Informal Online Korean Language Learning by K‐Wave Fans: Autobiographic Narratives of Female and Male Fan‐Learners

ABSTRACT The present study examined the relationships between the Korean wave ( Hallyu or K‐Wave) and informal online Korean learning by individual learners, as well as the impact of different facets of the learners’ identities on the paths of their Korean learning. Four Korean language learners—two in the U.S. and two in Japan—who were fans of the K‐Wave participated in the study. Data were gathered through autobiographic interviews. The findings indicated that the learners’ informal online Korean learning was motivated by their love for and engagement with K‐pop and K‐dramas. The four learners’ K‐Wave fan identities contributed to the construction of idiosyncratic aspects of their identities in empowering or positive ways. These aspects prompted them to engage continuously in their Korean learning in a self‐directed manner. The results of the current case study are likely to generate interest in the under‐researched topic. Based on the findings, implications are discussed, including the need for future research on identity construction and the learning of Korean or other languages other than English (LOTEs) prompted by becoming fans of the target cultures in connection with intercultural communication and cooperation.