific affinities and interests. As opposed to America, I sense that collectivism is encouraged here.

I am not saying one is particularly better than the other, and I’ve seen many cases of individualism going haywire. But it is clear that two student cultures in America and Korea have their differences, and the differences may come from approaches to education.

Thankfully, the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS), committed to the idea of globalization, seems to be an excellent place to overcome my barriers. Aware of the difficulty of international students getting adjusted to Korean culture, the university kindly provides me with opportunities to improve my language skills through a well structured program.

Organizations such as the International Student Organization (ISO) offer a place to meet other students similar to myself. Also,

I find that the professors teaching Korean to international students are very kind. With the resources that are available to me, I will work toward breaking the language and cultural barrier over the next four years.

For now, I enjoy making friends with other international students, those who largely feel the same as I do. I have friends from China, Russia, and Kazakhstan who I can share my experiences with.

The greatest part about overcoming my current situation is that I am not alone. I have friends here at HUFS to support me, and in turn give support too.

Lee Jun-won is a freshman of division of international studies at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.