What do you do when all the English elective courses are unavailable or don’t fit your schedule?

At some point in your four years of university, you’ll need to take a 교양 (elective class). But what if the English-taught courses you want aren’t an option? You might have to take a course in Korean—a daunting thought for many of us. That’s exactly what I faced, but instead of resigning myself to the challenge, I chose a middle ground: a Korean class that teaches English!

Even though I consider myself advanced in English, I’ve never learned it from textbooks—just from daily life—so this class turned out to be perfect. It’s not only for those looking to improve their English skills but also for anyone wanting a lighter, more enjoyable class experience.

Course Overview

• Course Name: Screen English
• University: Hanyang University
• Professor: Seo Jiyun
• Language: Korean
• Textbook: None (Scripts are shared on LMS)
• Assignments: None, except for one presentation
• Exams: Fill-in-the-blank questions based on movie scripts. You’ll need to recall key words or character names.

Class Highlights

Screen English is a course designed to teach English through movies, focusing on listening and speaking skills. The professor plays 15–20 minutes of a movie during each class, pausing occasionally to explain key scenes. Afterward, she translates the entire script, highlighting important vocabulary and cultural differences.

In our semester, we watched The Devil Wears Prada and Notting Hill (though she mentioned she plans to change the movies next semester! 😂). The scripts are uploaded at the start of the semester for the first movie and after midterms for the second, so you can review them before class.

The professor doesn’t just teach vocabulary; she dives into cultural context, explains scenes, and provides insights into American and British lifestyles.