Overview

1. Introduction

Korean Studies has become popular in the world in countries which have realized its influence in the modern world. South Korea, especially in the areas of science and technology, is gradually increasing its influence in shaping the modern world. The country is becoming an economic giant and is growing to be a strong partner of Kenya and East Africa at large. At the same time, the number of Korean tourists visiting Kenya and East Africa at large is increasing. 

Korean is a language with approximately 80 million speakers; it is ranked as the 13th biggest in the world. It has 50 million speakers in South Korea, 24 million in North Korea, and nearly 6 million outside Korea - mainly in China, U.S.A., Japan, and Central Asia (the former U.S.S.R.). 

These facts, as well as the potential for opening career options for our students in a variety of professional fields, ranging from academics to managerial positions in international organizations, provide the background to a B.A. programme in Korean Studies that rests on four pillars, namely:

  • practical skills of the Korean language and its writing system
  • the culture, literature, history, politics, economy, philosophy and religions of Korea  
  • intercultural experiences and exchange between Korea and Kenya as well as other global partners
  • communication and research skills that are of scholarly and professional relevance.

These four components of the programme reflect developments that studies in language, communication, culture, literature, history, politics, economy, philosophy and religions have undergone internationally in the last decades, with regard to theoretical issues, research concepts and the structure and methods of university teaching. 

The Korean Studies programme is a valuable resource base for experts in tourism, international administration, culture or media management; language and cultural institutions in Korea and Kenya; intercultural communication in companies and institutions in addition to acquisition, product management and human resource development.

The Korean Studies course will be housed in the Department of Linguistics and Languages but there will be serviced teaching from other departments. The courses offered by other departments are already contained within this syllabus. Therefore, Korean Studies will take a multidisciplinary approach. Most of the courses offered are from the Department of Linguistics and Languages. The Departments of History and Archeology, Philosophy and Religious Studies, and Political Science and Public Administration, and School of Economics have offered three (3) courses each while the Department of Literature has made a contribution of four (4) courses.      

2. Objectives

  1. To provide students with the knowledge and skills that will enable them to demonstrate, through speech, writing and body language, in Korean, a mastery of the intercultural knowledge and communication skills necessary to operate successfully in social and professional environments;
  2. To provide students with the knowledge that will enable them to describe the Korean language and its varieties;
  3. To equip students with the knowledge necessary to explain the literature, civilizations as well as current issues of Korea; 
  4. To equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to carry out professional activities such as translation, text editing and technical writing;
  5. To provide students with the knowledge and skills that will enable them to demonstrate, through research, an understanding of the techniques of research and presentation of research results.

Admission Requirements

A candidate must satisfy the prescribed University of Nairobi and Faculty of Arts admission requirements, namely: 

(i) K.C.S.E. with a mean grade C+ or equivalent

(ii) K.C.S.E. with a mean grade C plain or equivalent Plus a Diploma or equivalent from a recognized post- secondary institution 

(iii) K.C.S.E. with a mean grade C- or equivalent Plus a Certificate and a Diploma or equivalent from a recognized post- secondary institution

(iv) K.C.E./E.A.C.E Div. III/ Ordinary GCE or equivalent Plus a Diploma or equivalent from a recognized post- secondary institution 

(v) K.A.C.E. or E.A.A.C.E/ Advanced GCE Certificate with one principal pass Plus a Diploma or equivalent from a recognized post- secondary institution

(vi) K.A.C.E. or E.A.A.C.E. certificate with two principal passes or equivalent

(vii) International Baccalaureate Diploma

(viii) A degree from a recognized university or equivalent

A candidate shall be allowed to register only in those course units whose combinations are approved by the Faculty. Any modification of such combination(s) shall be allowed only after obtaining approval from the Dean.

 

Course Structure and Duration

(i) The minimum period required for a candidate to study and qualify for the award of a B.A. degree is eight (8) semesters and a maximum of twenty-two (22) semesters from the date of registration.

(ii) The minimum semester load shall be two course units and the maximum shall be seven course units.

(iii) Each course unit in the programme has a loading of 45 hours.  

(iv) A candidate for a B.A. degree shall be required to register, study, sit examinations and pass in at least forty four (44) course units taken throughout the period of study. These units shall include the Faculty-based Designated Common Courses (DCC) and prescribed three Common Undergraduate Courses (CCS).

(v) Candidates may register for courses in Korean Studies as either a Major or a Minor. There are two possible modes of study: full time and part-time. 

 

5. Credit Transfer and Exemptions

5.1 Credit Transfer

A candidate from a recognized university or any other equivalent institution recognized by the University of Nairobi Senate wishing to transfer to the B.A. programme at the University of Nairobi shall be allowed to transfer credits from his or her university if those credits are deemed to be relevant and meet the required minimum contact hours. A University of Nairobi student who obtains a credit or credits from a recognized university shall be allowed to transfer those credits to the University of Nairobi. The transferred credits shall not be more than a third (1/3) of the total prescribed credits and/or course units required for the award of the B.A. degree.

5.2 Exemptions

(i) Those seeking exemptions shall pay an exemption fee approved by the University of Nairobi Senate.

(ii) A candidate seeking exemption shall be required to follow the Faculty approved procedure.

6. Examination Regulations

(i) The common University of Nairobi Faculty of Arts regulations shall apply.

(ii) Candidates shall sit for examinations at the end of each semester. All course units shall be examined and written examinations processed at the end of the semester in which they are taken.

(iii) A candidate shall NOT be permitted to sit an examination unless he/she has attended prescribed courses of study in accordance with the university regulations and to the satisfaction of the departments or programmes concerned, as well as the Faculty.

(iii) Unless otherwise specified, end of semester examinations shall consist of a two-hour paper for each course unit taken in the semester and a fifteen-minute oral examination where applicable. 

(iv) An assessment of each candidate’s performance in the course unit taken shall be through the Continuous Assessment Tests (CATs) and end of semester examinations based on percentage grades. CAT assessments shall constitute 30% of the total marks in a given unit and shall consist of an average of at least two (2) assignments while the end of semester examinations shall constitute 70% of the unit examined.

(v) For the courses CKR 101: Basic Korean Language Skills, CKR 104: Listening and Speaking Skills in Korean, CKR 201: Reading Skills in Korean, CKR 204: Phonetics and Korean Phonology, and CKR 409: Interactive Korean, the written paper shall constitute 50% of the marks while the oral exam will account for 20%, thus making a total of 70%.

(vi) Each course unit shall be graded out of 100 marks and the pass mark shall be 40% for each unit. These marks shall be translated into letter grades as follows:

A: 70% – 100%

B: 60% – 69%

C: 50% – 59%

D: 40% – 49%

E: 39 and below (fail)

(vii) A candidate shall be allowed to sit for supplementary examinations for a maximum of six (6) failed units in an academic year.

(viii) A candidate who, upon sitting for four (4) to six (6) supplementary examinations, fails in four or more of the units will be required to repeat the whole academic year.

(ix) A candidate who has seven (7) or more failed units in an academic year shall be discontinued.

(x) A candidate who fails any end-of-semester examination paper at the first attempt shall be allowed three more attempts to sit and pass that paper when a supplementary examination is offered.

(xi) A candidate who fails a paper may, in consultation with the department and with approval by the faculty, substitute that course unit, as long as it is not a core unit, with another of the same level from the same department. This regulation shall apply in Levels III & IV.

(xii) Subject to regulation (x) above

(a) A candidate who has failed in a course unit or units shall not be allowed to proceed to the next level unless he/she has passed the failed units.  However, if the failed units happen to be prerequisites for other advanced courses in the same level, the candidate must first pass them before he/she can be allowed to register in the advanced units that require the prerequisites.  A supplementary examination shall carry a maximum of 40% of the total marks and coursework marks shall not be considered. When taken as special examination, a unit shall carry a maximum of 100% of the total marks and course work shall be considered.

(b) No candidate with failed grade(s) shall be allowed to proceed to the next level unless he/she has successfully taken and passed the supplementary examination(s) in the failed course unit(s). 

(c) A candidate shall be allowed to do a maximum of three supplementary examinations in the same course unit. 

(d) A candidate who fails in three consecutive supplementary examinations in the same course unit shall be discontinued. 

(e) A candidate who fails a special examination can be allowed to take a maximum of three supplementary examinations in the same course unit. 

(f) Supplementary/Special Examinations shall be conducted at the end of each academic year.

 

 

 

FEE STRUCTURE FOR PARALLEL CERTIFICATE, ORDINARY DIPLOMA AND DEGREE PROGRAMMES [2012-2013]

COST PER SEMESTER (KSHS.) [This Depends on the Number of Units Taken]

No. Of Units

Tuition per unit

Exams (Annually)

Other Charges*

Total

1

10000

5000

15500

30500

2

20000

5000

15500

40500

3

30000

5000

15500

50500

4

40000

5000

15500

60500

Note: Add Kshs 5000/= one-time refundable caution money. Non-Kenyans, add 25% to each item.

*Other charges per semester: Registration (1000/-), Medical emergency cover (5,000/= Annually), Annual ID (500/-, paid in the first semester of each academic year), Library (1000/-), Activity (2000/= Annually), Computer Lab (5,000/= Annually), SONU (1000/= Annually).

* All Certificate Courses (47700/=) each, Bridging in English (26,700/=).   Each unit cost is 10,000/=.  Other statutory charges= 7,700/=.

FEE STRUCTURE FOR PARALLEL B.A. PROGRAMME

COST PER SEMESTER (Kshs.)

No. of Units

Tuition (7,200/- per unit)

Exams 

Other Charges*

Total

2

14400

1000

15500

30900

3

21600

1500

15500

38600

4

28800

2000

15500

46300

5

36000

2500

15500

54000

6

43200

3000

15500

61700

7

50400

3500

15500

69400

 

Note: Add Kshs 5000/= one-time refundable caution money. Non-Kenyans, add 25% to each item.

*Other charges per semester: Registration (1000/-), Medical emergency cover (5,000/= Annually), Annual ID (500/-, paid in the first semester of each academic year), Library (1000/-), Activity (2000/= Annually) Computer Lab (5,000/= Annually) SONU (1000/= Annually).

B.A. COST IN THE FIRST SEMESTER (assuming 6 units) = 66,700/=

FEE STRUCTURE FOR PARALLEL B.A. MODULE III (DISTANCE LEARNING) PROGRAMME

COST PER SEMESTER (Kshs.)

No. Of Units

Tuition (6,200/- per unit)

Exams 

Other Charges*

Total

2

12400

1000

15500

28900

3

18600

1500

15500

35600

4

24800

2000

15500

42300

5

31000

2500

15500

49000

6

37200

3000

15500

55700

7

43400

3500

15500

62400

Note: Add Kshs 5000/= one-time refundable caution money. Non-Kenyans, add 25% to each item.

*Other charges per semester: Registration (1000/-), Medical emergency cover (5,000/= Annually), Annual ID (500/-, paid in the first semester of each academic year), Library (1000/-), Activity (2000/= Annually) Computer Lab (5,000/= Annually) SONU (1000/= Annually).

COST IN THE FIRST SEMESTER (assuming 6 units) =  60,700/=

 

Course Outline

Key: (i) * The course will be taught in English.

(ii) ** The course will be taught in English and/or Korean.

(iii) The absence of an asterisk means that the course will be taught in Korean.

(iv) Courses that appear in bold are already Senate approved.

(v) A student has the option of taking either CKR 412: Research Paper in Korean Studies or CKR 416: Practicum in Korean Studies.  

Year 1

Core Units

SEMESTER 1

CODE

TITLE

CONTACT HOURS

CKR 101

Basic Korean Language Skills       

45 hours

CKR 103* 

Korean Cultural Heritage Tourism

45 hours

SEMESTER 2

CKR 102         

Introduction to Korean Grammar

45 hours

CKR 104  

Listening and Speaking Skills in Korean

45 hours

 

Year 2

Core Units

SEMESTER 1

CKR 201

Reading Skills in Korean

45 hours

CKR 203*       

Classical Korean Literature

45 hours

SEMESTER 2

CKR 202  

Writing Skills in Korean  

45 hours

CKR 204**  

Phonetics and Korean Phonology  

45 hours

 

Year 3

Core Units

SEMESTER 1

CKR 301

Korean Grammar in Use

45 hours

CKR 303** 

Morphology

45 hours

SEMESTER 2

CKR 302 (CLK 102)**   

Introduction to Translation and Interpretation

45 hours

CKR 304**  

Syntax  

45 hours

 

Electives

SEMESTER 1

CKR 305 (CLT 205)*   

Introduction to Literary Criticism

45 hours

CKR 307**

Korean Sociolinguistics

45 hours

CKR 309**   

Intercultural Communication in Korea

45 hours

CKR 311*  

The Political Economy of Korean Development

45 hours

CKR 313*/ CEC321*  

Resources and Development: A Comparative Analysis of  Korea and Kenya

45 hours

SEMESTER 2

CKR 306*

Korean Social and Political Philosophy

45 hours

CKR 308**

Chinese Characters in Korean Writing

45 hours

CKR 310*

The Military in the Politics of Korea

45 hours

CKR 312*/ CEC320*  

Korean Economic Development

45 hours

CKR 314

Korean for Business and Tourism 

45 hours



 

Year 4

Core Units

SEMESTER 1

CKR 401*

Modern Korean Literature

45 hours

CKR 403*  

Research Methodology

45 hours

SEMESTER 2

CKR 402

Advanced Korean Grammar

45 hours

CKR 404**

Translating, Editing and Interpreting

45 hours

 

Electives

SEMESTER 1

CKR 405 (TLE 403)**

Psycholinguistics

45 hours

CKR 407 (CLK 403)*

Traditional and Modern Linguistic Theories 

45 hours

CKR 409    

Interactive Korean  

45 hours

CKR 411*

Arms Control and Proliferation in Korea

45 hours

CKR 413

Semantics and Pragmatics in Korean

45 hours

CKR 415*

Regional Cooperation and Conflict in the Korean Peninsula

45 hours

CKR 417* 

Oriental Philosophy

45 hours

SEMESTER 2

CKR 406*

East Asia in the 19th and 20th Centuries

45 hours

CKR 408*

Religions of Korea

45 hours

CKR 410*

Korean Entertainment Industry: The Wave (Hallyu) 

45 hours

CKR 412**    

Research Paper in Korean Studies

45 hours

CKR 414*/ CEC 420*

Trading Relations between Korea and Africa

45 hours

CKR 416:**

Practicum in Korean Studies

45 hours

 

9. Course Description

CKR 101: Basic Korean Language Skills (Core)

Basic listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills: Greetings, interpersonal language skills, talking about time, giving directions; introduction to the Korean writing system (Hangeul script): systematic study of Korean orthography (Romanisation); digitalization; differences between the Korean writing system and other writing systems including the Chinese writing system; simplified Chinese characters (Hanja script); Korean sound system; pronouncing Korean letters; basic vocabulary; useful expressions; counting in Korean and Chinese; basic culture; exercises in listening and speaking with native speakers of Korean; exercises in reading and writing.

CKR 102: Introduction to Korean Grammar (Core)

Basic grammatical patterns of the Korean language: lexical categories, such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, determiners, and pronouns; phrasal categories such as noun phrases, verb phrases, adjective phrases, and adverb phrases; simple sentences: subjects and predicates; types of simple sentences: affirmative, negative, interrogative, imperative, active, and passive; other grammatical categories such as person, number, gender, case, mood, tense, and aspect; main functions of phrasal categories: subjects, objects, complements, modifiers; honorifics; counting in both Korean and Chinese; Hangeul and Chinese writing systems (Hanja).

CKR 103:* Korean Cultural Heritage Tourism (Core)

Cultural history in Korea: prehistory of Korea, past and contemporary lifestyle in Korea; origins of Korean science and technology; science and culture, cultural innovations, Korean economy and global culture; aspects of Korean culture and heritage: Korean language, etiquette,  fashion, cinema, traditional and modern architecture, martial arts, family and society, cuisine, intercultural communication through time; topical issues on Korean culture and heritage: gender, class, changing social values, rural and urban life; external influences on Korean culture heritage: Confucianism and Buddhist influences, the role of the Japanese and Americans, military dictatorships and culture, cultural relations between North and South Korea; Hallyu; education, globalisation and multiculturalism in  Korea. 

CKR 104: Listening and Speaking Skills in Korean (Core)

Spoken Korean: pronunciation drills: individual sounds, single words, phrases and sentences; intonation in Korean; mastering the tones of the Korean language: contrastive words; oral drills for articulating new words and phrases; reading aloud short passages on simple matters, on common topics from authentic materials and pedagogically-prepared materials; aural comprehension: dictation, word recognition in minimal pairs; daily conversational skills; introduction of cultural notes and social linguistic knowledge of appropriate behaviour in a Korean-speaking society; listening to aural speech, video tapes, different types of expressions; further exercises in listening and speaking for natural flow of speech; exercises with native speakers of Korean.

YEAR 2

CKR 201: Reading Skills in Korean (Core)

Reading skills in Korean: reading drills on Korean letters, phrases and sentences; reading the Hangeul script and Chinese characters used in Korean (Hanja script); reading aloud paragraph-length narratives and short essays; reading short extracts from authentic texts; further cultural and social linguistic knowledge of appropriate behaviour in a Korean-speaking society; exercises in listening and speaking with native speakers of Korean; exercises in reading and writing.

CKR 202: Writing Skills in Korean (Core)

Writing skills: using Hangeul and Chinese writing systems (Hanja script); introducing more Chinese characters; sentence combining: from simple  to compound and complex sentences; writing short paragraphs; basic functional writing including brief email and sms messages to friends, directions, self introductions, personal letters, official letters, short reports; further exercises in writing.

CKR 203:* Classical Korean Literature (Core)

Introduction to Korean literature, culture and history from the beginnings 2333 BC to Old Chosun and Koguryo; Oral Literature: ballads, legends, mask plays, puppet-show texts and p’ansori (story-singing) text; early narrative tradition such as the foundation myths and early epics based on the legend of old Choson and Tangun; legends explaining the origins of the kingdoms such as Koguryo and Puyo and Chumong; folktales about supernatural things, animals, ogres, goblins; Buddhist, Taoist, Confucianist religious influences on Korean literature; Korean narratives written down in Chinese script such as SamgukSagi and SamgukYusa; beginning of Korean fiction; beginning of the Korean novel; classical poetry  of Hayangga, Kisaeng, the Koryo Kayo, Shijo and Kasa; characteristics of classical poetry; theme of transcendence reflecting Buddhist tradition and liberation and Confucian tradition; strict metric canon; new poetry of the Koryo dynasty, Chosun dynasty poetry – Shijo and Kasa.

CKR 204:** Phonetics and Korean Phonology (Core)

Introduction to phonetics: definition of phonetics and its branches; the airstream mechanism; anatomy of the vocal apparatus; phonation; articulation, identification, and description of speech sounds; International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA); phonetic transcription; introduction to Korean phonology: definition of phonology; the sound system of the Korean language; distinctive and non-distinctive speech sounds: the minimal pair, phonemes and allophones; the relationship between  phonemes and graphemes in Korean; phonetic versus phonemic transcription; phonological processes; phonotactics; the syllable and tone; improving students’ connected speech; identification of students’ pronunciation errors; exercises in phonetic transcription and description; exercises in listening and speaking with native speakers of Korean.  

 

YEAR 3

CKR 301: Korean Grammar in Use (Core)

Appropriate lexical and grammatical choices for different situations: formal and informal styles in emails and letters; the style of term papers and thesis; the jargon of sports; the jargon of the constitution; communicating in expected and unexpected situations; making polite requests; giving advise; describing events, objects, places; expressing oneself in problem-solving tasks; regular oral presentations; essay writing and debates; aural exercises. 

CKR 302 (CLK 102):** Introduction to Translation and Interpretation (Core)

An overview of the history and theory of translation; linguistic and cultural problems of translation; the process of translating; types of texts and the various approaches to translating; translating and interpreting; theories of interpretation; the role of the interpreter; the interpreter’s tools and equipment; types of interpretation: simultaneous, consecutive, conference, whispered interpreting, legal and court interpreting; training in voice, gesture, appearance, clarity and accuracy.      

CKR 303:** Morphology (Core)

Definition of morphology;  the word versus the morpheme; word classification: content and function words; morpheme classification: free and bound morphemes, bases (roots and stems) and affixes; derivational and inflectional morphemes; types of morphemes: segmental and suprasegmental morphemes; discovery procedures in morphology; morpheme arrangement; morphemic alternation; zero morph; morpheme and allomorph; morpheme and morph; verb morphology: derivation: passive and causative; verb inflection: tense, aspect, mood, pragmatic mood, honorifics; noun derivation; noun inflection: case, number; morphophonemic processes;  problem solving of language data (especially from Korean) and rule writing. 

CKR 304:** Syntax (Core)

Definition of syntax; the sentence as a unit of language; grammaticality; competence and performance; rules; generative grammar; syntactic relations in a sentence; word order; word classes; the phrase as a unit of language: phrase structure; phrase structure rules; tree diagrams; chosen aspects of transformational syntax; distinction between topic and focus; topic-comment; word order orientation; linguistic analysis with data from Korean and other languages.

CKR 305 (CLT 205):* Introduction to Literary Criticism (elective)

Definitions of literature; nature of literature; major literary genres: poetry, drama, prose; definitions of literary criticism; nature of literary criticism; historical overview of literary criticism; principles of literary criticism; the value of literary criticism; types of criticism; qualities of a literary critic; literary terms; role of literary terms; practical criticism of selected literary texts. 

CKR 306:* Korean Social and Political Philosophy (elective)

Origin of the state of Korea; its institutions and laws; fundamentals of the social and political life of Korea; conceptual analysis of social and political terms and their contextual application in political philosophy; epistemological locus of the concepts within the history of the political thought; relevance in the history of political practice and argument; authority; equality; justice; liberty and democracy; property: rights, law; enforcement of a legal code by authority.

CKR 307:** Korean Sociolinguistics (elective)

Definition of sociolinguistics; the language situation in Korea; varieties of Korean: dialects of Korean; dialect switching; language switching; style switching; register; style; accent; the effect of society on language; language and gender in Korea; language and ethnic group; youth languages; code switching; a comparison of the Korean sociolinguistic situation and the Kenyan one and that of other societies. 

CKR 308:** Chinese Characters in Korean Writing (elective)

Chinese characters in Korean writing (Hangeul script); the evolution, development and transformation of Chinese characters: the essential features of the Chinese characters; principles underlying their construction; the transformation in forms; the process of evolution; the study of standard Chinese; issues on its modernization; simplified Chinese characters (Hanja script); exercises in reading and writing.

CKR 309:** Intercultural Communication in Korea (elective)

Korea as a multicultural society; intercultural communication; interactional routines; cultural assumptions; critical communicational occasions: first encounter, making requests, writing letters; small talk: topics and non topics; culture and communication in Korean: cultural dominance; gender; ethnicity, age, class; linguistic etiquette(s) and politeness; the power structure in politeness; nonverbal communication: body language including gestures; facial expressions; eye contact; proximity; the impact of globalization on organizational and interpersonal communication styles; cross-cultural problems occurring in the day-to-day interactions.

CKR 310:* The Military in the Politics of Korea (elective)

Military in the Korean economy; Korean bureaucracy and the military; contradictions and positive development; contradictions and rising tensions under military rule; military governments and the  threat to peace and security within the Korean Peninsula; the transition from military to democratic rule; challenges and gains under military rule; defence pacts; bilateral security alliances; emerging military trends in East Asian region; civilian control of the military in East Asian region; lessons for East Africa. 

CKR 311:* The Political Economy of Korean Development (elective) 

Characteristics of Korean political and economic development; capitalism versus socialism; economic transformation of South Korea: poor agrarian economy; rich industrial nation-state; bureaucracy in the political economy of Korea; external stimuli, the US and Japanese role; Korean diaspora networks; land reforms; egalitarianism and materialism; protectionism in the industrial sector; state owned enterprises and the Saemaul Undong Model. 

CKR 312/ CEC 320:* Korean Economic Development (elective)

Korean economic growth and development: economics, institutions and development: a Korean perspective; problems and policies of development; agriculture, industry and trade in Korean development; economic integration and development; lessons of experience for Kenya and East Africa.  

CKR 313/ CEC 321:* Resources and Development: A Comparative Analysis of Korea and Kenya (elective)

Application of economic theory and empirical analysis; resources for development: land, environment, property rights, population, skills training; depletable and renewable resources; resource scarcity; agricultural transformation and rural development; industry and development: the Korean experience; lessons for Kenya.

CKR 314: Korean for Business and Tourism (elective)

Korean for business and international trade: commercial Korean expressions; commonly-used commercial vocabulary; basic Korean knowledge and skills applicable to commercial activities; business etiquette; communicative ability appropriate to Korean and international environment; understanding Korean economic circumstances and rules including trade, investment, cooperation and management of enterprises; competence for cross-cultural communication in economic and cooperative interchange; business customs and background information of Korean culture; Korean for travel and tourism: interacting and dynamic business components of the travel and tourism industry; Korean communication skills and rules for travel and tourism; its development; public sector involvement; and cultural impacts; practical application of concepts in internship.

YEAR 4

CKR 401:* Modern Korean Literature (Core)

Historical background from mid-19th century to early 20th century (Literature of Enlightenment); crumbling feudal society of the Choson Dynasty; importation of new ideas from the West; rising Japanese imperial power in East Asia; influence of the western style of education on literary works: the Enlightenment (KaehwaKyemong); emergence of newspapers; serialized novels in newspapers; shijo and kasa; new poetic style – free verse, politicizing poetry; emergence of biographies; the new novel (shinsosol) written in Hangul; time reversal as a literary technique in the shinsosol; Second Period: Japanese colonial period (1910-1945); emergence of literary magazines, novels and short stories with themes suffering, self-discovery, realistic tendencies; poetry adopts French techniques of verslibre; literature of resistance, gender and colonialism, cultural nationalism, patriotism (monjok); Third period (1952 to contemporary): period of national division on industrialization, urbanization, alienation, governance, democracy and westernization; literature for political expression, multiculturalism; Korean Diaspora; critical analysis of literary works of the period.  

CKR 402: Advanced Korean Grammar (Core)

An in-depth analysis of the more complex structure of the Korean language: clause vs. sentence; compound and complex sentences: coordination and subordination; types of clauses: independent vs. subordinate, finite vs. non-finite, embedded vs. non-embedded; complementation of verbs: noun complements, clausal complements, and adverbials; complementation of other lexical categories (e.g. adjectives); complex noun phrases: premodification and postmodification; discourse functions of different types of sentences. 

CKR 403:* Research Methodology (Core)

The research process: definition of research; choosing a research problem; research questions; objectives; hypotheses; research variables; reviewing the literature; research design; sampling techniques; survey research: questionnaires; observation research and interviews; ethical issues; issues of reliability and validity of research; case studies; basic descriptive statistics; interpreting and presenting research findings; writing the research report.

CKR 404:** Translating, Editing and Interpreting (Core)

Skills for effective translating, editing, and interpretation including mastery of language, interest in and knowledge of current affairs in politics, commerce, the environment, international relations, science and technology; identification of the students’ A and B languages; doing practical interpretation and translation exercises from language B to A and A to B; handling terminologies from various registers; using the computers to search for relevant information for translation and interpretation; the editor’s role; evaluation of texts; ways of highlighting information; the process of editing; editing symbols; target audience and issues of readability; editing academic materials; publication formats; substantive editing and copy editing; the relationship between an editor and author.

 

CKR 405 (TLE 403):** Psycholinguistics (elective)

First language (L1) acquisition: early period, development of the sound system, development of morphology, syntax and semantics; theories of L1 acquisition; second language (L2) acquisition; L2 learning; language acquisition/learning disabilities; Language and the brain; language and cognitive development; language, speech and thought; language and mental representation; problems encountered in L2 learning such as L1 influence; contemporary issues in psycholinguistic research. 

CKR 406:* East Asia in the 19th and 20th Centuries (elective)

Geography and early history of the region; the emergence of Korean civilization; Korea and her Asian neighbours; Korea and the emergence of Japan as an imperial power; impact of China’s dynastic rule; the penetration of European powers into the region; the emergence of revolutionary movements in Korea; the proclamation of the republic of Korea; impact of the rise of Japanese militarism; the invasion of the nationalist and communist parties in China; the post World War II reconstruction of Korea; Korean war; Korea as an industrial power; triumph of  Chinese communists in Korea; Korea as a major power; Korean influence on East Asia. 

CKR 407 (CLK 403):* Traditional and Modern Linguistic Theories (elective) 

An overview  of the development of linguistic theory; the importance of the theory in linguistic analysis; traditional and structural grammar; grammatical categories: case, person, tense; parts of speech: noun, verb, adjective, pronoun, adverb, conjunction, interjection, preposition, determiner; mood and modality; types of sentences: simple, complex, compound; the contributions of De Saussure, Bloomfield and Harries; Generative Grammar: phrase structure, deep structure and surface structure; transformations and movement rules; the contribution of Noam Chomsky; the Standard Theory; Extended Standard Theory; Government and Binding; X-Bar Theory; Case Theory, Bounding Theory, Government and Control Theory.

CKR 408:* Religions of Korea (elective)

Religion in society; Taoism, Shamanism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Christianity, Islam, Ch’ondogyo; common themes in religion; concept of God, salvation, immortality, after life, rituals, moral teachings, religious community and human destiny.

CKR 409: Interactive Korean (elective)

Integrating listening, speaking, reading and writing skills: classroom discussions and interactive exercises revolving around topical issues and real life issues; presentation of technical jargon; using adequate terminologies to communicate in Korean; debates on Korean movies, customs and beliefs; exercises in listening and speaking with native speakers of Korean; exercises in reading and writing. 

CKR 410:* Korean Entertainment Industry: The Wave (Hallyu) (elective)

History  and musical traditions of Korea: arirang, folk music and dance, mask plays and puppet shows; the traditional Korean Opera Pansori to the Korean wave (hallyu); contemporary Korean popular culture; Western influences from classical Western opera, musicals and pop to K-pop music and K-rock; Japanese influences of J-rock; music industry; record labels and talent agencies – training, promotion and exposure through TV variety/ reality shows, comedy shows, talk shows, endorsements by idols, music charts; the Korean Wave : spread and globalization of K-pop music and dance through live concerts; music festivals, awards, the Hallyu stars, idols and fandoms; music censorship in Korea; practical viewing and analysis of popular K-pop  music videos and recorded live shows; Korean wave in the cinema: history of the Korean film, influences from the West and Japan; genres: Korean drama for the small screen - TV serials (soap operas) and historical drama (geuk); animation studios; recurring themes and characters in the Korean film, common clichés in Korean drama; pop idols in film; award shows; the Korean Wave in film exports; practical viewing and analysis of Korean films. 

CKR 411:* Arms Control and Proliferation in Korea (elective)

Conflict and the history of Koreas; problem of international security posed by proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; global society, state and non-state actors; international society; international cooperation and conflict trends; the cold war environment, the post-cold war environment; impact of bipolar politics; changing nature of conflict in Korea; separation of military and governance; globalisation and emerging security issues; the post-911 security situation; modern threats to peace; Korean military in global peace-keeping. 

CKR 412:** Research Paper in Korean Studies (elective)

Students will undertake independent research work under the guidance of a supervisor. They are expected to read widely to develop an in depth understanding of a topic, and then identify research objectives, isolate new research questions, collect and analyze information or data and write up their findings as a research report. 

CKR 413: Semantics and Pragmatics in Korean (elective)

Differences between semantics and pragmatics; semantic relations: lexical relationships: synonymy, homonymy, hyponymy, antonym, polysemy; sentential relations; truth-conditional meaning; entailment vs. presuppositions; ambiguity and vagueness; pragmatic relations: referential meaning: deixis and indexiality; grammaticalisation of politeness; Politeness Theory; locutionary, illocutionary and perlocutionary force; speech acts, Speech Act Theory; figurative language; Cognitive Semantics; lexical pragmatics; explicature and implicature in Relevance Theory. 

CKR 414/ CEC 420:* Trading Relations between Korea and Africa (elective) 

Theories and policies of international trade and application to Korea and Africa; dimensions of economic performance, productivity, efficiency and welfare enhancement; trade and industrialization strategies; role of conglomerates and multinationals.  

CKR 415:* Regional Cooperation and Conflict in the Korean Peninsula (elective)

Theories of regional integration; integration and co-operation amongst regional partners. political economy in the global arena; the Korean peninsula and regional cooperation; geopolitical tensions; historical feuds and emerging globalization; increasing global economic  interdependence; regional trade agreements; regional security; development priorities and multilateralism.  

CKR 416:** Practicum in Korean Studies (elective)

A practicum is equivalent to three (3) taught units or 135 hours. It will place emphasis on the systematic provision of work-based learning in the Korean organizations where the students are expected to apply the knowledge gained from the classroom to the work place. On completion of the practicum, students are expected to produce an examinable report.

CKR 417:* Oriental Philosophy (elective)

Meaning, origin, principles, development and significance of philosophies in East Asia; philosophies of native Shamanism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism; comparison with Western views; theories on ethics, moral psychology, the self, and political philosophy; contemporary topical issues in Korean philosophy;  Korean philosophers.

11. Examination Schedule

Year 1

SEMESTER 1

CKR 101

Basic Korean Language Skills (core)       

1x2 (written) 15 minutes (oral)

CKR 103* 

Korean Cultural Heritage Tourism (core)       

1x2 (written)

SEMESTER 2

CKR 102         

Introduction to Korean Grammar (core)        

1x2 (written)

CKR 104  

Listening and Speaking Skills in Korean (core)       

1x2 (written) 15 minutes (oral)

 

Year 2

SEMESTER 1

CKR 201

Reading Skills in Korean (core)         

1x2 (written) 15 minutes (oral)

CKR 203*         

Classical Korean Literature (core)        

1x2 (written)

SEMESTER 2

CKR 202 

Writing Skills in Korean (core)           

1x2 (written)

CKR 204**  

Phonetics and Korean Phonology (core)           

1x2 (written) 15 minutes (oral)

 

Year 3

SEMESTER 1

CKR 301

Korean Grammar in Use (core)        

1x2 (written)

CKR 303** 

Morphology (core)        

1x2 (written)

CKR 305 (CLT 205)*   

Introduction to Literary Criticism (elective)

1x2 (written)

CKR 307**

Korean Sociolinguistics (elective)

1x2 (written)

CKR 309**   

Intercultural Communication in Korea (elective)

1x2 (written)

CKR 311*  

The Political Economy of Korean Development (elective)

1x2 (written)

CKR 313*  

Resources and Development: A Comparative Analysis of  Korea and Kenya (elective)

1x2 (written)

SEMESTER 2

CKR 302 (CLK 102)**   

Introduction to Translation and Interpretation (core)

1x2 (written)

CKR 304**  

Syntax (core)

1x2 (written)

CKR 306*

Korean Social and Political Philosophy (elective)

1x2 (written)

CKR 308**

Chinese Characters in Korean Writing (elective)

1x2 (written)

CKR 310*

The Military in the Politics of Korea (elective)

1x2 (written)

CKR 312*  

Korean Economic Development (elective)

1x2 (written)

CKR 314

Korean for Business and Tourism (elective)

1x2 (written)  

 

Year 4

SEMESTER 1

CKR 401:*

Modern Korean Literature (core)         

1x2 (written)

CKR 403:*  

Research Methodology (core)         

1x2 (written)

CKR 405 (TLE 403)**

Psycholinguistics (elective)

1x2 (written)

CKR 407 (CLK403)*

Traditional and Modern Linguistic Theories  (elective)

1x2 (written)  

CKR 409    

Interactive Korean (elective)  

1x2 (written) 15 minutes (oral)

CKR 411*

Arms Control and Proliferation in Korea (elective)

1x2 (written)

CKR 413

Semantics and Pragmatics in Korean (elective)

1x2 (written)

CKR 415*

Regional Cooperation and Conflict in the Korean Peninsula (elective) 

1x2 (written)

CKR 417* 

Oriental Philosophy (elective)

1x2 (written)

SEMESTER 2

CKR 402:

Advanced Korean Grammar (core)

1x2 (written)

CKR 404**

Translating, Editing and Interpreting (core)

1x2 (written)

CKR 406*

East Asia in the 19th and 20th Centuries (elective)

1x2 (written)

CKR 408*

Religions of Korea(elective)

1x2 (written)

CKR 410*

Korean Entertainment Industry: The Wave (Hallyu)  (elective)

1x2 (written)

CKR 412**    

Research Paper in Korean Studies (elective)

1x2 (written)

CKR 414*

Trading Relations between Korea and Africa (elective)

1x2 (written)

CKR 416:**

Practicum in Korean Studies (elective)

1x2 (written)  

 

 

 

 

Award of Degree

(i) In order to qualify for the award of a B.A. degree, a candidate must have registered for, attended lectures, sat examinations and passed in at least 44 units taken throughout the period of study for the degree.

(ii) A student who satisfies the examiners for the award of the degree of Bachelor of Arts shall be recommended for the award of the degree.  He/she shall be placed in one of the four classes listed below according to his/her performance. The final classification of the degree shall be based on all the required units taken during the degree programme. The total score on the required units shall be based on a cumulative average score to arrive at the final degree classification as follows:

70% – 100% (First Class Honours)

60% – 69% (Upper Second Class Honours)

50% – 59% (Lower Second Class Honours)

40% – 49% (Pass)