Famous Koreans share their stories in German calendar

By Claire Ryu

Koreans live in a time when foreign language proficiency has become essential for a successful career.

College students, as well as full-time workers, tend to spend a great deal of time and money building up their language skills to give themselves more chances for good jobs.

Nowadays, English and Chinese are most popular among Korean jobseekers. But during the 1960s and 70s, the majority of Koreans studied German as a second foreign language.

Being aware of German’s declining popularity, the Goethe-Institut has promoted the language to Koreans and other foreigners in hope that German will be used more in the international community, proclaiming 2010 as “the year of German language.”

To carry on with the scheme into 2011, the Seoul branch introduced a collection of essays on a calendar named “My Unforgettable German,” of the memories high-profile Koreans cherished while learning the language during their school days or studying in Germany.

Among them are Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik, soccer legend Cha Bum-kun and maestro conductor Keum Nan-se.

On Monday night, the German cultural center in Seoul hosted a gathering to celebrate the manufacturing of the New Year’s calendar. Present at the meeting were students learning German and those who love German culture.

During his introductory speech, Dr. Stefan Dreyer, director of Goethe-Institut Korea and East Asia, emphasized that “to us, every year is a year for German. We cannot deny that students prefer English and Asian languages to German. It is an issue that we need to focus on.”

German deputy head of the mission Johannes Regenbrecht suggested a variety of advantages when learning German, such as a year-long working holiday scheme available to Koreans and the German Korean Alumni Network (ADeKo), which is the first Korean alumni network for those who graduated with a master’s degree or doctorate in Germany.

Regenbrecht also introduced German’s top-class Friedrich-Alexander-University (FAU), which will open its Busan branch in March next year. Six science departments will be set up, equipped with advanced lab facilities, “even better than those in Germany.”

The university’s professors will shuttle between the two countries to educate Korean students.

All classes will be taught in English. It will be Korea’s first German university branch.

Music students from Yewon School entertained those in attendance throughout the event, as a partner of the Goethe-Institut.

When asked why he recommends German to foreigners, Dr. Dreyer replied “it’s very useful for anyone to speak another language other than English. German is very widely spoken and understood in Central Europe. The calendar is an initiative for all those interested in the German language at the Goethe-Institut and other German language institutes.”

[이 게시물은 admin님에 의해 2012-07-18 17:15:50 ADeKo in the News에서 복사 됨]