Inside Mrs. Sonia’s Korean Class: A Love for Korean Culture and Her Students
The new Korean 1 class has been established with the help of a few dedicated high school students at Cypress High School for the 2024-2025 school year. Mrs. Sonia Kim, the new Korean teacher, is responsible for 74 students.
Kim has been working in the Anaheim Union High School District for the past three years. She holds credentials to teach both Art and Korean. During her first year with AUHSD, she taught Art and Korean at Walker Junior High School, and this year, she is teaching Korean at Cypress High School and Oxford Academy. She loves teaching Korean to students, recognizing the growing demand to learn about Korean culture and language due to the popularity of K-dramas, K-beauty, and K-food. When she learned about the opportunity to teach Korean at Cypress High School, she applied immediately. “I’m like a pioneer at Cypress High School because I get to design and establish the Korean program as the school’s first Korean teacher. I’m looking forward to it, and I hope this program will continue to grow in the coming years, with more students taking Korean.”
Kim’s teaching experience has been mostly in art, teaching Korean has been an adjustment. “When I first started teaching Korean two to three years ago, I stayed up every night making slides for the students. I didn’t want to be underprepared, so I continuously prepared myself before class. But this year I feel confident and comfortable teaching Korean at Cypress High School,” she said. Her main goal is to teach students to be familiar with Korean culture, not just the language itself.
As Korean teacher, she wants to teach her students how to read, write, and speak Korean. She wants to encourage them to practice speaking Korean as much as possible, without letting the focus on grammar make them feel intimidated or afraid of learning the language.
The respectfulness and kindness of students at Cypress High School have been something Kim noticed. “I love all the Cypress High School staff I’ve met. The admins are great and the principal is so willing and kind; she’s so supportive of this program. I hope the program continues and that more students enroll in the coming years!”
