[LINK] "Korean-language classes are growing in popularity at U.S. colleges"

[rfmcdonald]

Via NPR's Codeswitch I found Larry Gordon's Los Angeles Times article looking at the growing popularity of Korean language lessons in the American higher education system. The Korean wave is breaking on American shores, it turns out.

According to a recent national study, enrollment in Korean language courses at U.S. colleges and universities showed the largest percentage growth of any foreign language. The Modern Language Assn. reported that Korean language enrollment rose 45% from 2009 to 2013. Overall, language studies declined by 6.7% during that same period, and interest dropped in many popular ones, including Spanish, French and German.

The number of students in Korean classes nationwide — 12,230 — is well below the most studied languages, including Japanese, Chinese and Arabic. Currently, just 154 colleges offer Korean, but that is 70% more than a decade ago.

"There's no doubt that Korean popular culture in film and music has captivated the minds of young people," said Rosemary Feal, executive director of the Modern Language Assn.

She attributed the dip in overall foreign language studies to campus budget cutbacks and the pressure students feel to focus on career-oriented classes, such as science and business, at the expense of humanities. That decline has occurred, Feal said, even though "knowledge of a second language often is helpful in many positions and translates into increased salary."

According to university officials and professors, some of the interest in Korean is coming from the children and grandchildren of Korean immigrants. But non-Koreans fascinated with contemporary culture are leading the trend.

Some were drawn by the K-pop dance moves of Psy in his 2012 international video hit "Gangnam Style" or by the English-subtitled TV series "Queen of Housewives." And some by the prospect of jobs at Korean corporations.