A journey of cultural enlightenment at the Korean Cultural Centre

The language learners from Apeejay School, Noida recently visited the Korean Cultural Centre. The day was more than a learning curve for the students; it was more like a kaleidoscope dipped deep into the core of Korean culture; every turn of the wheel was preset to enhance their linguistic skills and further broaden the scope of their international outlook.

The students were given a warm welcome by personnel in the Centre, followed by conducting a tour through a set of specially designed displays. It opened a window into the richly woven tapestry of history and tradition that is Korea, allowing the students to visualize the very essence of the Korean spirit and way of life.

The interactive sessions marked the high point of the day. Students went about delving into traditional Korean arts and crafts: Going on with the laborious art of Hanji (traditional Korean way of crafting paper), and trying their hands at calligraphy with brushes that danced in rhythm to their new-found cultural understanding.

A presentation on the history of Korea and customs kept the students mesmerised and, in turn, raised a surging tide of questions so that the session was transformed into a heated debate. The well-equipped presenters — knowledgeable, and enthusiastic — replied to each query in such a way that it filled the students with keen interest in Korean culture.

Life beyond the classroom

The visit was an eye-opener for many, and not exactly for the beauties of art or the depth of history, but as a very interactive way of how lessons could be. The ability to treat the cultural treasures and the people who treasure them was illuminating in ways that made lessons vivid and far more memorable than classroom lectures.

The students were also informed about contemporary Korean innovations and cultural phenomena. It was precisely this merging of history with modernity that interested them and which served to give them a more complete image of Korea within the global framework.

Both the students and the teachers echoed the visit’s success, seeing as the right balance between inputs for education and fun activities had been found. The school will try to include such visits into its curriculum since it has realised just how much impact such excursions have on student learning and cultural appreciation.

The visit to the Korean Cultural Centre thus proved to be vibrant and fulfilling for the students of Apeejay School. It is like entering another culture: students not only learnt about another part of the world but also acquire the skills of cultural sensitivity and understanding of others. Such experiences are critical to preparing young learners for contributing to becoming knowledgeable, reflective global citizens.