This research begins with the recognition that, until now, cultural factors taught in Korean language textbooks provided knowledge in fragments, not in an optimally organized way. The objective of this research is to develop the “cultural lemma”, and devise the contents of integrated culture learning which consists of linguistic, literary, and cultural factors.
It is not a recent trend to emphasize the cultural factor in Korean language education. However, although it’s generally agreed that education on Korean culture is a critical part of language education, it is also true that education on culture still plays only a methodological and supporting role to language education. Therefore, with much more focus on language education, cultural factors are relatively neglected or ignored in actual teaching practice.
Especially, the balance between language education and cultural education should be more carefully designed and maintained as it goes to more advanced courses. However, it’s easier said than done with only fractional cultural factors built into the educational system. It’s even worse as most of the current cultural education is practiced with rather random than organized cultural factors without customization based on the learners and their Korean language fluency. (Korean Language and Culture Center, Ewha Womans University)