Regarding the Korean Language Institutes for the 2013 KGSP Postgraduate Scholars

Dear 2013 KGSP Postgraduate Grantees, In response to some of your possible inquiry for relocation to a different Korean language institute, NIIED would like to first clarify the goals behind its allocation process. And the NIIED can not change grantees language institute re-assignment. NIIED has designated 12 intensive language institutes for Korean language training, and each institute will run an independent KGSP class of minimum 1,000 hours over the course of one year. With that being stated, each grantee was assigned to one of such intensive Korean language institute on the basis of their Korean proficiency level and continent of origin. NIIED has also allotted grantees evenly across the 11 Korean language institutes, in order to evaluate each institute's teaching

effectiveness. In other words, the constitution of each aforementioned language institutes goals: incoming balancing KGSP a class was designed mix, with these

fundamental interregional assessment.

good

proficiency ensuring

maximizing institute

sociocultural

interaction,

and

accurate

Indeed, a top priority for NIIED is to enable you, the KGSP grantee, to experience new cultures, and to have many opportunities to create exchanges with KGSP grantees from other countries.

As previously mentioned, before entering into a degree course, every grantee must complete a one-year Korean language course at his or her designated language institute. Moreover, upon completion of said course, the grantee must demonstrate his or her competency in the Korean language by passing Level 3 in TOPIK (Test of Proficiency in Korean). Therefore, to reiterate, a grantees successful training in the Korean language, demonstrated by his or her passing of at least level 3 in TOPIK, will be reflected in the assessment of each institute's teaching effectiveness. For this reason, every institute needs to start its training course with the same conditions and the same average level of Korean proficiency amongst its set of allotted KGSP scholars. Ultimately, this is to improve language teaching effectiveness and to further minimize the number of trainees who fail to reach the Korean proficiency requirement (passing at least level 3 in TOPIK). Statistically, before 2012, only around 60% of KGSP grantees pass the language requirement after the one-year language course. The failure to meet the language requirement necessitates grantees to take the additional six-month language course extension, and subsequently delay their degree course. In worse scenarios, in the past, the KGSP have sadly witnessed a lot of grantees failing to reach Level 3 in TOPIK, even after the course extension, and then giving up the scholarship. Indeed, another top priority of the NIIED is to maximize the number of grantees surpassing Level 3 in TOPIK. Proper evaluation and improvement of the Korean language institutes form one of NIIEDs fundamental strategies in achieving this priority. This is also why the NIIED is not able to permit reassignments of the grantees designated institutes.

To accompany this explanation, NIIED would also like to take the time to strongly recommend all trainees to not become involved in the academic activities in their respective degree universities during the language training period. Above all, the involvement in the various meeting, seminars, projects, etc. may cause grantees to fail to reach the appropriate level of Korean proficiency, as the result of negligence of language training. Though a few grantees will take their classes mostly in English throughout their degree course, each one must possess adequate Korean proficiency to join various meetings and seminars, to participate in various research projects, and to live a fulfilling academic and social life. With this rationale also in mind, NIIED cannot accept the request to change a grantees designated language institute, and cannot permit them to transfer to another language institute during the training period.

All grantees should concentrate on studying the Korean language during the training period, and must reach at least Level 3 in TOPIK in order to enter into their respective degree course. This is the reason why NIIED limits grantees' temporary departure, and why NIIED prohibits them from having part-time jobs during the language course period. With that said, a grantee who passes at least Level 5 in TOPIK can be exempted from the Korean language course and begin his or her degree course in the following semester. Most of countries require a minimum level of adequate language ability from government scholarship scholars, such as the TOEFL score minimum in the United States, the HSK level requirement in China, the JLPT level in Japan, the IELTS score in United Kingdom, etc. Instead of following

this trend, the NIIED and the Korean government aimed to design the KGSP to be more open and accommodating to foreign students. Not wanting to restrict applicants on the basis of Korean language proficiency, the NIIED was set on improving the Korean ability of those who were admitted to the KGSP program, and hence the one-year intensive Korean course was born. Unfortunately, a number of grantees have not taken this language course earnestly, thinking that they did not need to improve the Korean language because they can take classes in English. Such attitudes, needless to say, do not correspond with the purpose and spirit of the KGSP program. Grantees (You) are invited to become future leaders in creating new bridges between Korea and their home countries, bridges built upon mutual trust, education, and recognition. Dear KGSP grantees, NIIED cordially requests you to understand the aims and intentions of KGSP, and to cooperate with our policy. Once again, it is not permitted to change allocated language institution. It is also strongly recommended to not participate in various meetings, seminars, research projects, and other activities run by your degree-aimed university during your language training period. Best regards, Hye Young Kang, Ph.D. KGSP Graduate Program Selection Manager

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