A Study on Korean Culture as Perceived by International Students - With a Special Focus on Chinese and Mongolian Students

The purpose of this study is to investigate the process by which international students' perceptions change about Korean language and culture. For this purpose, qualitative research, which consisted of observations and interviews with foreign students who came to Korea for academic purposes, was conducted. This study was conducted so that learners themselves would be able to observe and understand the phenomena of the target (Korean) culture. This process was conducted to ensure a learner-led comprehensive culture education. In order to do this, undergraduate international students of S university in the metropolitan area conducted surveys, cultural observations, language behavior observations, and interviews with Koreans. Finally, in-depth interviews were conducted with undergraduate international students regarding their feelings and behaviors while observing behaviors and language expressions of Koreans for 16 weeks. Foreign learners can misunderstand what they have experienced indirectly or what they have experienced in their surroundings as stereotyped and can make common mistaken assumptions about the target culture. Therefore, this study examines the processes of learners' changing perceptions regarding the target culture by examining the expectation of the learner before coming to Korea and the cultural distance that the learner felt while living in Korea. This study has significance in that it allows learners to re-examine the differences in cultural behaviors and habits that they have been indifferent to and helps them to be aware of the changes in their perceptions of the target culture. Moreover, they should recognize that the cultural distance they feel While living in the target culture may cause them to remain as spectators rather than help them to assimilate in the learning process.