News English] 주한 미군 한국어 가르치는 80대 女교수

6·25전쟁 당시 미군들에게 영어를 배웠던 고아(orphan)가 지금은 주한 미군들(U.S. soldiers stationed in Korea)에게 한국어를 가르치고 있다. 올해 83세인 이청자씨.

평안북도가 고향인 그녀는 전쟁 통에 가족과 헤어져(be driven asunder by the war) 남동생과 함께 남한의 한 고아원에 맡겨졌다(be taken to an orphanage with her younger brother). 열 살도 채 안 된 코흘리개 때였다. 남아있는 기억이라곤 미군들이 안쓰러워하며(feel bad for them) 먹을거리를 나눠주고, 영어 단어를 가르쳐줬던 조각들뿐이다.

간신히 국민학교만 졸업할 수 있었다(barely manage to graduate from elementary school). 결혼을 하고(get married) 아들을 낳아(give birth to a son) 학교에 입학시키면서(enroll him in school) 또 다른 괴로운 일이 생겼다. 최종 학력을 묻는 서류 양식을 채워야 하는(fill out forms asking for her highest level of education) 일이 수시로 되풀이되는 것이었다. 창피스럽고(be embarrassed) 아들 보기에도 민망했다(feel ashamed in front of her son).

결심을 했다(maker up her mind). 다시는 학력 기재란에 ‘국졸(國卒)’이라고 쓰지 않겠노라 마음먹었다. 여러 일거리를 전전하면서도(work at a variety of jobs) 매일 120㎞ 거리를 오가며 고졸 검정고시를 마쳤다(complete her GED·General Equivalency Diploma). 그러곤 아들과 같은 시기에(at the same time as her son) 대학에 진학하기로 했다. 어린 시절 미군에게 배운 영어 기억을 되살려 온라인 과정의 미국 메릴랜드대학교 글로벌 캠퍼스에서 영어영문학 학사 학위를 받았고(earn her undergraduate degree), 영어교육학으로 석사 학위(master’s degree)를 취득했다.

 

1992년 강의를 시작해 지금은 세계 최대 해외 미군 기지(the largest overseas U.S. military base)인 평택의 캠프 험프리스에서 주한 미군들에게 한국어를 가르치고 있다. 미군 병사들 사이에서 자라났던 피란민(refugee raised among U.S. soldiers) 고아 코흘리개가 수십 년 후 어엿한 교수가 돼 다시 미군 병사들 사이로 되돌아온(come full circle as professor) 것이다.

매주 화요일과 목요일 세 시간씩, 자신에게 영어를 가르쳐줬던 6·25 참전 미군의 후손인 신세대 주한 미군 장병들에게 한국어를 가르친다. 미군 학생들은 수업을 빼먹고 땡땡이칠(skip class and play truant) 생각을 하다가도 그녀가 들려준 한평생 사연을 되뇌며 꼬박꼬박 출석한다. 옛일에 보답하겠다고 편도 2시간 길을 오가는(commute two hours each way) 그녀의 진심 어린 태도와 열성에 감복했기 때문이다(admire for her earnest attitude and eagerness).

이청자 교수님은 종종 강의 시간에 미군 학생들에게 나눠주는 것이 있다. 그 시절 초콜릿을 나눠줬던 6·25 참전 용사들의 손주들에게 한국산 인삼으로 만든 사탕을 한 움큼씩 손에 쥐여준다.

 

 

Every Tuesday and Thursday, Cpt. Andrew Winters ends the long workday with a three-hour Korean-language class. On days when he debates skipping, he reminds himself who his teacher is.

Choungja Lee, a native of North Korea, grew up in a South Korean orphanage, where U.S. soldiers taught the children English. Today, she teaches Korean to the current generation of American soldiers stationed in South Korea.

 

“I have to go to class,” Winters said, citing Lee as his main motivation for continuing to learn Korean.

Lee, a professor through the University of Maryland Global Campus, commutes two hours each way for the evening class and offers free tutoring to her students on weekends. Her lively manner and eagerness to share about her upbringing make the class engaging, Winters said.

UMGC hosts the class at Camp Humphreys, the largest overseas U.S. Military installation in the world, located in western South Korea, according to the U.S. Army. Although Lee doesn’t have the opportunity to decorate the multipurpose classroom at the base’s education center, Winters said she adds her own flair, sometimes bringing in Korean ginseng candies to share with her students. Lee said this brings back memories of when U.S. soldiers shared snacks with her as a child.

Her pedagogical skills were honored last month when she was awarded the Stanley J. Drazek Teaching Excellence Award, UMGC’s highest honor. Lee, who has taught with UMGC since 1992, was one of nine faculty members worldwide to be awarded.

 

“It couldn’t be better,” she said of teaching at UMGC. “I like my job as a teacher. American soldiers — I am so happy that I can see them.”

Lee, 83, was born in Pyeonganbuk-do, a northwestern province of North Korea, and at a young age was taken to a South Korean orphanage with her younger brother. She remembers little except for the U.S. soldiers at Camp Page who helped provide her comfort.

Professor Choungja Lee is shown at the University of Maryland Global Campus commencements held in Korea. (Courtesy of Professor Choung-ja Lee)

For many years, Lee only had an elementary school education. After getting married, giving birth to her son and enrolling him in school, she grew tired of filling out forms asking for her highest level of education and writing the same answer.

“I made up my mind,” she said. “I will never, ever, never ever write my education background to be elementary school only.”

Lee completed her GED, commuting 75 miles daily to do so, on top of working several jobs. She then decided to attend university, for some years at the same time as her son. Lee earned her undergraduate degree in English language and literature and her masters degree in English education. She also conducted part of her education at Harvard University, all because she wanted to improve her English skills.

Having been a working student, Lee said she better understands where her students are coming from because the soldiers attend class after working.

She also teaches military spouses, like Shelsy Guerrero, who took the class in 2021. Guerrero moved to South Korea with her husband, a member of the Army, and was stationed there for two years. She remembers being nervous to take the class, then seeing how Lee creates a judgement-free classroom.

 

 

“She made it seem easy,” Guerrero said.

Winters said Lee does a great job of keeping the class engaging as the difficulty level increases and the class sizes decrease. He said in his current class of four students, Lee noticed the students needing a change of pace, so she moved them all to a table together and started up a conversation in Korean.

Lee also shows care for her students beyond their academic performance, students said.

Guerrero said she connected with Lee’s story because hers is similar: She moved to the U.S. from Mexico as a young child and knew the struggle of being brought to a new country. Guerrero said her Korean teacher inspired her to pursue her masters degree at New Haven University in Colorado, and the two still exchange emails.

Professor Choungja Lee received a page of notes written to her from her students after the last class she taught at Camp Page in 2011. She now teaches at Camp Humphreys. (Courtesy of Choungja Lee)

After he learned Lee is Catholic, Winters asked if she wanted to attend his baptism, meaning she’d have to commute on a Saturday.

Winters said she agreed without hesitation.

“With everything that goes on in the world, it’s nice to have people who obviously care about other people,” Winters said. “The beautiful story about Ms. Lee is that genuine, caring soul that wants to make the world a better place, even though [there are] no obligations to do any of it.”

 

 

 

 

[영문 참고자료 사이트]

☞ https://www.baltimoresun.com/education/bs-md-korean-teacher-soldiers-20230406-gtdagy6d4ze4jcnkeelm4sytyi-story.html

☞ https://www.umgc.edu/news/archives/2023/03/prof-s-career-honors-u-s--soldiers-who-taught-her-english