While arranging my schedule for my second semester, I debated upon which classes I should take. Being in the Department of Humanities and not having a declared major, I worry much for my grades and course credits. I wanted to take all English taught courses this semester, since I knew that it would be to my disadvantage if I competed against native Korean students by taking Korean lectures. However, I realized that there was not a great variety of English lectures to choose from.
Unfortunately, this problem is not only faced by me, but concerns other international students attending Ewha. For instance, during the fall semesters there is a larger number of foreign exchange students in our school compared to the spring semesters, nevertheless, the number of English taught courses has not changed. During this semester, freshmen, like me, were asked to leave one of the English taught courses because there were too many exchange students who wanted to take the class as well, despite the fact that I had registered the class before them. It seemed unfair to do so, however I had no choice but to drop the class.
The increase of English taught courses at Ewha would not only be beneficial to foreign students, but also to Korean students. Nowadays, most of Ewha students desire to go abroad for an exchange student program; and English being an international language they must first learn it and practice it. Many desire to experience more of the English language at Ewha, and there would be no better way to do so but taking English lectures. In the English lectures, students not only practice their listening skills, but also increase the chances to speak it and write it. The increase of English lectures would beneficial in all ways.
The only reasonable solution to this issue is to increase the number of English taught courses at Ewha. Not only through Ewha Global Online campus courses, but by lectures taught by foreign professors. Although it is not simple task to employ more foreign professors and increase the number of English lectures, action must be taken to solve this issue. Always having more options in choosing lectures is better than not having the option to choose. Taking such measures would be very helpful for not just me, but the entire Ewha students.
♦The writer’s view in this section can be different from Ewha Voice’s view.
Ewha Voice
evoice@ewha.ac.kr