The South Korean government announced Friday plans to develop new Korean language textbooks tailored to foreign workers, reflecting growing demand for practical language support in the workplace.
The Ministry of Justice will develop intermediate-level textbooks in coordination with the Culture Ministry and the National Institute of Korean Language, following its previous effort to create introductory materials for Korean language beginners in 2024.
“The special team will directly meet with foreign workers in various work environments to observe common language expressions, cultural elements and communication challenges encountered in everyday life and the workplace,” the ministry said in a press release Friday.
"Based on these findings, the textbooks will include systematically organized vocabulary, sentence structures, dialogues and cultural understanding resources that are practical and applicable in real life."
The ministry added that the new textbooks will be created by considering the work environments and specific needs of foreign workers, explaining that the books will differ from existing Korean language textbooks.
“We anticipate the customized Korean language textbooks will help foreign workers acquire practical language skills for effective workplace communication,” said the ministry.
According to the Justice Ministry, the basic Korean textbook comprises nine chapters, focusing on learning Hangeul — or the Korean alphabet — and basic greetings.
The upcoming intermediate-level textbooks are expected to enhance both occupational communication skills and intercultural communication competence according to different job categories.
The two beginner-level textbooks were designed to improve communication abilities, review the concepts from the introductory textbook and serve as specialized materials for the ministry’s social integration program.
The exact date of publication is yet to be announced.
sj_lee@heraldcorp.com
