The number of learners studying Korean in Uzbekistan is increasing significantly every year, and the main goal of these learners is to communicate smoothly in Korean. However, to communicate effectively in Korean, learners need not only linguistic ski...
The number of learners studying Korean in Uzbekistan is increasing significantly every year, and the main goal of these learners is to communicate smoothly in Korean. However, to communicate effectively in Korean, learners need not only linguistic skills but also a deep understanding of Korean culture. In particular, proverbs are idiomatic expressions that encapsulate various cultural elements, such as Korean life, customs, and ways of thinking. Being able to use them flexibly in real life is a significant indicator of Korean language proficiency. Therefore, it is essential to prepare an educational plan suitable for Uzbek elementary, intermediate, and advanced learners with foundational Korean language skills. Based on this need, this study explored an effective educational plan for teaching Korean proverbs to Uzbek learners, and the conclusions are summarized as follows. In Chapter 1, it was established that Korean proverb education for Uzbek learners has not been sufficiently addressed within the current Korean language education field, and thus, the necessity and purpose of the study were clearly presented. In Chapter 2, the general concept of Korean proverbs, their educational value, and their potential use in the classroom were examined. Proverbs encapsulate the history and culture of the people, including their traditional lifestyle, way of thinking, social changes, and values, in a concise form. Given these characteristics, proverbs are highly suitable as materials for teaching both the Korean language and culture, reinforcing the need to develop educational methods that utilize proverbs in Korean culture education. In Chapter 3, five widely used Korean language textbooks (Kyunghee University, Seoul National University, Yonsei University, Ewha Womans University, and Korea University) were analyzed to investigate how proverbs are presented in each textbook. Special attention was given to educational content related to proverbs that reference body parts. Based on this analysis, Chapter 4 selected 21 frequently occurring body-related proverbs and presented educational methods tailored for Uzbek learners, divided into beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. A class model was designed to include these selected proverbs, with a step-by-step approach that can be applied in real classrooms. The model followed a sequence of ‘presentation–explanation–practice–utilization–supplementation
summary’ and was developed to help learners understand proverbs by linking them with Korean culture. Additionally, visual aids such as pictures and cartoons, along with real-life materials like newspapers, dramas, and news, were used as supplementary resources. At the beginner level, relatively simple proverbs were presented and explained in alignment with the learners’ language skills. At the intermediate level, suitable proverbs were chosen and explained according to the learners’ comprehension abilities, while at the advanced level, the cultural context was explored in depth, with a focus on proverbs closely related to Korean culture. This study explored an effective method for teaching Korean body-related proverbs to Uzbek learners. Due to time and resource constraints, only a portion of Korean textbooks and body-related proverbs were analyzed. However, it is hoped that a more comprehensive and systematic approach to proverb education will be developed in the future, creating an environment where foreign learners can study Korean proverbs in greater depth