Standardizing Korean translation and interpretation training in Vietnam

On behalf of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU, there were the participation of Associate Professor, Dr. Dao Thanh Truong - Vice Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Dr. Le Thi Thu Giang - Director of King Sejong Institute Hanoi 1, Head of the Faculty of Oriental Studies, along with teachers and students of the Faculty of Oriental Studies;
On the co-organizing side, there was the participation of Mr. Park Seong Min - Director of King Sejong Institute headquartered in Vietnam; representatives of King Sejong Institute units in Vietnam and lecturers and scientists from universities in Vietnam with Korean language/Korean studies training majors.
The development of demand for studying and researching Korean studies in Vietnam
In the context of the field of Korean translation and interpretation training is increasingly interested in Vietnam, in order to promote cooperation and exchange of experiences between educational institutions that provide Korean language training in Vietnam on the issue of Korean translation and interpretation training.
The workshop aims to learn about the current situation of Korean translation and interpretation training in Vietnam; exchange and share experiences between King Sejong Institute units in Vietnam and Vietnamese universities that are teaching Korean translation and interpretation; and seek solutions to realize and promote the implementation of Korean translation and interpretation training at King Sejong Institute units in Vietnam. Opening the workshop, Vice Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU, Dao Thanh Truong expressed his gratitude to the Korean Sejong Foundation for coordinating the organization of this meaningful workshop. Vice Rector Dao Thanh Truong emphasized that, as a leading research and training center in Vietnam in the field of social sciences and humanities, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU, has made many important contributions to training Korean studies in Vietnam, contributing to promoting the friendly cooperative relationship between the two countries. The school has signed many cooperation agreements with partners in Korea and always supports the development of Korean language and culture training in Vietnam.
Over the years, King Sejong Academy, specifically King Sejong Academy Hanoi 1, headquartered at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, has made practical contributions to arousing the love and passion for learning and researching Korean and Korean culture among the young generation of Vietnam. The international scientific conference on standardizing Korean translation and interpretation training in Vietnam organized by King Sejong Academy has met the current requirements of Korean studies training units in Vietnam. Director of King Sejong Academy headquartered in Vietnam, Mr. Park Seong Min said: Currently, Vietnam is the country with the largest number of King Sejong Academy in the world with a total of 23 academies. Although it is the region with the largest number of King Sejong Academy, the academies still have the main characteristics of the Vietnam region that attract many people's attention. Unlike other academies that have clear learning goals by region, such as according to interests or studying abroad, King Sejong Academy in the Vietnam region is sought by students for many diverse purposes. In particular, translation and interpretation training is the same and this is also the theme of this academic conference. Recently, more than ever, interest in Korean translation and interpretation education in Vietnam has increased.
The Academy Director believes that through this workshop, it will contribute to increasing the connection between the two cultures of Vietnam and Korea. This is also a very meaningful event for the King Sejong Academy Foundation in particular and Korea in general. The project involves researching the translation and interpretation curriculum and creating teaching materials in 12 languages ​​​​in the world, including Vietnamese, which was formed and developed since 2021 and has so far affirmed its brand in many countries in the field of Korean translation and interpretation.
Urgent need for standardization of Korean translation and interpretation training
Head of the Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU, Director of King Sejong Institute Hanoi 1, Dr. Le Thi Thu Giang emphasized the importance of Korean translation and interpretation in Vietnam. If foreign language is the door to access culture, then translation is the key to open that door.
For the Korean translation and interpretation industry, recently, along with the trend of international integration and the rapid development of the Vietnam - Korea relationship in various fields, the demand for the quantity and quality of the Korean translation and interpretation team is increasing. In addition, the development of science and technology, especially the 4.0 revolution, is also posing many new challenges for translation work as well as the Korean translation and interpretation training industry in particular and the translation and interpretation industry in general. This poses challenges for the Korean translation and interpretation training industry, requiring adjustments to suit the new context. In fact, translation is an activity that is associated right from the beginning and throughout the process of learning a certain foreign language when learners perform code switching from one language to another with the aim of clearly understanding the foreign language being learned in order to be able to use it. Therefore, it can be affirmed that translation and interpretation training, although it may or may not be displayed in the training program, is always an indispensable activity in learning foreign languages ​​in general.
Dr. Le Thi Thu Giang pointed out the shortcomings of the professional teaching staff, unstandardized teaching methods, and limited facilities for translation and interpretation training in Vietnam. Therefore, to improve the quality of translation and interpretation training in Vietnam, Dr. Le Thu Giang proposed a number of solutions to approach Korean translation and interpretation training activities from the training objectives, training programs, training methods, and teaching staff to point out the current situation and inherent challenges of this industry in the face of new requirements, thereby affirming the urgency of the need to innovate and standardize Korean translation and interpretation training in Vietnam.
In Vietnam, translation and interpretation training in general and Korean translation and interpretation in particular often aims at two main goals: (1) Equipping knowledge related to the foreign language to be learned and (2) developing translation and interpretation skills as a professional profession.
At the workshop, many domestic and foreign experts presented papers revolving around the content: internal challenges in Korean translation and interpretation training in Vietnam; language translation - basic theory and practice (focusing on Korean Literature translation); proposed criteria for evaluating translation quality applicable to Korean language training faculties oriented towards translation and interpretation; building a Korean translation and interpretation curriculum at university level suitable for practical application in Vietnam; building a cultural content translation course for students majoring in Korean (focusing on film and Webtoon translation); difficulties in teaching Vietnamese - Korean translation and interpretation at intermediate and advanced levels - seen from teaching practice at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities; the role and effectiveness of the method of integrating translation skills in teaching Korean practice; teaching methods for the practical translation and speaking course for students of 8 Korean language majors at the University of Foreign Languages, University of Danang; Survey of Korean translation errors of students of the 9th translation and interpretation course at King Sejong Academy Hanoi 2; analysis of Vietnamese-Korean machine translation errors and some recommendations on applying machine translation in teaching Korean translation; analysis of digital translation errors in Vietnamese-Korean translation.
Many delegates also exchanged and discussed many ideas about human resources and effective teaching methods for Korean translation and interpretation in Vietnam.   Korean Studies, Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU: major code 7310614.
The school trains bachelors with a solid foundation in social sciences and humanities, and systematic knowledge of Korean studies. It equips students with practical skills and the use of Korean as well as necessary skills in daily life and professional activities, and proactively handles work related to Korea.
Bachelor of Korean Studies builds a fundamental foundation for lifelong learning, self-development, and the ability to continue studying at a higher level.

Sejong Korean Language Center Hanoiis a unit under the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU, established in 2011, on the basis of developing the Center for Korean Language and Korean Studies and the cooperation agreement between the University of Social Sciences and Humanities and Busan University of Foreign Studies (Korea). The Center is responsible for organizing short-term training courses, exams and granting international Korean language certificates (KPL), other courses related to Korean language and culture for Vietnamese people.
With the combined strength of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities - a training institution with a long tradition and leading in Vietnam in creating and disseminating knowledge in the fields of social sciences and humanities - and Busan University of Foreign Studies - one of the most prestigious universities in Korea in the field of Korean language teaching, Sejong Korean Language Center Hanoi is aiming for international standards in the field of Korean language and culture training.
The diversity and modernity of training programs, the high level of expertise of the Korean teaching staff, the professionalism in organization and management with a streamlined organizational structure - these are the advantages that Sejong Korean Language Center Hanoi uses to conduct training courses, exams and grant certificates in Korean language and Korean culture that meet Korean national quality standards. At the same time, Sejong Korean Language Center Hanoi also implements a program to support studying abroad and working in Korea and Vietnam.