As parents, you always want your kids to have an added advantage for a smoother and easier transition to society when they grow up. Hence, having them learn a foreign language might be an option that's in your list.
When looking for foreign language programs for kids in Malaysia, you might've come across Online Korean Classes for Kids / Kids Korean Class and wondered..should my kids be learning Korean? Will it be useful in the future?
Here's 5 reasons why Malaysian children should be learning Korean!
Korean is a “critical language”
Korean is considered a “critical language” by the United States government. It's a term used to describe languages for which there is a large demand for language professionals but little supply. We believe the earlier children learn Korean, the better positioned they will be for the future! It's worth looking into some online Korean classes for kids that they can join during their free time.
South Korea is also heavily investing in setting up factories, trading companies and projects in Malaysia, which makes the skill so much more valuable and needed.
Enhance reading skills
Malaysian students are accustomed to reading alphabetic script – think English or Bahasa Melayu. Different parts of the brains are activated when reading a non-alphabetic script like Korean language. Korean writing – known as hangeul – is unique to Korean language. It consists of 14 consonants and 10 vowels. Each Korean word is made up of at least a consonant and a vowel, arranged in a certain order.
Reading Korean syllables is fun, logical and involves very minimal memorisation – which makes it less stressful for Malaysian children learning it as a foreign language. However, reading Hangeul does require more mental processing than reading alphabets. This challenges the child's reading skills and as a process, makes it easier for them to read alphabetic script like English.
Boost strong organisational skills
The next benefit of learning Korean for children would be its ability to boost strong organisational skills. Unlike English sentences where we just write from left to right in one single line, writing Korean words require certain level of organisation and structure based on a set of rules. The practice of arranging the consonants and vowels into blocks will help children develop strong memory and organisational skills.
Expanding career options
Korea is projected to be the world’s seventh-biggest economy by 2030. Samsung, Kia, Hyundai, LG, and Lotte are just a few of the country’s world class brands, many of which have operations overseas.
Web developer, video game specialist, IP lawyer, logistics specialist, bank branch manager and writers are just a tiny sample of job postings to be found on any given day aimed at those with Korean language skills.
Fun language to learn
With so many Korean entertainment materials available, learning a foreign language as a young student will no longer be boring. Lessons are designed to incorporate contents you love – Kdrama, Korean songs, lyrics, cultural topics to make it more fun and relatable!
If you're keen to sign your children up for Online Korean Classes, do check out Fun Korean for Elementary Children by Teacher Eun Hae!