Exciting opportunities
EALC News
- The next Korean Proficiency and Placement Test (KPT) will be scheduled for an in-person administration at 9:30 AM [CT] on Friday, August 21, 2026. Please note that this test will NOT be administered online. Time: 9:30 am to 12 pm (CST)... Read full story
- Course DescriptionThis course explores the intricate relationship between language and identity in both Greater China (Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan) and Chinese diasporic communities around the world. Through the lens of sociolinguistics, students will examine how... Read full story
Faculty Spotlight: Myoung-Sun Song to join EALC faculty in Fall 2020
We are delighted to announce that Myoung-Sun Song will join the Department as Assistant Professor of Modern and Contemporary Korean Culture. Her research focuses on the intersections of race, gender, sexuality, class, and (national) identity in Korean media and popular culture. She is the author of Hanguk Hip Hop: Global Rap in South Korea (Palgrave Macmillan, 2019), the first scholarly book-length study on the subject. Before coming to Illinois, she taught at Sogang University in Seoul. Prof. Song will teach courses on contemporary Korean culture, society, and...
Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Yunxin Li to join EALC faculty in August 2026
The Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures is delighted to welcome Dr. Yunxin Li to the faculty. Trained across history, literature, and digital humanities, Dr. Li brings an exciting interdisciplinary perspective to the study of early China that speaks to questions of power, gender, social relations, and knowledge across time. Her scholarship and teaching exemplify a thoughtful integration of rigorous humanistic inquiry with innovative digital methods, and her work resonates strongly with EALC’s commitment to collaborative, cross-field engagement. We are excited to have Dr. Li join...
Event Spotlight: Chi Lung Kang Endowed Lecture Series (2025)
Public Talk by Professor Dali Yang, U.S.-China Relations: How Did We Get Here, Where Are We Going. Speaker: Professor Dali L. Yang, Department of Political Science, University of Chicago; Chair: Professor Matthew S. Winters, Department of Political Science, and Director of the Center for East Asian and Pacific Studies, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. From...
Student Spotlight: Japanese Placement test is on Tuesday, August 17
Up-to-date information on the upcoming Placement Test for Japanese-language students can be found here.
Student Spotlight: Student Spotlight: 2026 MATK Korean Speech Contest
Jana Karunakaran and Frances Ivy-Barrett, winners of the Beginning and Advanced Levels at the 10th UIUC Korean Speech Contest, represented the Korean Language Program at the 7th Midwest Korean Speech Contest on April 4, 2026. We are proud to share that Jana received the Excellence Award in the Beginning Level category, which includes a $500 cash prize. We warmly congratulate both Jana and Frances for their outstanding efforts and achievements, and for representing our program with such distinction.
Publication Spotlight: Professor Cai's How to Read Chinese Poetry in Context forthcoming from Columbia University Press
The next volume in EALC professor Zong-qi Cai's How to Read Chinese Poetry series will be published by Columbia University Press in February 2018. How to Read Chinese Poetry in Context is an introduction to the golden age of Chinese poetry, spanning the earliest times through the Tang dynasty (618–907). It aims to break down barriers—between language and culture, poetry and history—that have stood in the way of teaching and learning Chinese poetry. Not only a primer in early Chinese poetry, the volume demonstrates the unique and central role of poetry in the...
Why Study EALC?
A degree from the Department of East Asian Languages & Cultures equips you with the knowledge and skills for a successful career in a variety of fields while nourishing your interest in different languages and cultures.