Korean is experiencing a surge in popularity, attributed to the Hallyu craze, which includes the global appeal of K-pop and K-dramas. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
WASHINGTON, D.C., Nov. 16 (Korea Bizwire) – According to a recent survey by the Modern Language Association (MLA), there has been an overall decline in the number of students studying foreign languages at U.S. colleges and universities. However, amid this trend, Korean is experiencing a surge in popularity, attributed to the Hallyu craze, which includes the global appeal of K-pop and K-dramas.
The results of the analysis released by the MLA on November 15 revealed a 16.6 percent decrease in the enrollment of students studying languages other than English, dropping from 1,418,584 in 2016 to 1,182,562 in 2021.
Major languages, such as Spanish (-18 percent), French (-23.1 percent), Japanese (-4.6 percent), German (-33.6 percent), Chinese (-14.3 percent), Italian (-20.4 percent), Arabic (-27.4 percent), Latin (-21.5 percent), and Russian (-13.5 percent), witnessed significant declines. In contrast, Korean experienced a remarkable 38.3 percent increase, with 19,270 students choosing to study the language in 2021.
This increase in Korean language enrollment stands out as the highest among all languages surveyed. Additionally, 29 more universities started offering Korean classes, emphasizing the growing interest in the language.
Apart from Korean, only American Sign Language, or ASL (0.8 percent) and Biblical Hebrew (9.1 percent) saw increases in enrollment, suggesting a broader pattern of language preference.
‘Korea Square 2023′ festival held in Hong Kong on Nov. 10-12 (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
The popularity of Korean is linked to the fascination with Korean pop culture, particularly music and TV dramas. An official at the University of Kansas highlighted that most students studying Korean are motivated by a desire to engage with Korean pop culture and communicate with their Korean friends.
Contrary to other language studies, the surge in Korean language enrollment is not driven by an increase in scholars studying Korean studies or more students of Korean descent. Paula Creaves, the president of the MLA, emphasized that the growth is primarily fueled by a general “interest in the culture.”
Although the number of Korean language students is rapidly increasing, it remains relatively small compared to other major languages. Korean currently ranks 10th, trailing behind Latin, among the 15 most commonly taught foreign languages at U.S. colleges and universities.
The comprehensive survey covered 2,455 U.S. colleges and universities, representing 92.2 percent of those institutions, according to the MLA.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
