Welcome to the Korean Language Program!
Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with our policy concerning native speakers of Korean and non-native speakers with prior background knowledge.
All native speakers of Korean are not permitted to take any course in the sequence of Modern Standard Korean (EAS110, 210, 211, 212, 310, 410, 416). Also, some students with prior linguistic/cultural background are not accepted to any course in the sequence even though they are not considered as native speakers of Korean. Those students with prior background knowledge are required to obtain special permission from the Korean language coordinator. To obtain this permission, you must have a placement interview.
Who is a native speaker of Korean? (Not allowed for any reason)
For academic purposes, Korean language courses in the Department of East Asian Studies consider a student as a native speaker of Korean if s/he meets one of the following criteria:
1. Students who were born in Korea and left at the age of 7 or older.
2. Students who have attended regular elementary, middle or high school (where schooling was performed in Korean language) in Korea for one or more years.
Who is a student with prior background knowledge? (Allowed only with permission)
For academic purposes, Korean language courses in the Department of East Asian Studies consider a student as a student with prior background knowledge if s/he meets one of the following criteria:
1. Students who were born in Korea and left before the age of 7.
2. Students who have attended elementary/middle/high school in Korea where schooling was performed in a language other than Korean (i.e., international schools in Korea).
3. Students who were born and grew up outside of Korea speaking Korean or remember speaking Korean when they were young. If you have learned Hangul at home or in a weekend school (you do not have to know the meaning of what you are reading), that is a good indication that you belong to this category.
Please note that taking a course in the Korean language sequence by native speakers of Korean or students with prior background knowledge without prior permissions will be considered cheating and will be treated in accordance with the University of Toronto policy on academic misconduct.
If you have any questions regarding the course, send an email to the Korean Language Coordinator.