Greek instructor in Korea sees bright future for language learning in AI era

Home > National > K-campus

Greek instructor in Korea sees bright future for language learning in AI era

Published: 14 Jan. 2026, 11:41 Updated: 20 Jan. 2026, 17:09

YOON SEUNG-JIN
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Ellada Charatsidou, a Greek instructor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, speaks during an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily on Jan.6, 2026. [DANIELA GONZALEZ PEREZ]

[Hired in Korea]

As more internationals look to build careers in Korea, many find themselves facing practical hurdles — from limited guidance to a lack of firsthand experience. To bridge that gap, the Korea JoongAng Daily talks with professionals who have carved out their paths in diverse fields, offering readers real-world insights on how to start their careers in the country in this series “Hired in Korea.”

Ellada Charatsidou had little knowledge of Korea until she unexpectedly came across the 1950–53 Korean War as topic during the graduation project of her religious history course at a university in Greece.

What began as a chance academic topic not only introduced her to Korea but also led her to meet a visiting exchange professor from the country, a turning point that would ultimately reshape her academic and professional path. Recognizing her potential, the professor repeatedly encouraged Charatsidou to pursue her studies in Korea.

Once she had made up her mind to go to Korea, Charatsidou committed fully. She successfully secured the Global Korea Scholarship (GKS), which was awarded to only two students in Greece at the time, completed a master’s degree in computational linguistics at Kyung Hee University, and went on to launch her career as an instructor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS).

Charatsidou Ellada, second from left, poses for a photo with fellow professors and Loukas Tsokos, Greek ambassador to Korea, right, at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies' Yongin campus. [ELLADA CHARATSIDOU]

“I didn’t know anything about Korea at the time, and I brushed off my professor’s recommendations several times,” Charatsidou said in an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily. “But once I decided, I tried my best to get the scholarship and make it work. Now, I’m teaching my mother tongue to Korean students at one of the country’s leading language universities.”

“I would say becoming a language instructor or professor here can be a very rewarding career path. Also, the future of language-related majors looks even brighter, ironically with the rise of AI,” she added.

The Korea JoongAng Daily sat down with Charatsidou to hear more about her journey, the challenges of being an instructor in Korea and her advice for those hoping to build a career here.

Charatsidou Ellada teaches a Greek culture lecture at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies' Yongin campus. [ELLADA CHARATSIDOU]

Q. What is your role at HUFS?

A. I’m an instructor at the university’s Yongin campus.

Under the Greek and Bulgarian linguistics major, I teach some mandatory and elective classes, including preliminary speech, conversation, phonology and grammar to students whose fluency levels range from A2 to B1.

As an instructor, I’m only responsible for my own classes and grading my own students, unlike tenure professors who are in charge of research as well.

How did you start your teaching career at HUFS, and what qualifications do you need to become an instructor at the university?

A professor from the university found me on LinkedIn and contacted me via email. I then went through an interview with two professors, followed by an application process that included submitting various documents.

If you want to teach at a university, you must complete graduate-level education and have prior teaching experience or hold a degree that certifies you as a qualified instructor.

In my case, I have multiple certifications as well as teaching experience at both schools and private institutions.

Your major also matters. My bachelor’s and master’s degrees are closely related to linguistics.

Charatsidou Ellada points to her profile on a board displaying profiles of instructors and professors at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. [ELLADA CHARATSIDOU]

How does working as an instructor affect those who want to become professors?

I think it is a good stepping stone to see whether you want to become a professor or not.

Being a professor means that you have complete knowledge of the topic that you're teaching. And of course, you can always learn more.

Before reaching that certain level, you can always try first as an instructor to see if it suits you, and you can find another major that might suit you better or you can try a whole different career.

Based on your experience with Korean Universities, both as a student and an instructor, what aspects do you think are positive for international students?

One of the great things about being a student in Korea is that there’s a strong sense of community and pride in being part of a university. Students wear jackets and T-shirts with their university names, and you see that identity everywhere on and around campus. That kind of campus culture feels very unique to Korea and is something really special for foreigners to experience.

Personally, I think the education system here is very well organized too. If you plan to study in Korea, you should be ready to work hard, but you can also expect a well-structured education system here.

Ellada Charatsidou poses for a graduation photo at Kyung Hee University. [CHARATSIDOU ELLADA]

And what could be improved?

Some areas could be improved, especially when it comes to department offices.

Many exchange students are in Korea only for a short time, so it’s unrealistic to expect them to speak Korean fluently. Not being able to communicate with the office that handles your major, documents and academic life can be extremely frustrating and stressful, especially on top of coursework and exams.

Having a small number of consistent staff members who speak English and understand the issues international students face would make a big difference.

In terms of workplace culture, there’s also a strong “figure it out yourself” mentality.

Help is often minimal and ends with some version of “you need to handle this on your own.” While I understand that everyone is busy, this can be very frustrating, especially when you’re new and don’t have anyone to ask for guidance.

Over time, I did become more confident because I had to learn everything myself, and I’m grateful for that growth. But in the beginning, it was emotionally exhausting.

Ellada Charatsidou, center in the second row, poses for a photo with participants of an event held at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies' Yongin campus to celebrate the World Greek Language Day. [ELLADA CHARATSIDOU]

Would you recommend teaching at a Korean university to others?

I would say that being an instructor or a professor in Korea can be a very promising career, as long as you understand what it comes with.

If you have a clear goal, a clear field and a specific type of university you want to teach at, it can be a very rewarding profession.

Do you think the future of college education here looks promising for foreign language-related majors in Korean universities?

This is a complicated question, given that Korea is widely recognized as a technological powerhouse rather than for its language capabilities.

In Korea, which is a very technologically advanced country, many people believe STEM fields are the future. That belief made sense for a long time, but with the rise of AI, even some STEM fields like computer science are now facing uncertainty.

Ironically, due to this rapid development of AI, the paradigm is shifting, and language majors are no longer limited to becoming teachers or translators.

For example, some of my peers went on to pursue graduate degrees that combine language studies with computer science and AI. That opens doors to careers in IT companies, AI training and language-based technology fields.

As AI continues to develop, language expertise is becoming increasingly important, especially for training and refining these systems.

So, I do believe that language-related majors have a strong future, not only in Korea, but also globally.

Ellada Charatsidou teaches a Greek culture lecture at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies' Yongin campus.

Is there anything you would like to say to our international readers who hope to study and work here?

My main advice is to be clear about your goals before coming to Korea.

If you’re here to study, commit to studying. If you’re here to work, focus on building your career. And if you’re here to enjoy life, then be honest about that, but don’t confuse your purpose once you arrive.

I would also say, always remember that you're representing your home country. Overgeneralization is unfair, but unfortunately, it happens very naturally.

Coming with an unclear mindset can affect not only you, but also the people around you. When you’re a minority in another country, your behavior often shapes how people view others like you.

Don’t undersell yourself or give others the wrong impression. Stay focused on your purpose and take responsibility for your actions.

Getting a GKS scholarship can be hard for many people. Any tips for those who want to get this scholarship?

As for tips, be prepared to study hard, strive to maintain a high GPA, and don’t be afraid to get rejected. Failing it two to three times is pretty common. I have a friend who tried five times.

On top of these tips, I’d say try to take all the steps by yourself. You will learn so much from the experience.

If you can go through that process alone for a year and apply and get accepted, I feel like it means that you have enough strength and resilience to actually be able to survive while pursuing studies here.

Don’t just try to follow what you can find on the internet.

BY YOON SEUNG-JIN [[email protected]]

More in K-campus

Seoul’s global kitchens: Where foreign residents can find comfort food during Lunar New Year

Gov't considers AI to draft future CSAT English section after criticism of last year's test difficulty

As gov't sets med school quota hike for coming years, both doctors and patients are unhappy

Korean universities, international students celebrate Lunar New Year with cultural exchange events

Universities to offer international students more English Track programs, scholarship opportunities in fall 2026

korea joongAng daily

Home > National > K-campus

Greek instructor in Korea sees bright future for language learning in AI era

Related Article

Creating jobs, changing perceptions: A Chinese professional's insights on Korea’s social sector

'Foreign face of Daegu' on building a career in Korea beyond teaching English

More in K-campus

Related Stories

You might also like