The Present and Future of Mongolian Language Education in Mongolia related Majors in Korean Universities

Diplomatic relations between Korea and Mongolia were established in 1990, and 35 years have since passed. A Mongolia-related major was also introduced at a Korean university after the establishment of diplomatic relations, and today, two universities offer such programs. Over the years, exchanges and developments in various fields, including Mongolian studies, have flourished. The Mongolian language plays a pivotal role in facilitating these exchanges; however, research on Mongolian language education, especially as a foreign language, has received limited attention in Mongolian studies, both domestically and internationally. Therefore, this study aims to investigate Mongolian language education at universities in Korea, which represent the most structured and continuous Mongolian language programs in the country. The primary objective of this study is to provide a comprehensive description of Mongolian language education at two Korean universities offering Mongolia-related majors and to gain a deeper understanding of the experiences of both learners and faculty members involved in Mongolian language education. To achieve this, an analysis of the curriculum and courses of study was conducted, followed by in-depth one-on-one interviews, taking a phenomenological approach to explore the educational experiences of students and faculty. The findings from both the curriculum and interview analyses indicate that Mongolian language courses at these universities offer a wide range of content and subjects. Nevertheless, certain areas require further enhancement, particularly in terms of teaching methods, materials, and the primary focus of the language instruction. Based on these findings, the study outlines five key recommendations for the future development of Mongolian language education in university programs.