The interview was conducted by Toyin Olanipekun, a doctoral student in Second Language Acquisition and a project assistant at the Language Institute (March, 2025). The transcription below is abridged.
Sun Young: Hi. I am Sun Young Choo. I am in the first year of the PhD program in Second Language Acquisition.
Toyin: What has been your experience so far in the SLA program?
Sun Young: I am doing very well now. My first semester was a bit busy, but I am getting used to it. I think I will be good.
Toyin: How is life in Madison outside your studies?
Sun Young: Most of the time, I’m studying and reading. But I’m trying to meet my friends and go to places in Madison. I think Madison is a very good place to study because it is calm and quiet and I’m enjoying life in Madison.
Toyin: How do you balance your academic responsibilities with your personal life?
Sun Young: During the semester, I focus on studying, but if I have time, I try to meet friends and go to new places in Madison. If I get stressed out, I usually go swimming – to Bakke or Nicholas. I try to balance my study and health.
Toyin: What is one thing you are open to sharing about yourself?
Sun Young: Last winter break, I went back to South Korea. I had a great time there. When I came back I realized I had escaped from the cold. It was good.
Toyin: Do you want to talk about your photo?
Sun Young: I took many photos in South Korea. At that time, during the winter break, there was a huge promotion of the Squid Game 2 movie. There are many statues of the girl (in the picture) all over Seoul. Her name is Young-Hee. So, I took a photo in front of the statue.
Toyin: Thank you for your time.
Sun Young: Thank you.
To learn about Sun Young’s research interest, see her profile.
Below is the video interview.