Extra credit project for international students - LIUZIYE

 * Experiences in an English-Language Class at a Korean University

To be honest, one of the main reasons I chose to study in Korea was because my English was poor. Although China is not an English-speaking country, English has been a mandatory subject since elementary school. Parents have very high expectations for English and often hope that their children can speak it as fluently as their native language. As a result, under constant pressure from exams and assignments, I gradually developed a sense of aversion and fear toward English, to the point where now, whenever I see English, I instinctively want to avoid it.

I originally came to Korea with the mindset that I could finally escape English, but I found out that I would still need to use it here. At first, I was really worried about not being able to understand and was afraid I wouldn't be able to express myself clearly. The pressure increased when I learned that I would have to give my opinions in English for this course. However, as the course progressed, I gradually realized that English was not as scary as I had imagined. Although my English was limited, having been exposed to it since childhood, I still had some foundation. Eventually, I found that I could understand the content of the classes and gradually expressed my ideas in English. Although I was initially nervous, over time, I gained confidence and was even able to speak up in class like the other students, earning points

* Adjusting to Life in Korea

Before coming to Korea, I had watched many videos about Korean culture, tourism, food, and daily life habits. So, when I actually arrived in Korea, adapting didn’t seem as difficult as I had imagined. Perhaps it’s because I had unknowingly prepared a lot. Once I arrived, I quickly settled into daily life. The only challenge I faced was the language. Although, as an international student, I passed a special exam to enter a Korean university, the Korean used in daily life and the specialized terms in class were still somewhat different. As time passed, with more courses and assignments, the language barrier gradually became less difficult to overcome.

* Learning Wiki Technology

Before taking this course, my knowledge of Wikipedia was limited to browsing articles through search engines. I didn’t know much about the operations and techniques behind it. After enrolling in this course, I discovered that Wikipedia actually has many interesting and useful aspects. Although I didn’t edit many Wikipedia entries throughout the semester, the process was very meaningful to me personally. During the editing process, I encountered some issues, such as having my content marked as unacceptable by administrators or being unable to edit due to lack of experience. I also had situations where administrators recognized my edits and provided crucial suggestions, which were very helpful to me.

* Suggestions for Improving International Student Experiences

Although Korean universities offer some Korean language courses for foreign students, more language support is needed for the everyday and specialized terms and expressions used in daily life and academic courses. As for English, while most students have a certain level of foundation, many still feel anxious about it and have weak skills. Therefore, it might be beneficial to provide more opportunities for students to learn English or specialized Korean, helping them better adapt to the language environment in both classrooms and daily life.

Since we have learned Wiki skills in the course, it might be a good idea to encourage students to continue using the Wiki platform to publish or organize information after the course ends. This would not only allow students to maintain the knowledge gained in class but also help them better apply and reinforce the skills they have learned, rather than letting them fade away after the course. This kind of continued practice could be a very valuable experience.