Part-time Faculty November Spotlight: Sun Young Kim

By Liz Feldman On Behalf of the Part-Time Faculty Institute

Learning a new language is no easy feat. Part-time faculty member Sun Young Kim knows that well. She teaches Korean in the Department of World Languages and Philosophy on the Rockville campus.

She joined the College in the spring of 2024. She said native English speakers often feel challenged when learning Korean.

"That's because the two languages are linguistically very different from one another. Learning Korean often requires more time and effort than learning languages within the Romance language family," Kim said.

"The Korean language has a very rich and extensive vocabulary. That can be difficult for many students to master," she added.

Kim said under the Korean system, speakers have to adjust their language depending on the age and social status of the person they are addressing.

She said the Korean language has some similarities to Chinese and Japanese even though they are not part of the same language family.

"One common feature is the use of vocabulary derived from Chinese characters. Japanese and Korean also have similar grammatical structures, while Chinese and Korean share many words with similar meanings, even if the pronunciation is different," Kim explained.

She grew up in Seoul, South Korea. She earned all of her degrees from universities in South Korea.

"As an undergraduate student, I majored in Psychology, Korean Language and Literature, and Art History. I later earned a master's degree in Korean Language education. I also developed a strong interest in culture and interdisciplinary studies, which led me to pursue Korean studies as well," Kim said.

She said she always wanted to teach Korean abroad. Kim had an acquaintance in the D.C. region, and that is what brought her to Maryland. Once she decided to stay, she wanted to continue building her career in language education.

Before she began teaching, Kim previously worked at a public broadcasting company in South Korea. She also worked for a company that developed digital Korean-language learning materials. In addition, she worked as an administrative staff member at a University in South Korea. Kim said all of these experiences made her want to pursue a career in education and work with students directly. She loves her job.

"One of the most rewarding experiences for me is seeing students who could not speak a single word of Korean at the beginning of the semester, later greet me and ask me questions in Korean," Kim said.

"Learning a language goes beyond vocabulary and grammar. It also opens the door to curiosity about another culture and way of life. Each semester, I find great joy in sharing those experiences and connections with my students," she added.

Kim has been teaching Korean for more than 11 years. She likes to approach students with patience, generosity, and an open mind.

"While transmitting knowledge is certainly our primary responsibility as educators, I also believe it is important to recognize that we serve not only as instructors, but also in many ways, as mentors and guides within the academic environment," Kim said.

She hopes she can instill confidence in her students and hopes they will walk away from her class experiencing joy in learning and in life.

"There is a Korean proverb: blue comes from indigo, yet is deeper than indigo which means that a student can surpass their teacher. I sincerely hope that my students will grow to become even more capable and accomplished than I am," Kim explained.

Kim easily relates to her students as they experience learning a new language. It was not easy for her to learn English.

"I still consider myself to be learning English. Just as learning Korean can be difficult for English speakers, learning English is not easy for Korean speakers like me. However, I always try to speak and write what I have learned, even if I make mistakes. I believe that not being afraid of mistakes and not expecting to speak perfectly right away are very important when learning a new language," Kim said.

When Kim is not teaching, she enjoys traveling. She also enjoys exploring places nearby. Kim also began indoor climbing last year and has thoroughly enjoyed the experience. She said she wants to explore this new passion further when she has more time in her busy schedule.