The Greater Vancouver Korean Language School

The Greater Vancouver Korean Language School () is a Korean language school located in Greater Vancouver, British Columbia. As the first Korean language school in British Columbia, it was established in 1973 for the purpose of teaching the Korean language and culture to Korean Canadian children.The Vancouver Korean Language School. 1995. Brief history of the Vancouver Korean Language School. RBSC-ARC-1813-1-47, Korean Canadian Heritage Archive, University of British Columbia Library Rare Books and Special Collections, Vancouver, Canada. Initially, the school only offered Korean language classes, but soon added more subjects to the curriculum, including Korean history and culture, Taekwondo, Korean traditional dance, choir and fine arts.Lee, Seong-Soo. 28 June 1982. Letter on behalf of the Vancouver Korean School Society [to] Sam Fllipoff of Vancouver School Board re: demand support for the school. RBSC-ARC-1813-2-26, Korean Canadian Heritage Archive, University of British Columbia Library Rare Books and Special Collections, Vancouver, Canada.The Vancouver Korean Language School. October 1981. October 1981 issue of the Vancouver Korean School News. RBSC-ARC-1813-3-60, Korean Canadian Heritage Archive, University of British Columbia Library Rare Books and Special Collections, Vancouver, Canada.

The school is currently located at 5921 Kingsway, Burnaby, but it has rented a church or several public school buildings in the Greater Vancouver area prior to the current location.Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Vancouver. 2022. “2022년 한글학교 현황 [Korean Language Schools in 2022].” Last modified January 25, 2022. https://www.mofa.go.kr/ca-vancouver-ko/brd/m_4599/view.do?seq=1328194 . (Accessed April 1, 2022). With an influx of Korean immigrants to British Columbia along with the growing number of student enrolments, the school established a branch at Coquitlam in 2006, at Surrey in 2008 and Killarney in 2012.Lee, Ji-Eun. 2017. “밴쿠버 한국어학교 운동회 및 전통놀이 한마당 열린다. [Vancouver Korean Language School Sports Day and Traditional Play Day].” 밴쿠버 교육신문, May 19, 2017. https://vancouveredupost.ca/19/220/ . (accessed April 3, 2022). After the founding of the school in 1973, other Korean language schools began to establish in British Columbia since then and therefore, there are 17 Korean language schools as of 2022.Baker, Don. 2008. "Koreans in Vancouver: A Short History." Journal of the Canadian Historical Association 19 (2): 155-180. . For the Korean Canadian immigrant parents in British Columbia, sending their children to the Korean language school is now a common investment in their children’s heritage language acquisition and maintenance.Cho, Sunah Park. 2008. “Korean Immigrants’ Social Practice of Heritage Language Acquisition and Maintenance through Technology.” PhD diss., University of British Columbia. Currently, there are more than 400 graduates of the Greater Vancouver Korean Language School, and they either became university students or working professionals, including jobs such as a Canadian senator and a Canadian news anchor.Encyclopedia of Overseas Korean Culture. n.d. “밴쿠버 한국어학교 [Vancouver Korean Language School].” 세계한민족문화대전. http://www.okpedia.kr/Contents/ContentsView?localCode=naw&contentsId=GC95101118 . (accessed March 30, 2022).

History

Foundation and early years The school was established on December 21, 1973, by Byeong-Seop Ban (the pastor of the Korean United Church of Vancouver), Seong-Woong Cho (the seventh president of the Korean Society of BC) and Myeong-Jun Choi (the Consul General of South Korea in Vancouver at the time).Sangcho. 10 July 1979. News article in the Sangcho News on July 10, 1979 about the Korean language school of Vancouver. RBSC-ARC-1813-3-07, Korean Canadian Heritage Archive, University of British Columbia Library Rare Books and Special Collections, Vancouver, Canada. In the beginning, the president of the Korean Society of BC supported the school until it became independent from the Korean Society of BC in 1981. With the purpose of teaching the Korean language and Korean culture to the Korean Canadian children living in the greater Vancouver area, the Korean language classes began in February 1974 at the Korean United Church of Vancouver. Many Korean immigrant parents enrolled their children in the school in the hopes of bridging language barriers and assisting them in overcoming the cultural identity crisis that many second-generation immigrants face.Song, Myung-hee. 2009. "캐나다 한인문단의 형성. [The Formation of Korean-Canadian Literature]." Uri Ŏmun Yŏn'Gu (34): 7-37.

During the early years of the school, some concerns were raised as the Korean immigrant parents in British Columbia thought that learning Korean would slow their children's English acquisition or interfere with their academics.The Vancouver Korean Language School. February 1981. February 1981 issue of the Vancouver Korean School News. RBSC-ARC-1813-3-56, Korean Canadian Heritage Archive, University of British Columbia Library Rare Books and Special Collections, Vancouver, Canada. Nevertheless, the school emphasized the importance of maintaining a heritage language as well as the benefits of bilingualism, by promoting the school in newspapers and attaching a fact-based article about second language acquisition to their school newsletters.The Koreanna. 26 January 1979. News article on the Koreanna about the Sunday classes for parents of the Korean Language School of Vancouver. RBSC-ARC-1813-2-86, Korean Canadian Heritage Archive, University of British Columbia Library Rare Books and Special Collections, Vancouver, Canada.

The school initially began with less than 30 students, but grew over the years, reaching 238 students in 1981. With the increasing number of student enrolments, logistic assistance has been provided primarily by the parents association and the number of classes that the school offered increased as well.

Prior to its current location in Burnaby, the school has rented a church or several public school buildings in the Vancouver area, including the Korean United Church, McPherson Park Junior High School, Britannia Secondary School, Champlain Heights Community School, and the Vancouver Technical Secondary School.

Recent history With the increasing number of the student population, the school opened a branch at Coquitlam in 2006, at Surrey in 2008 and at Killarney in 2012. When the Killarney location was established, the school has been renamed from the Vancouver Korean Language School to the Greater Vancouver Korean Language School. As of 2022, the school rents facilities in four areas to operate a total of four branches in the Greater Vancouver area.

Administration and organization

School governance The school’s administration is governed by the board of governors, where the board manages the overall operation of the school from creating a safe learning environment to managing property and the school budget.The Vancouver Korean Language School. 1979. Manuscript of the annual report of the Korean Language School of Vancouver. RBSC-ARC-1813-2-66, Korean Canadian Heritage Archive, University of British Columbia Library Rare Books and Special Collections, Vancouver, Canada. The board also appoints the school’s principal and provides advice on academic management. The school’s principal is responsible for managing the overall academic operations of the school and the vice-principal assists the principal and oversees daily activities.

Teaching staff The school recruits experienced teachers who have worked in elementary schools, middle schools or high schools in Korea, or those who have obtained a teaching certificate in Korea.The Vancouver Korean Language School. January 1981. January 1981 issue of the Vancouver Korean School News. RBSC-ARC-1813-3-55, Korean Canadian Heritage Archive, University of British Columbia Library Rare Books and Special Collections, Vancouver, Canada. For the elective classes such as Taekwondo, Korean Heritage traditional dance, choir and fine arts, the school recruits professional instructors specializing in each field.

Student registration process School registration occurs at the beginning of September each year, but in some cases, students may be admitted at the beginning of each term. Upon registration, the students are expected to write a Korean Language School placement test, which helps to assess their Korean reading, writing, speaking and listening skills and match them to the language classes most appropriate for their level.The Vancouver Korean Language School. 18 September 1982. Korean Language School Placement Test. RBSC-ARC-1813-1-13, Korean Canadian Heritage Archive, University of British Columbia Library Rare Books and Special Collections, Vancouver, Canada.

Finances The school’s operational expenses are primarily derived from student tuition fees. But the donations from the individuals in the Korean Canadian community, the grants from the Government of Canada and the Ministry of Education in South Korea, as well as the revenues from their occasional fundraising campaigns, such as a snack sale, add to their budget.The Vancouver Korean Language School. 24 January 1987. January 24 1987 issue of the Vancouver Korean School News. RBSC-ARC-1813-3-54, Korean Canadian Heritage Archive, University of British Columbia Library Rare Books and Special Collections, Vancouver, Canada.The Vancouver Korean Language School. 1983. Manuscript of the expanded Budget Plan. RBSC-ARC-1813-2-55, Korean Canadian Heritage Archive, University of British Columbia Library Rare Books and Special Collections, Vancouver, Canada.

Fees Until 1981, the tuition for one term was $10. In 1982, the tuition fee increased, leading to $15 per term.The Vancouver Korean Language School. September 1981. September 1981 issue of the Vancouver Korean School News. RBSC-ARC-1813-3-58, Korean Canadian Heritage Archive, University of British Columbia Library Rare Books and Special Collections, Vancouver, Canada. The tuition did not include textbook costs, which varied depending on the Korean language class, ranging from $12.5 to $15 in the 1980s.The Vancouver Korean Language School. January 1982. January 1982 issue of the Vancouver Korean School News. RBSC-ARC-1813-3-62, Korean Canadian Heritage Archive, University of British Columbia Library Rare Books and Special Collections, Vancouver, Canada. Also, students who took Taekwondo classes were required to buy safety gloves and groin protectors for their safety.

Additionally, the school offered financial assistance based on demonstrated financial needs. For instance, in 1985, the board of governors waived tuition fees for fifteen students who had demonstrated financial aid.The Vancouver Korean Language School. 2 November 1985. November 2 1895 issue of the Vancouver Korean School News. RBSC-ARC-1813-3-48, Korean Canadian Heritage Archive, University of British Columbia Library Rare Books and Special Collections, Vancouver, Canada. Also, since an individual in the B.C. Korean community named Sang-dae Son endowed the school with $1000 annually in the 1980s, the school had the Sang-dae Son Scholarship, which provided an opportunity for ten students in need to receive $100.The Vancouver Korean Language School. 7 June 1986. June 7 1986 issue of the Vancouver Korean School News. RBSC-ARC-1813-3-52, Korean Canadian Heritage Archive, University of British Columbia Library Rare Books and Special Collections, Vancouver, Canada.

In 2007, the tuition for the school year was $300, which included the costs of textbooks.Lee, Jae-Yeon. 2007. “2007-8학년도 개학 맞은 밴쿠버 한글학교 [Vancouver Korean School Opens for the 2007-8 School Year]” Vanchosun, September 6, 2007. https://www.vanchosun.com/news/main/frame.php?main=1&boardId=17&bdId=25175 . (accessed April 7, 2022).

School calendar