Cover for "Easy Korean for Agricultural Workers" / Courtesy of King Sejong Institute Foundation

The King Sejong Institute Foundation (KSIF) introduced two specialized textbooks — "Easy Korean for Agricultural Workers" and "Easy Korean for Fisheries Workers" — to assist foreign seasonal workers in learning the basic Korean language skills necessary for work activities.

The books are tailored to meet the needs of foreign workers seeking to navigate the challenges language barriers pose in their daily and professional lives in the agriculture and fisheries industries.

The textbooks are expected to be used for curriculum at King Sejong Institutes located in regions with a high concentration of seasonal workers in Southeast Asia and Central Asia. To accommodate a diverse learner demographic, the foundation has made these textbooks available in six languages: English, Vietnamese, Russian, Mongolian, Uzbek and Kyrgyz.

The initiative reflects an effort to improve the Korean language proficiency of foreign seasonal workers, focusing on vocabulary and expressions pivotal for daily interactions and specific tasks within the agricultural and fisheries sectors.

These resources are provided for free at the Online King Sejong Institute.

Each textbook comprises 10 units designed with a seasonal worker's short stay and immediate needs in mind. The first four units, categorized under "Living," cover essential daily life scenarios in rural Korea. The subsequent six units, themed "Work," are tailored to agricultural and fisheries work, featuring industry-specific dialogues and exercises.

In addition to the textbooks, the foundation provides supplementary materials, including a vocabulary and expression book, audio materials and a teacher's guide. These additional resources are designed to improve the learning experience and allow learners to practice key vocabulary and expressions conveniently.

This initiative aims to enhance the Korean language skills of foreign seasonal workers, addressing essential vocabulary and expressions for daily life and sector-specific tasks in agriculture and fisheries.

Recognizing the challenges insufficient language support poses for migrant workers, the KSIF focused on bettering their practical language skills to boost productivity and workplace safety.

Lee Hai-young, KSIF president, emphasized the growing importance of foreign labor in Korea.

"We are pleased to release learning materials that will assist seasonal workers overcome language and cultural challenges," Lee said. "The foundation will continue striving to identify Korean language learning needs and provide a variety of Korean educational content."

The KSIF, operating under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, oversees the education of Korean language and culture abroad. As of 2023, it runs 248 King Sejong Institutes across 85 countries, serving over 110,000 students worldwide.