Warrior Soldiers complete Korean language class

Courtesy Photo | Warrior Soldiers give a round of applause for their Korean language teachers during the graduation ceremony held at the Camp Casey Education Center Aug. 25. (Photo by: Cpl. Lee Hyun Bae)  

CAMP RED CLOUD, SOUTH KOREA

08.25.2010

Courtesy Story

Combat Camera Afghanistan

Story by: Cpl. Lee Hyun Bae

CAMP RED CLOUD, Republic of Korea – Soldiers with 2nd Infantry Division who had been attending a Korean language class since early July graduated in a ceremony Aug. 25 at the Camp Casey Education Center. The class, sponsored by the Gyeonggi province, taught students about the Korean language and culture.

To impress their teachers and fellow Soldiers, some of the students sang “Yuh Haeng Eul Dduh Nah Yo” meaning “Let’s go on a trip” by Jo Yong-Phil. The teachers smiled as they listened to their students sing.

One Soldier shared what he learned in those seven weeks.

“Ahn-nyong-haseyo,” said Pvt. Jacob Greenwood of B Company, 302nd Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team. “I learned a lot about Korean culture from this class. I’m glad that I had a chance to learn about Korean which is very essential to me. I was surprised when I learned that the word ‘computer’ is same in English and Korean. This class is absolutely efficient and I strongly recommend other U.S. Soldiers take this course next time.”

The class is held annually for most American Soldiers who have difficulty speaking the language.

“We started this program in 2006 and it is part of the mutual cooperation we have with 2nd Infantry Division,” said Kim Dai-Kyung, chief of the military cooperation section in Uijongbu. “Our purpose is to help American Soldiers by teaching them basic Korean language skills. We also aim to teach them Korean customs to help their relationships with Koreans.”

Three teachers from Korea University each taught a class, and though they didn’t turn the students into Korean-language experts, they succeeded in helping Soldiers know the basics such as ordering food in Korean restaurants without difficulty.

“We met the students twice a week and taught them about two or three hours a day,” said Ryu Soon-Young, one of the Korean language class teachers. “Soldiers had a hard time understanding lectures at the beginning, but they improved a lot day by day. Now they can answer my questions in Korean.”

“We only used Korean in the class and I think this is efficient in helping students become familiar with the language faster,” the teacher added.

Lt. Col. Charles Nelson, the 2nd Infantry Division civil military officer, agreed that the class was very beneficial.

“This is my second time participating in this ceremony,” he said. “This course builds a Soldier’s confidence so they can go out, read the subway station map, and order food in restaurants. I think their Korean skills are much better than mine.”

Sgt. Shaun C. Decasas of Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 210th Fires Brigade plans on going to the Korean market to buy things using words that he learned from the class.

“I think it was very good that my teacher taught me lots of everyday phrases,” he said. “I’m going to improve my Korean by studying and I’m also going to spend more time with KATUSAs to check my Korean pronunciation. There is one sentence that I want to say to my Korean language teacher: ‘Go-ma-wuh-yo,’ which means thank you.”

• Date Taken: 08.25.2010
• Date Posted: 09.13.2010 02:45
• Story ID: 56171
• Location: CAMP RED CLOUD, KR