THS offers Korean class for 2026-27 school year
Visitors from a South Korean TV station, Munhwa Broadcasting Corp., came to Taylor last week to check out Taylor High School’s new Korean language class.
MBC is producing a story on the program, which will air at the end of the month.
Interest in Taylor by audiences in the Asian nation has grown ever since Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. announced in 2021 it was building a vast semiconductor manufacturing plant and creating thousands of jobs in Taylor and eastern Williamson County.
According to MBC interpreter and coordinator Daniel Legay, the TV station originally intended to cover the impact of the semiconductor industry on Central Texas and interview several people, including a semiconductor employee and media personnel.
However, after learning of Taylor High’s Korean language course, MBC turned its focus on the Taylor Independent School District.
“What they’re doing at the school is just amazing,” Legay said.
In January, students from Daeyeong High School in the Seoul area visited Taylor ISD and local students later expressed an interest in studying the Korean language. Another visit from Daeyeong High is planned for next month.
“We learned that our students love Korean pop culture and the language. Paired with the influx of businesses into Taylor and Williamson County, our students have grown interested in learning more about the culture and language,” said Jennifer Patschke, chief of Human Resources and Student Supports.
The school’s first Korean language program opened for the 2026-27 school year with 19 students enrolled.
Through the Foundation for Korean Language and Culture in the USA, a nonprofit organization that promotes Korean language education, cultural traditions and history, and a memorandum of understanding with the Houston Korean Education Center, Taylor ISD is able to provide language instruction and related cultural activities for students.
The appeal has extended beyond students who need a language credit.
Some pupils who have already completed their required language credits are choosing Korean as an elective, school officials said.
“This new language program opens another door for our students to connect their education with the opportunities developing right here in Taylor,” said Steven Vigil, director of Taylor ISD’s career and technical education.
He added, “With businesses and industries continuing to grow in Taylor and Williamson County, we want our students to have the skills and experiences that prepare them to take advantage of those opportunities, both now and in the future.”
Taylor ISD is one of only a handful of districts offering Korean as part of its curriculum.
