A Korean language class under way at City School Claude Monet in Paris on March 27, 2023. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, April 5 (Korea Bizwire) — Led by the popularity of K-pop and K-dramas, learning the Korean language is rising as a new trend in France.
The Ministry of Education said that the number of elementary, middle and high schools in France offering Korean classes jumped from 17 schools in 2018 to 60 schools last year.
The number of students also grew from 631 to 1,800 over the same period.
The number of schools that incorporated Korean language classes as part of their regular school curriculum, rather than an atelier (an after-school program), increased from 15 to 25 schools.
The number of French students taking the Korean language class as part of their regular school curriculum jumped from 551 to 848 people.
To expand Korean language education in France, the Korean Cultural Center in France will assist in opening up atelier classes at elementary and middle schools in the country.
City School Claude Monet, a public high school in Paris, is one of many schools that teaches the Korean language as part of its regular school curriculum.
The Korean language class takes place once a week and is enrolled in by 47 students from freshmen to seniors.
Students say the Korean Wave was the primary reason for taking interest in learning the Korean language.
“I was interested in the fact that Korean and French cultures are so different,” said Iman Engobo, a 21-year-old graduate of City School Claude Monet who is majoring in Korean studies at Paris City University.
“To me, the honorific comes as the most difficult part of the Korean language, but I’m getting used to the language as I speak it with Koreans.”
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
