An Advanced Topics (AT) in Korean class will be available to students for the 2026-27 school year. Currently, Marlborough offers Korean I, II, III Honors and IV Honors, taught by World Languages Instructor YoonJu Lee. The first Korean class at Marlborough was introduced as an elective in the 2020-21 school year, and later in 2022, as an official language class. Since then, levels have been added to the Korean program each year, with the four-year course concluding with the new Advanced Topics course. “[AT Korean] is a big milestone, and I’m really excited,” Lee said.
Lee also explained how this course will be the highest level of Korean at Marlborough, with the College Board not offering an Advanced Placement course for Korean.
“We wanted students to still be able to have that class where they can continue learning,” Lee said.
However, the actual development process for AT will be similar to the making of new classes in previous years.
“How I have approached other classes is I think about what the students should be able to do by the end of the year, have those learning targets in mind and then I work backwards,” Lee said.
A key difference in the new AT course curriculum is the shift to focus on engaging in discussion, not just strengthening reading and writing skills. Lee wants to incorporate aspects of Korean history into AT, such as the introduction of discussion topics and resources rooted in authentic Korean culture. The addition of this course is not only an extension of Korean language class at Marlborough, but also a connection to the Korean American community within Los Angeles. Lee hopes the recent rise in popularity of Korean culture including music, food and movies will draw in more interest to the Korean program for younger students. For current Korean students, AT will allow them to expand upon their knowledge of Korean language and culture. Additionally, Lee aims to emphasize doing more community-based work as part of the AT course, something she has been hoping to implement since she came to Marlborough. This outreach will continue to build and further strengthen relationships between the Marlborough Language Department and the greater Korean community in LA.
“I think [community-based work] is a really great idea,” Lee said. “I would personally love to see that.”
Marlborough is one of the few independent private schools that offers Korean, so Lee hopes her students take advantage of the experience, and for others not taking Korean to stay curious and continue to explore the language.
