Exploring Asynchronous Online Courses in Language Group V: A Case of Intermediate Korean

Abstract

While asynchronous online language courses have been increasingly implemented in higher-education environments, they have limited use for Language Group V. This study explores the curriculum design and efficacy of an asynchronous online mode for an intermediate Korean course, while also providing practical suggestions for optimal structuring of the course. To this end, the article provides a comparative analysis of the same course in two modes (i.e., an asynchronous online version and an in-person version) and evaluates the online mode’s efficacy using various assessments, including pre- and post-tests; midterm exams; oral quizzes; spelling and spacing quizzes; and students’ course evaluation surveys. The outcome indicates that students in the asynchronous online course performed equally well as those in the in-person course on all assessments, and even outperformed in-person students on post-tests. Pedagogical insights and strategies on the benefits and challenges of online courses are also discussed.

Keywords

• pre-test and post-test
• korean-language course
• asynchronous online language course
• curriculum development of online course