Byung-Jin Lim

About Me

I am an Associate Professor of Korean Linguistics in the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. My academic journey at UW-Madison began as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Korean in 2004, and I have served as an Assistant Professor from 2010 to 2016 before becoming an Associate Professor in 2016. I received my Ph.D. in Linguistics from Indiana University Bloomington in 2003, with my doctoral dissertation focusing on “Perception, production, and orthography in syllabification in Korean and English.”

Education

Ph.D, Indiana University-Bloomington (2003)

Areas of Expertise

• Korean Language and Linguistics
• Second Language Acquisition
• Korean Language Textbook Development
• Instructional Technology in Korean Language Learning & Teaching

Research Interests

My primary research interest lies in how continuous speech streams are segmented into meaningful units and how that information is relayed to listeners for accurate interpretation of a speaker’s intent. This includes examining whether decoding strategies from one language persist when a speaker uses a different language. My “organic language acquisition model” suggests that bilinguals share phonetic categories between their L1 and L2, with different stages of L2 acquisition indicating varying levels of language dominance. I propose that L2 acquisition is a dynamic, ongoing process that can continue throughout one’s life.

I am also interested in the application of technology in foreign language education. My project “Videoconferencing for the Korean Language Program at UW-Madison” aimed to enhance

intercultural communicative competence and linguistic proficiency through internet-based videoconferencing. My publications from this project show the benefits of telecollaborative activities using videoconferencing with native speakers for promoting linguistic skills and intercultural learning.

Furthermore, I am dedicated to developing Korean language instructional materials specifically for the U.S. academic environment, addressing the unique needs of U.S. students. This led to the “My Korean” textbook development project.

Teaching Philosophy

As an educator at UW-Madison, my mission is to create healthy, creative, and supportive environments for a diverse student population, enabling them to learn, grow, and pursue their dreams without limitations. I believe in student-centered classrooms that acknowledge and validate the diverse backgrounds and experiences of my students, integrating their unique perspectives into the Korean language learning process. I have taught and coordinated all levels of Korean language courses at UW-Madison:

• ASIALANG 105 First Semester Korean
• ASIALANG 106 Second Semester Korean
• ASIALANG 205 Third Semester Korean
• ASIALANG 206 Fourth Semester Korean
• ASIALANG 305 Fifth Semester Korean
• ASIALANG 306 Sixth Semester Korean
• ASIALANG 405 Seventh Semester Korean
• ASIALANG 406 Eighth Semester Korean
• ASIALANG 381 Business Korean
• ASIALANG 475 Advanced Topics in Korean Translation: Korean Language and Culture
• ASIAN 699 Directed Studies:
  – Languages and religions in Korea
  – Romanization of Korean
  – Advanced reading in contemporary Korean culture and society
  – Teaching Korean as a foreign language
  – Approaches to Korean language pedagogy
  – Reading and translation of poetry

Publications

Books

· Ahn, J-R, Cho, H-W, and Lim, B.J. (Forthcoming) Task-based Business Korean for Professionals, Hawoo Publishing, Seoul, S. Korea.

· Lim, B.J., Kim, J.E. and Kim, J-H. (2024) My Korean: Step 2, Routledge, United Kingdom.

· Lim, B.J., Kim, J.E. and Kim, J-H. (2019) My Korean: Step 1, Routledge, United Kingdom.

· Lim, B.J. (2015). Perceiving Syllables and Contrasts: Second Language Learning Perspectives, Korea University Press, Seoul, Korea.

e-Resources

· Lim, B.J., Kim, J.E. and Kim. J-H. (2024), My Korean: Step 2, Routledge, United Kingdom, e-Resources: Downloadable videos online (16 dialogues) from: https://www.routledge.com/My-Korean-Step-2-nayi-hangugeo-seuteb-2/Lim-Kim-Kim/p/book/9781138659261

· Lim, B.J., Kim, J.E. and Kim. J-H. (2020), My Korean: Step 1, Routledge, United Kingdom, e-Resources: Downloadable videos online (16 dialogues) from: https://www.routledge.com/My-Korean–Step-1-1/Lim-Kim-Kim/p/book/9781138659230#

Selected Articles & Book Chapters

· Lim, B.J. and Kim, E.H. (Invited). Formation and Evolution of Korean Language Educators’ Communities of Practice. In H-J. Choi (Ed.), Fostering Inclusion and Innovation: Communities of Practice in Korean Language Education.

· Ahn, J.R., Siemens, S.Y., and Lim, B.J. (2024). A case study of an immersive Korean language program in college dormitories: Focusing on a university residence program called ‘K-house” in the United States. Foreign Languages Education, 31 (1): 301-323.

· Lim, B.J., and Pyun, D. O. (2019). Korean Foreign Language Learning. In Computer-Assisted Language Learning: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications (pp. 1123-1146). Pennsylvania, PA: IGI Global.

· Lee, H.J. and Lim, B.J. (2018). Interdisciplinary Learning and Linguistic Development in an ICT-based Collaborative Videoconferencing. Korean Journal of Applied Linguistics 34/1: 169-198.

· Lim, B.J. and Pyun, D. O. (2016). Korean Foreign Language Learning: Videoconferencing with Native Speakers. In C. Wang & L. Winstead (Eds.), Handbook of Research on Foreign Language Education in the Digital Age (pp. 253-276). Hershey, PA: IGI Global.

· Lim, B.J. and Lee, H.J. (2015). Videoconferencing for Korean language education: Synchronous online interactions between learners of Korean and English beyond the classroom, Journal of Korean Language Education 26: 1-28.

Selected Lectures & Presentations

· Lim, B.J., & Choi, J-R. (2025). A Comparative Analysis of Four Korean Language Tutoring Programs in US Higher Education, a paper presentation at the 30th Annual Conference of the American Association of Teachers of Korean (University of Hawaii-Manoa, June 18~20, 2025).

· Choo, S-Y., & Lim, B.J. (2025). Comparing the Effectiveness of AI and Teacher Feedback on Korean Particle Errors in Writing and Learner Perceptions, a paper presentation at the 30th Annual Conference of the American Association of Teachers of Korean (University of Hawaii-Manoa, June 18~20, 2025).

· Lim, B.J., & Bae, H. (2024). Feasibility and Effectiveness of Facilitated Interdependent Language Learning (FILL) for Korean on Zoom in the Midwest High Schools, a paper presentation at the Annual Conference of the American Association of Teachers of Korean (Indiana University-Bloomington, June 20~22, 2024).

· Lim, B.J., Ahn, J. & Kim, S. (2023). The Korean Language House: A Case Study at a University, a paper presentation at the Annual Conference of the American Association of Teachers of Korean (the University of Pennsylvania, June 15~17, 2023).

· Lim, B.J. (2023) Learning more by getting involved more: Cases of interaction and collaboration with language educators and students of Korean. Keynote address for the Korean Pedagogy Forum at Princeton University (March 11, 2023).

· Ahn, J. & Lim, B.J. (2019). The current status of Korean language education in the World: Implications and recommendation for teacher training in the U.S., a paper presented at the Annual Conference of the American Association of Teachers of Korean (the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, June 20-22, 2019).

· Lim, B.J. (2019). Creating opportunities for learning communities: A case study of the UW-Madison Korean Language Program. An invited talk at Korean Studies workshop: Language Education and Teacher Development, Department of World Languages and Cultures, Georgia State University (April 12, 2019).

· Lim, B.J. (2018). Instructional technology for Korean language teaching in the U.S.: A case study of the Korean Language Program at UW-Madison, an invited talk for Korean language teacher training at Korea University (Seoul, Korea, May 31, 2018)

· Lim, B.J. (2018). How do we educate and train Korean language teachers for the Global Era? An invited talk at Kyung Hee University (Seoul, May 14, 2018)

· Lim, B.J. (2018). The status of Asian Studies in the Midwest Area in the U.S. An invited talk at Yonsei University (Seoul, March 30, 2018)