Jung Hee Lee to present on Korean language learning apps on October 21

The Institute for Korean Studies will present a a lecture by Jung Hee Lee, Kyung Hee University, on Thursday, October 21 from 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. online (registration required). Professor Lee will present "Assessing the Use of Google Translate in Korean Learning." This lecture will be presented in Korean.

Abstract: 최근 한국어 학습자들은 어린 시절부터 디지털기기와 인터넷 환경에 익숙한 ‘디지털 네이티브(Digital Native)’이고, 대면이 아닌 언택트(untact) 환경의 온라인에서 의사소통을 하고 학습, 생활과 일을 주도하는 세대이다. 최근 COVID-19와 같은 팬데믹 현상을 겪게 되면서 온라인상에서 언어를 배울 수 있는 한국어 학습에 유용한 프로그램, 앱과 콘텐츠들이 있다. 전통적으로 활용해 온 MS워드나 한글의 맞춤법, 띄어쓰기 교정 기능도 있고 단어나 문장 단위 학습을 위한 다수의 앱이 있다. 문장 단위의 대화가 가능한 챗봇도 개발되고 있고 VR,/AR기술을 활용한 플랫폼도 교육에 적용되고 있다. 이에 한국어를 배우는 학습자가 개인 학습 과정에서 유용하게 활용할 수 있는 한국어 학습용 앱과 온라인 콘텐츠를 소개하고자 한다. 특히 딥러닝 기술의 개발과 AI의 발달로 기계 번역 수준이 높아지면서 구글 번역기를 한국어 학습에 어떻게 활용할 수 있는지 집중적으로 소개하고자 한다.

Today’s foreign language learners are digital natives who are familiar with digital devices and networked settings since childhood. This generation is accustomed to communicating, digesting information, leading daily life, and managing work virtually in an “untact” (a Korean term meaning non-contact) environment. Particularly, the pandemic has led to a significant increase in the number of useful programs, apps, and content to learn Korean online. In addition to the spelling and spacing correction functions in MS Word and Hangul programs that have been traditionally used, there are many apps available for learning and practicing Korean vocabulary, grammar, and conversation. Chatbots capable of communicative exchanges at sentence and paragraph levels as well as platforms using VR (Virtual Reality)/AR (Augmented Reality) technology are being developed and made available. In this talk, I will introduce Korean language learning apps and online programs that can be utilized in Korean learning. In particular, as the quality of machine translation increases dramatically with the development of deep learning technology and AI (Artificial Intelligence), the discussion will focus on how Google Translate can be utilized for learning Korean.

Beth Carter to present on mourning rituals, practices in Tale of Genji on October 21

The Institute for Japanese Studies will present a a lecture by Beth Carter, Case Western Reserve University, on Thursday, October 21 from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. online (registration required). Professor Carter will present "Mourning Social: Religion, Politics, Poetics, and Sociality in the Tale of Genji's Post-death Scenes."

Abstract: Although codified since the eighth-century, pre-modern Japanese mourning experienced newly evolved social, political, and religious intersections by the mid-Heian period (c. 1000 C.E). These developments provided authors an opportunity to re-calibrate post-death scenes to express individual grief, illuminate the world at court, and delineate relationship, rank, and gender. In the mourning scenes of Yūgao and Aoi in Murasaki Shikibu’s Tale of Genji (Genji monogatari), there is an amalgamation of public and private, individual and communal, as well as prescribed and elected rituals and practices. The narrator emphasizes that these deaths should be read against each other, as Shikibu’s “mourning poetics” (an artful layering of time, lament, and ritual) is not just an aesthetically pleasing convention to express grief but reveals the social and religious duty to pacify spirits who could return to the world of the tale and cause social and political disorder, even death.

Mia Bennett to present on China's role in Arctic governance on October 7

The first lecture in the Asian Futures series this year will feature Mia Bennett, University of Washington, on Thursday, October 7 from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. The lecture will be available online via Zoom as well as in person at Hagerty Hall, Room 198 (registration is required). Professor Bennett will present "China's Liftoff: Satellites as Enabling Technology in Global Governance."

Abstract: China has expanded its scientific capabilities in the Arctic with research stations and icebreakers. Yet little attention has been paid to the country’s growing remote sensing capabilities. China launched its first polar observing satellite in 2019. Next year, it will launch SAR satellites to monitor Arctic shipping. While these satellites allow Beijing to gather information about a distant region, they also constitute a technology permitting it to participate in this critical region’s emerging governance. As remote sensing and computationally-intensive techniques become preferred decision-making tools within global governance, and as China becomes a key producer of valuable satellite data, its ability to intervene in the region is likely to grow. This paper will examine the origins and implications of this historical shift in Arctic governance.

CLLC to hold NSEP Boren information session on October 5

The Center for Languages, Literatures and Cultures will hold a National Security Education Program (NSEP) Boren Scholarship information session on Tuesday, October 5 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. via Zoom.

NSEP Boren Scholarships and Fellowships provide funding opportunities for U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to study less commonly taught languages in world regions critical to U.S. interests and underrepresented in study abroad, including Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America and the Middle East. Boren will award up to $20,000 per undergraduate student and $24,000 per graduate student for one academic year of study abroad.

Contact Rebecca Bias to register and obtain the workshop link.

CLLC to hold Peace Corps information session on October 12

The Center for Languages, Literatures and Cultures will hold a Peace Corps information session on Tuesday, October 12 from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. via Zoom.

Peace Corps volunteers work for sustainable development in 60+ countries, in agriculture, community economic development, education, environment, health and youth development. Applicants with foreign language and intercultural skills are competitive for positions worldwide. Peace Corps covers living, travel, medical and other costs. Join this session to learn about “the toughest job you’ll ever love” as well as the skills and experiences of successful applicants.

Learn about the experiences of Peace Corps volunteers serving in 60+ countries in programs promoting education, health, agriculture, economic development, environment and youth. Learn about skills and experiences of successful applicants.

Contact Rebecca Bias to register and obtain the workshop link.

Blakemore Foundation accepting applications for its 2022 Blakemore Freeman Fellowships