Two custom workbooks connect adult literacy learners to five local history and cultural sites, including the National Museum of Korea
Designed with photos, illustrations and simple sentences to guide learners from pre-study through field visits and follow-up activities
Seoul's Yongsan-gu has produced a history and culture field-study workbook for adult literacy learners titled "One Letter, One Step — A Yongsan Outing Through History," to mark the 580th anniversary of Hangul Day. The district plans to distribute the materials to local literacy education institutions in October.
The workbook was developed over roughly seven months, from April through October this year, with the aim of extending hangul learning into hands-on engagement with the district's history and culture. It focuses on helping adult learners who struggle with reading and writing access Yongsan's rich historical and cultural resources more easily, and apply in the field what they have studied in the classroom.
The set comprises two volumes organized around visits to five local history and cultural sites. Course 1 covers the principles behind the creation of hangul at the National Hangul Museum; Course 2 explores the lives of people in ancient Korea through artifacts at the National Museum of Korea; Course 3 introduces the district's history at the Yongsan History Museum; Course 4 reflects on the value of peace at the War Memorial of Korea; and Course 5 traces the lives of independence activists at Hyochang Park.
Each course follows a three-stage structure: pre-study, field experience and post-visit activity. Learners first familiarize themselves with the destination and related content, then explore the site in person, and finally review and consolidate what they have learned.
The materials were designed so that learners can follow the flow of activities without having to read the text. Visual aids — photographs and illustrations — are used extensively to meet learners at their level, and sentences are kept short and simple. Even learners who have just begun studying hangul can understand the content and take part in the activities. Specialists with experience producing adult literacy textbooks for the Ministry of Education and the National Institute for Lifelong Education contributed to the writing, while dedicated professionals handled design, editing and proofreading.
The finished workbooks will be distributed to literacy education providers in the district, including the Yongsan-gu Lifelong Learning Center and the Cheongpa, Garwol and Hyochang welfare centers, as well as the Seoul Metropolitan Yongsan Senior Welfare Center. The district plans to incorporate the materials into second-half field-study programs for classroom use, supporting learners in enjoying both the pleasure of learning hangul and the experience of exploring local culture.
Yongsan-gu has been selected for the Ministry of Education's adult literacy education support program for 10 consecutive years since 2017, providing learning opportunities for adults who missed out on formal education. The Yongsan-gu Lifelong Learning Center also runs hangul classes at different proficiency levels and courses on using kiosk terminals, among other practical everyday literacy programs.
"I hope these workbooks serve not only as a source of joy in learning hangul but also as a guide to discovering the history and culture of Yongsan, the place where we live," Yongsan-gu District Mayor Kim Kyung-dae said. "We will build an inclusive lifelong learning environment so that any resident who missed the chance to learn can continue learning in their daily lives."
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