The Korean I course addresses these challenges by providing a foundational approach tailored to beginners. It focuses on practical applications, such as simple conversations in everyday contexts, and incorporates multimedia resources for independent study. By introducing the Korean writing system and sound structure incrementally, and highlighting differences with Chinese and English, the course helps students overcome initial difficulties and build a balanced understanding of phonology, grammar, and cultural nuances, facilitating a smoother transition into the language .

The Education University of Hong Kong aims to nurture graduates with attributes structured across three domains: Professional Excellence, Ethical Responsibility, and Innovation. For undergraduate, taught postgraduate, and research postgraduate students, these attributes are articulated with different descriptors to reflect the varying levels of graduates' expected qualities. These domains guide the development of the university's Graduate Attributes and the seven Generic Intended Learning Outcomes (GILOs), which include problem-solving skills, critical thinking, creative thinking, oral and written communication skills, social interaction skills, ethical decision-making, and global perspectives .

The use of multimedia, combined with group activities, can significantly enhance oral communication and listening skills by providing diverse and engaging learning experiences. Multimedia can offer varied audio-visual stimuli to practice listening and comprehension, simulating real-world contexts and providing immediate feedback. Group activities facilitate interactive learning, encouraging students to practice verbal skills collaboratively, which promotes confidence and fluency in spoken language. These methods align with the course goals to foster practical competence through dynamic interaction rather than passive learning .

The Korean I course incorporates the university's Graduate Attributes by aligning its Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs) with key skills such as critical thinking, communication, and cultural awareness. The course aims to provide a foundation in the Korean language, emphasizing practical oral communication and cultural familiarity. It promotes the development of core understanding of phonology, basic conversational skills, listening skills, elementary text analysis and writing using Hangul, and an understanding of grammatical differences between languages. These outcomes map to the Graduate Attributes through problem-solving, communication, and global perspectives .

Inclusion of intercultural communication strategies in the Korean I course enhances understanding beyond language mechanics by bridging cultural nuances and communication contexts. Highlighting differences in grammar and discourse between Korean, Chinese, and English enables students to appreciate cultural perspectives and communicative subtleties. This approach fosters a holistic learning experience, allowing students to engage meaningfully with cultural content, improve intercultural awareness, and enhance empathetic communication skills by understanding the role of language as a cultural conduit .

The 'Ewha Korean 1-1' textbook serves a pivotal role in the Korean I course by providing structured content aimed at beginner learners, which aligns with the course objectives of building foundational language skills. It supports various CILOs such as phonology, basic conversation, and text composition using Hangul. The book's focus on practical communication and cultural insights facilitates predictable progression and reinforces key concepts through systematic exercises. It thus acts as a cornerstone for achieving the course's pedagogical goals .

The assessment strategy of the Korean I course includes assignments, a mid-term quiz, and an end-of-term exam, weighted at 20%, 30%, and 50% respectively. It comprehensively covers various skill sets through tasks targeting CILOs such as pronunciation, basic conversation, writing in Hangul, and grammatical analysis. Strengths of this strategy lie in its diverse formats, which provide varied avenues for students to demonstrate competence. However, its heavy emphasis on traditional examination formats may limit opportunities for demonstrating practical communication skills, especially in dynamic verbal interactions .

Comparing Korean grammar and vocabulary with English and Chinese helps students recognize and understand linguistic structures by highlighting differences and similarities. This comparative analysis aids in demystifying complex Korean concepts, making them more accessible by drawing parallels with familiar language frameworks. Such comparisons can clarify syntactic and grammatical intricacies, thereby enhancing retention and the ability to apply Korean fluently in real-life contexts. However, over-reliance on comparisons might hinder immersion and the natural acquisition of Korean language nuances .

The key methodologies employed in the Korean I course include demonstrations, listening practices, multimedia exercises, and intercultural communication highlighting. These are aligned with the course outcomes by targeting specific linguistic skills: listening exercises for decoding texts, oral practices in everyday contexts, and reading aloud to improve pronunciation. Writing exercises focus on producing texts using Hangul, while emphasizing cultural communication strategies to understand grammar nuances. This approach ensures a comprehensive grasp of Korean language and culture, aiming to meet the designated CILOs .

The university maintains academic honesty by adopting a zero-tolerance policy towards plagiarism and requiring students to familiarize themselves with the Policy on Academic Honesty, Responsibility and Integrity. This policy is pivotal in ensuring that students produce original work and reflect true efforts in language learning, which is critical for genuine skill acquisition and personal development in an academic setting. These measures uphold integrity and trustworthiness within the learning environment .