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New OER Publications: You Speak Korean

By WashU Libraries

You Speak Korean Open Educational Resources Series by Hea Young Chun, Mijeong Kim, Taewoong Kim, and Jiyoon Lee

Published by WashU Libraries on Pressbooks

The Scholarly Communications & Digital Publishing (ScholPub) department of WashU Libraries is excited to announce the publication of four new OER:

The four-volume OER series is designed to accompany the “You Speak Korean!” textbook series developed by faculty at the University of Pennsylvania and Yale University. Each volume includes a variety of supplemental activities and study resources for beginner Korean learners, such as Quizlet study sets, interactive lab slides, and AI-chatbots for speaking practice.

Reflecting on her experience creating the OER, Jiyoon Lee said, “Creating these materials allowed us to put second language acquisition pedagogy and functional approaches to language learning into practice through carefully scaffolded lessons, while also rethinking how Korean language and culture are represented.”

The authors created the OER series to make language learning more accessible and engaging for students. According to Mijeong Kim, “One of the main reasons I wanted to create these OER practice and digital resources was to make Korean language learning more accessible while offering materials that are current and engaging to today’s students. These resources were designed to accompany and enhance the textbooks developed in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania and Yale University, giving students more opportunities to practice actively both inside and outside the classroom”. Jiyoon Lee expressed similar sentiments, saying, “The greatest strength of OER is its accessibility, but it also offers opportunities for collaboration and continued development. I encourage instructors to not only use existing OER, but also adapt, supplement, and contribute to materials, including interactive tools such as chatbots, so they can continue to grow and meet their students’ needs.”

The YSK OER Resources series is published by WashU Libraries in partnership with the DI2 Accelerator Award for Open Educational Resources and supported by the Accelerator Award for OER.

About the Authors

Mijeong Mimi Kim is a Teaching Professor in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures at Washington University in St. Louis, where she serves as Director of Undergraduate Studies and previously served for many years as Coordinator of the Korean Language Program. Since joining the university in 2002, she has taught Korean at all levels, developed curricula for both traditional and heritage language learners, and established Communities of Practice that foster collaboration among diverse language faculty and students.

Jiyoon Lee is a Lecturer in Korean Language in the Department of of East Asian Languages and Cultures at Washington University in St. Louis. Before coming to Washington University in St. Louis, Jiyoon specialized in teaching Korean heritage learners at the University of California, Berkeley, and has also taught Korean at the University of Oregon. She graduated with her B.A. in Korean Language and Literature in South Korea and continued her studies in the United States by earning an M.A. in Applied Linguistics with a Language Teaching Specialization where she focused her coursework on computer-assisted language learning and course design.

Hea-Young Chun is a Senior Lecturer in Korean Language and Korean Language Coordinator Language in the Department of of East Asian Languages and Cultures at Washington University in St. Louis. Before coming to WashU, Chun studied Korean classical literature at Seoul National University where she focused on the poetry of the ruling class (Yang-ban) during the Choson Dynasty. She has a strong interest in strengthening pedagogical practice and curriculum development in the teaching of Korean.

Taewoong Kim is a Korean language educator and former Senior Lecturer in Korean at Washington University in St. Louis. His interests include Korean language pedagogy, curriculum development, and the creation of instructional materials. He has contributed to the development of open educational resource guides for You Speak Korean! (YSK) Books 3 and 4, designed to support Korean language teaching and learning.

About Open Books at WashU

Are you interested in creating an open textbook or accessible digital publication related to teaching, learning, or research at Washington University? Pressbooks is an easy-to-use tool for WashU authors to publish openly licensed books in multiple formats on a professional platform optimized for learning. Contact Cadence Cordell, Digital Publishing Manager, to request a consultation.