A Study on the Role and Potential of Oral Literature Classes as a University Major Education

This paper reviews the current issues of the oral Literature course, based on the Korean Oral Literature course at Ewha Womans University, and proposes plans with cases in order to raise the possibilities and objectives of Korean oral Literature as a university major. The 15-week Korean oral Literature course covers various genres such as folk narratives, Shaman’s songs(muga), folk songs, pansori, and folk plays. Because the regions, histories and genres of works are diverse, works and topics are selected according to the professor’s teaching goal. In terms of students, in addition to Korean Literature majors, students from other departments with interests in classics, contents, and oral language, and as the proportion of foreign students increases in the university, foreign students are also increasing in the Korean Oral Literature course. Even if the aspects of utilization are highlighted in the curriculum due to the change in the university, the study of Korean traditional literature should aim for the social values ​​that we dream of. Since the research on Oral literature started as research on folk/minority literature, we should consider its basic nature while considering the collective wisdom and symbolic value creation of the community. In addition, we must consider the locality and reality as a genre that is still alive. In the class, students were encouraged to pre-learn videos and materials before the class, and each genre was arranged with group presentations and discussions to dynamically construct the class. In the situation where foreign students are increasing, comparative literary perspectives were used to lead their participation and review the universality and specificity of Korean oral literature, and cultural perspectives were used to interpret Korean oral literature in different eras and cultural regions. This not only deepens our understanding of Korean oral literature, but also moves towards deepening our understanding of humans and society by analyzing current social and cultural phenomena from the perspective of Korean oral literature, challenging familiar situations and values. Thus, Korean oral classes that focus on our daily lives and stories should expand their academic role even in the midst of university change.