Koreans to train Sri Lankan Korean lanaguage teachers

The education ministry said Monday it will send a team of five Korean language teachers to Sri Lanka to train some 100 teachers chosen by the Sri Lankan government.

The Sri Lankan teachers will teach Korean language and literature at local schools after completing lessons with the Korean teachers, the ministry said.

The training program is based on an agreement between the education ministers of both nations in October last year to boost educational exchanges. At the time, Seoul agreed to send Korean language teachers to meet the growing popularity of Korean as a second language among Sri Lankan students.

“Sri Lankan students in grades nine to 13 will be able to learn Korean as a second language beginning this year. The Korean teachers will train Sri Lankan teachers and participate in developing teaching guidelines and learning materials for students,” a ministry official said.

One of the Korean teachers, Ku Min-sook, has taught his language to Sri Lankans who came here as industrial trainees since 2001 at a center for migrant workers in Seongdong-gu, Seoul.

The program is a part of the ministry’s efforts to promote the Korean language among countries with which the nation’s cultural and economic ties have been growing rapidly. Applications for the Test of Proficiency in Korean have also increased sharply as the exam has become a must for foreigners who want to study and work here.

It is now seeking to upgrade the test and provide better textbooks and teaching materials abroad to make Korean a more widely-accepted language.

“The Sri Lankan government’s request to have Korean language teachers sent there reflects Korea’s growing influence in the country. Korean language education there is important from a cultural and diplomatic aspect as well,” the official said. <The Korea Times/Na Jeong-ju>

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