Broadening the opportunities for Korean as a heritage language in Australia | Melbourne Asia Review
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The world is seeing a surge in Korean language learning, with more international students and universities embracing Korean studies. In Australia alone, two universities have introduced Korean majors since 2019 with the funding from Korean institutions such as the Academy of Korean Studies making a total of eight. Enrolment has steadily climbed despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, intermediate and advanced Korean courses consistently face low enrolment due to a low retention rate from the beginner levels. This has led to several challenges, including mixed-level classes, especially in advanced courses where students with vastly different backgrounds—those who began learning Korean at university, Korean heritage language speakers, and students who studied the language as part of their high school education—are often grouped together.

While administrative hurdles in universities may play a role, I believe the main obstacle is the scarcity of direct career paths available via Korean language majors in Australia. This lack of opportunity particularly impacts heritage language speakers who have the potential to make a significant contribution to Australia’s bilingual and bicultural society, particularly as Korean language teachers. Therefore, I propose a concerted effort to broaden Korean language teaching and learning opportunities in Australian primary and secondary schools while also assisting aspiring language teachers, especially those from Korean heritage backgrounds. This multi-pronged approach will contribute to a truly multilingual and multicultural Australia.

The increased status of the Korean community in Australia

The presence of Korean immigrants and their language has grown considerably in Australia over the past two decades. The most recent Australian Census data (2021) revealed there were 102,092 individuals born in South Korea (38,900 in 2001) and 136,888 (43,740 in 2001) claiming Korean heritage in Australia.  The state of New South Wales, which hosts the largest Korean community (located in Sydney), accounts for 53,046 of these individuals who were born in Korea.

Regarding language, only 10 percent of those who are Korean-born (first generation) reported speaking only English, suggesting that 90 percent are either bilingual or primarily Korean-speaking. Korean is now the 12th most spoken language at home in Australia, with roughly 115,000 speakers, representing 0.5 percent of the total population. In Greater Sydney, 37.4 percent of residents reported using a language other than English at home, and 1.1 percent of them speak Korean.

Language shift and heritage language maintenance

It is common for the children and grandchildren of first generation migrants to move away from their heritage language toward the dominant one. This pattern is certainly true for the Korean community in Australia. While the language shift rate is a bit slower for Korean families than for some other minority groups, the 2021 census showed that 26.3 percent of second-generation Koreans and a whopping 75.2 percent of the third generation have shifted away from speaking Korean, which is a huge signal that the language is being lost.

It’s especially important for minority groups to keep their heritage language alive because being fluent is so closely tied to building a strong sense of ethnic identity and strong family and community bonds. Additionally, using their heritage language gives people cognitive, psychological, and social benefits. That explains why it is so important to find and use effective ways to help younger generations in the Korean community maintain and build their use of the language.

Opportunities to learn Korean: Challenges

In Australia, the majority of Korean language and culture education occurs within families, and mothers are the key players. This is strongly supported by studies and statistical evidence. For example, among second-generation Korean immigrants with only one foreign-born parent, those with a foreign-born father shifted away from the Korean language at a higher rate (67.7 percent) than those with a foreign-born mother (54.6 percent). This difference highlights the limited opportunities children have to learn and practice Korean outside of the home, as well as the lack of resources for parents who want to teach their children.

My study with Korean parents at a Brisbane Korean ethnic school—located in Australia’s third largest Korean community—showed that every parent actively tried to maintain or teach the language to their children. They read Korean books, spoke only Korean at home, utilised online resources, and enrolled their children in Korean ethnic schools. However, they often encountered obstacles, such as a lack of resources at home and substandard curriculum and materials in the ethnic schools themselves. Both through the study and my personal experience as a mother whose two children attended a Korean ethnic school, I observed teachers struggling to find appropriate teaching resources. In addition, most teachers were volunteers without formal teaching experience. Hence it is clearly necessary to improve teacher training and support.

The main issue is the limited access to Korean language learning in Australian schools, especially at the primary and secondary levels. The Australian government has promoted the value of learning Asian languages since the late 1980s; however, it was not until the 1990s that Korean language classes were introduced in some Australian schools. The National Asian Languages and Studies in Schools Program (NALSSP), implemented by the Australian government from 2008 to 2012, recognised Korean as a priority language, alongside Chinese, Indonesian, and Japanese. This program aimed to support the teaching of these languages, with a goal of 12 percent of Year 12 graduates achieving fluency in one of them.

However, a 2010 report by Education Services Australia indicated that only 49 out of 9,562 Australian schools offered Korean. Of those, nine included Korean as part of International Baccalaureate programs, primarily serving international Korean students. The report identified a mere 69 Korean language teachers across all of Australia. Student enrolment in Korean was strikingly low, at approximately one percent of Japanese enrolment, and Year 12 enrolment was primarily comprised of native Korean speakers.

More than a decade later, the situation remains largely unchanged. According to 2023 data from the Sydney Korean Education Centre, a total of 68 schools offers Korean courses. This includes 474 classes with 9,543 students enrolled. Compared to the 2010 report, 19 more schools have incorporated Korean courses, but enrolment numbers still lag significantly behind Japanese. Moreover, since 2021, two schools have ceased offering Korean courses. Only Sydney has seen a slight increase, with two additional schools offering Korean, resulting in a total of 48 schools in 2023. Alarmingly, no schools in the Northern Territory or Tasmania offer Korean language courses. This points to a major gap in Korean language education across Australian states and a high concentration of the Korean community in New South Wales. In addition, there has been a huge drop of heritage learners in Year 12 over the past 10 years in Victoria and New South Wales.

Challenges to becoming a Korean language teacher  

One practical and effective approach to broaden opportunities for learning Korean is by effectively harnessing the potential of Korean heritage speakers.

In Australia, 27 universities offered Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programs, combining academic study with practical teaching experience. Graduating from an ITE program allows individuals to apply for teacher registration, which enables them to work as qualified teachers in schools. The main path to qualification involves a four-year undergraduate ITE program or a two-year postgraduate ITE program for those with an existing undergraduate degree. Essentially, a university degree in Korean is generally required to become a certified Korean teacher.

This poses a significant problem for both fluent Korean heritage speakers and non-native Korean speakers who want to teach the language in Australia. Only eight universities across five states offer a Korean major program (University Languages Portal Australia, ULPA). Additionally, none of these universities provide specialised courses for fluent Korean heritage speakers, which prevents them from majoring in Korean. They often end up enrolling in high-level Korean courses due to their advanced language skills, limiting their ability to take enough courses for a major. Non-native Korean speakers who do complete all the Korean courses and meet the major requirements face difficulties as well mainly due to limited number of class hours. Therefore, achieving a high level of Korean fluency is challenging, which makes teaching Korean in schools difficult, especially when classrooms include both Korean heritage students and international Korean students.

Another issue is that it is difficult for first-generation Koreans to teach Korean in Australian mainstream schools. The demographics of the Korean ethnolinguistic group (more than 100,000) are promising: 31.7 percent are aged 15 to 34, and 87.2 percent are of working age (15 to 64). Their educational qualifications are equally strong, with 48 percent holding at least a bachelor’s degree. In addition, it is reasonable to assume that a majority of teachers in Korean community schools are either native Korean speakers or first-generation Korean immigrants. This suggests a significant pool of qualified individuals, many with prior teaching experience from Korea, who are interested in teaching Korean in Australian mainstream schools. These individuals have the potential to deliver high-quality teaching in Korean language, culture, and history, enriching the Australian curriculum. However, obtaining teacher accreditation is challenging, and includes high English language proficiency standards. For instance, in New South Wales, a minimum score of seven out of nine in reading and writing and eight in speaking and listening is required in the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

So, what’s next?

Policy change is needed to create achievable pathways for aspiring Korean language teachers in mainstream Australian schools, especially for those from Korean-speaking backgrounds. Tapping into these groups would be a relatively simple and cost-effective solution to address the ongoing teacher shortage. For example, reducing the required English test scores while offering practical training on working in Australian schools would be an effective and appropriate approach. Once certified, these teachers would benefit from ongoing support and development. Having the opportunity to work as Korean language teachers could also encourage them to preserve and teach Korean as a heritage language to their children.

Additionally, universities should expand their language and culture course offerings. If various levels of Korean language and culture-related courses are available, Korean heritage speakers with their diverse proficiency levels would particularly benefit from customised Korean language programs. Meanwhile, non-native Korean speakers aspiring to teach Korean require access to more advanced courses. Incorporating various culture-related subjects, such as history, would further strengthen their qualifications. Furthermore, continuous professional development opportunities, including long-term training programs, are highly advisable for both groups.

Korean government-based funding could effectively support training programs similar to those provided by Japan. For instance, the Japan Foundation under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs offers grants for Japanese language teachers, covering not only language training but also material development and teaching methodologies. Such support could contribute to the highest enrolment rates in Japanese among language subjects in Year 12 across Australia. Additionally, universities could play a pivotal role by offering specialised workshops and training programs, utilising their advanced resources in language instruction and teaching methodologies. For example, the School of Languages and Cultures at the University of Queensland has hosted a symposium for Asian language teachers (mainly for Chinese, Japanese, and Korean teachers) in Australia and organised workshops for primary and secondary school educators. Such efforts will lead to having more qualified Korean teachers in Australian schools.

Virtuous circle for multilingual and multicultural Australia     

Expanding access to Korean language learning in Australia’s formal education system in primary and secondary schools is very important, especially in the context of the influx of Korean migrants to Australia and increasing interest in Korea among Australians. These school years are crucial for language acquisition and personal development. This benefits students of Korean heritage, allowing them to maintain and develop their heritage language, and provides non-Korean Australian students with early exposure to Korean language and culture. This early introduction can motivate acceptance and understanding of the language, culture, and people, contributing to a truly multicultural society that enriches Australia’s cultural and educational diversity. Moreover, continued study at the university level could lead to increased enrolment in Korean language programs, prompting universities to adapt by offering various levels of Korean language courses, including specialised options for heritage speakers. As a result, both Korean heritage and non-Korean students would have a greater opportunity to become Korean language teachers after graduation, serving as a strong incentive to study Korean at the university level. Achieving this vision requires collaboration between educational authorities, policymakers, schools, parents, and community organisations.

Image: A teacher teaches the Korean alphabet to kindergarten and first-grade students in a dual-language immersion class. Credit: Alliance for Excellent Education/Flickr.