Meet Insoo
Korean Language and Culture Instructor
Insoo Ma, MBA
Sharing Korean with students feels like inviting them into a part of my life, and I love watching them enjoy the language as it becomes familiar and comfortable.
I studied Accounting at Chonnam National University and completed my MBA, and later trained as a Korean language instructor. In 2006, I founded the Charlottesville Culture & Korean School, where I’ve been happily teaching and serving as principal ever since. I love helping students understand the heart and character of the Korean language and guiding them toward learning in a way that feels clear, encouraging, and effective. When I’m not teaching, you’ll often find me enjoying a round of golf and thinking about new ways to make Korean feel welcoming and fun for every learner.
Student Spotlights
Real stories from our students
“Learning German has taught me that no matter how different a language is, we are all human. Being able to communicate with a person from a different culture or place shapes you as a person by allowing you to see other people’s points of view and giving you a greater understanding of the world.”
“We are excited to continue working with John and Christina and feel that they are on this journey with us!”
“These types of human connections that were the highlights of my trip would have been impossible without Stefanie and Speak!“
“It has been interesting learning about Franco’s home country and the various places he has lived while we worked together.”
“The regularity that Speak! offers has made the difference. It keeps me accountable and focused.”
“Studying on my own was easy to do passively. In-person lessons make it impossible to hide behind fear or doubt.”
“Our Spanish class is one of the highlights of my week. Nattachya’s joyful energy makes learning fun, even on my hardest days.”
“Speak! Is a treasure to me. The different Spanish classes and teachers and the German instructors are all excellent.”
“The individualized attention from Franco in the one-on-one classes is really great; he is able to tailor the classes according to my needs.”
Speak! partnered with UVA’s Pipelines and Pathways Program and Human Resources to support four newly-hired international employees with tailored English language instruction, equipping them with the essential skills for success in their roles as Patient Safety Companions.
I’ll never forget a dinner I enjoyed in Paris with Allison Zinder. I was traveling with my best friend and our daughters, and on a hot summer evening in 2016, we met Allison for a classic French bistro meal at one of her then-favorite brasseries - Le Petit Lutetia.
“I like that I can ask a question about a topic I'm unclear about and instantly have it explained to me.”
“I plan on continuing lessons until I can speak Spanish fluently at a conversational level!”
“Hearing questions from classmates (and hopefully them hearing mine) helps us all learn and grow on our Spanish journey.”
The coaching sessions with Alexis have been incredibly beneficial to my preparation for the Darden MBA program and beyond.
What attracted me the most to this program was that everybody is rooting for your success.
“I really like the flexibility, because being an MBA student during the recruiting season, I don’t have the most predictable schedule.”
“Our classes are very dynamic. Dana always has something new and especially a lot of patience and didactics. It's an enjoyable environment, and everything flows well.“
“I think at the end of the day, if you talk with your coach and you really know what you need, B-Speak! Coaching will provide the session by tailoring your need to achieve results! For me it is a great remedy for my communication skill“
“AnnaMaria is a wonderful teacher, very patient, always in good spirit, never dull, and never condescending. She methodically advances through our Italian language text book and exercises, and effectively uses the whiteboard to review and summarize the important language and grammar details.“
“Marta was truly one of the best language instructors I’ve worked with. She had a knack for simplifying difficult concepts and illustrating her points with lots of examples culled from a variety of authentic sources (newspapers, music, videos, etc.), and she was also great about correcting my grammar and pronunciation without ever seeming overbearing…“
“The lessons really helped me elevate overall English communication skills, it also helped me enhance my enunciation, intonation, listening skills, and understating of common American phrases. The initial assessment by my coach helped me identify weak areas so that I could work on them and be clearly understood by professors and peers…“
“Happily, there were lots of overlapping motivations. Being conversant in another language opens your view of the world, and I really missed that feeling. So when I learned about the UVA education benefit + Speak tutoring from a colleague, I knew right away I’d sign up for it at some point.“
“It is a shared experience for us as a couple. Something we can enjoy together in anticipation of our future adventures. We are able to help each other study and practice/“discuss” whose pronunciation is correct. Anne is very accommodating and patient. She is able to Instruct the two of us simultaneously with ease. She adjusts to our needs as a couple and capabilities as adult learners.“
“Sojung is a fantastic teacher. She is so encouraging and always finds ways to tie my interests back to our lessons which helps me retain the information better.“