There is an increasing interest in studying Japanese and Korean for anime and K-pop

Interest in studying Japanese and Korean is growing. The number of Korean students tripled Between 2012 and 2018 and interest in The proportion of Japanese grew 71% In the same period according to the Council of the University of Modern Languages ​​in the United Kingdom. Today, the UK has more Korean students than Russians, and they are more interested in learning Japanese than Italian Watchman.

This change of trend is due in large part to the popularity of certain aspects of Asian culture. It features K-Pop, anime, video games, movies like Parasites or series like El Juego del Calamar (The Squid Game), which was released last year on Netflix and became the most watched series of all time on this platform.

the popular korean culture It is a phenomenon known as “Hallyu” or “Korean Wave” and it affects sectors such as cosmetics, food and home appliances. K-Pop is one of the officials. South Korean group BTS holds the record for YouTube views on the music premiere with their song “Dynamite”.

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change direction

All this has led to a change of direction when it comes to a preference for the study of non-European languages ​​such as Japanese and Korean, which are joined by others such as Arabic and Chinese. Moreover, the ratio Universities offering Japanese language study have increased significantlyFrom 19% to 39%. At the same time, there has been an increase in the number of those offering Korean in the UK. In this country, the Japanese language became the fastest growing language, while the Korean language took the fourth place.

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According to the University of Leeds, many students who began studying these languages ​​for fun took them more seriously as they progressed to the learning that attracted them. Better job opportunities might assume.

For Kazuki Morimoto, Professor of Japanese at the University of Leeds, the growing interest in the Japanese language is linked to spreading Japanese culture on social networks. Also with a strategic program of cultural diplomacy initiated by the Japanese government prior to the Tokyo Olympics.

For their part, Korean specialists believe that behind the interest in their language may be, in addition to the taste of K-pop, the possibility of delving into the mysterious North Korea and the fact that many people consider the country’s culture alien.

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