By Honorary Reporter Tantri Candrawati Tiong from Indonesia

Photo=Tantri Candrawati Tiong

My calligraphy classmates and I posed for this group picture last year.

I began learning the Korean language last year at King Sejong Institute in Jakarta. I started at Level 1B and regularly attended class before the outbreak of COVID-19, interacting with the teacher and other classmates. Besides learning the language, we also took Korean culture classes on topics such as calligraphy and cooking and held Sports Day. All of us were very enthusiastic and excited about the classes.

On the final day of the term, we celebrated graduation together. All the teachers and students went to watch movies, have snacks and take pictures. Graduating students received a certificate while the best student got an award. 

The pandemic, however, has forced the holding of classes through Zoom or Webex. The sad part is that we cannot interact like we did in the past. The teacher is trying her best to make the class fun, but the inevitable always occurs. Internet connection is often a problem and understanding the lectures clearly is hard. Exams have also changed because taking oral tests is impossible.

Even so, the institute and its teachers continue to keep classes interesting through activities like holding a contest for writing a letter to the teacher, teaching songs or giving a talk on Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving). So though the pandemic has tired and exhausted us, we cannot lose hope and must stand together to overcome this pandemic. I believe the situation will eventually improve so that we can return to the classroom.

enny0611@korea.kr

*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.