The impact of the Korean Wave on Korean language studies in Israel

For many years, students who chose to learn Korean at formal and informal institutions in Israel, such as universities and private schools, began their studies with a limited knowledge of Korean. However, the Korean Wave(Hallyu), by popularising Korean culture in Israel, has changed attitudes toward Korea and the Korean language, and more and more young people in Israel have shown interest in studying Korean whether as part of their university studies or in other informal settings. Some began learning Korean through language applications, K-drama, K-pop, or fan clubs where groups of people learn together. Hallyu has also increased the number of students interested in formal Korean Studies, and classes have therefore become more heterogeneous with students arriving with varying degrees of prior knowledge of Korean. This diversity of prior knowledge has led teachers to adjust the way they teach Korean in Israel. This research uses a survey we conducted with Korean language teachers and interviews with students to analyse Hallyu's impact on the interest and motivation of students studying Korean, the specific difficulties Israeli students face in their studies, the use of Korean culture in instruction, and the changes that Hallyu has encouraged in Korean language education in Israel.