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Korean Speech Contest for Foreigners

More and more foreigners are learning to speak and write Korean.

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Let's meet some of them and see how they're doing it!

The Korean Speech Contest for Foreigners was held on September 11th. 25 foreigners entered the contest, from exchange students to tourists.

[SOV]
[Interview : ] "I didn't know there'd be so many people. I'm a little nervous".

[Interview : ] "I feel nervous, but I'm confident I'll do well".

[Interview : ] "I have butterflies in my stomach".

[Interview : ] "The 5th Korean Speech Contest for Foreigners will now begin!"

The contest finally kicked off. First up was a German student.

[SOV]
[Interview : ] "I'm Steffi Strysak, a student from Germany".

Her method of learning Korean is taekkyeon, which she first came across in her own country. Eager to learn it more, she came to Korea in March.

[Interview : Steffi Strysak, Participant from Germany] "I'm learning Korean through taekkyeon".

She began to study Korean in order to learn this traditional Korean martial art. And now, taekkyeon has become her own Korean teacher.

[Interview : Steffi Strysak, Participant from Germany] "Most of the taekkyeon terminologies are Korean words, so I have to learn them in order to learn taekkyeon".

So, taekkyeon had taught her both the language and culture of Korea.

[Interview : Steffi Strysak, Participant from Germany] "Since all taekkyeon lessons are taught in Korean, I naturally came to learn the language".

Is Korean too difficult ?

[Interview : ] "Although cultural differences do exist between Germany and Korea, I think I'm more used to the Korean culture".

Steffi is not the only contestant with a special way of learning Korean.

Let's take a look at how these Malaysian students became fluent in Korean.

This is a language institute at a university, where Malaysian students are learning Korean.

Having come to Korea to become engineers, they are taking Korean classes before studying their majors.

[Interview : Ju Eun-gyeong, Korean language instructor Seoul National University] "They're students sent by the Malaysian government. During their stay they're studying Korean and learning about Korea's culture".

Many universities offer Korean courses for foreign students.

[SOV]
[Interview : ] "First we'll state our case, in favor of the issue".

They can now express themselves freely in Korean. And their proficiency is thanks to their own knowhows.

[Interview : Rachel Eve Clarence, Participant from Malaysia] "Doing a lot of presentations has boosted my proficiency in Korean. Outside of class, I watch Korean TV dramas to work on my pronunciation".

[Interview : Ralph Lauren Thaddeus, Participant from Malaysia] "I find Korean grammar and vocabulary difficult. I'm learning the language by watching Korean dramas and singing along Korean songs. We often go to a karaoke room".

[SOV]
[Interview : ] "Let's take a break!"

So, what exactly is their key to proficiency

[Interview : Rachel Eve Clarence, Participant from Malaysia] "Listening to K-pop is a good way to improve my pronunciation, which is particularly important when speaking Korean".

Can it get any more fun

[Interview : ] "Treat us to dinner if you win!"

[Interview : ] "When I first came to Korea, I was shocked by how there were no less than nine subway lines".

The students have become used to their strange and unfamiliar lives in Korea.

[SOV]
[Interview : ] "How can the leaves turn red

Some had studied Korean in their own country.

This is a homestay house in Jung-gu, Seoul. This is where some of the contestants are staying, as well as a number of Japanese tourists who're visiting Korea.

[SOV]
[Interview : ] "Do you like Korea

[Interview : ] "Sure! I love it".

They go to homestay houses whenever they visit Korea.

[Interview : Kang Myeong-su, Homestay host] "They're learning Korean naturally in a homelike environment. So it's different from learning the language through a fixed curriculum. They have lots of conversations in Korean, whether they're eating or watching TV. Because they're exposed to the language in their everyday lives, they're picking it up very quickly".

[SOV]
[Interview : ] "They all love Korea and are very interested in Korean".

A gentleman from Japan has visited Korea to participate in the contest. For him, Korea is a meaningful place.

[Interview : Taguchi Osamu, Participant from Japan] "I was born in South Jeolla Province, Korea. I think one's birthplace is one's true home. So I began to study Korean to return home".

For Mr. Taguchi, Korea is his second home and Korean his second mother tongue. Even in Japan, he studies Korean once a week.

[Interview : Taguchi Osamu, Participant from Japan] "I love the homelike atmosphere when I'm in a homestay house. Although I'm travelling, I feel at home".

[SOV]
[Interview : ] "Mr. Taguchi, good luck!"

And now, he's making a new memory in a country he had called home as a child.

The 25 contestants each have their own stories to tell and their own methods for learning Korean.

Now, they've all finished their speeches.

Who will become the winner

[SOV]
[Interview : ] "The grand prize goes to Ralph from Malaysia!"

The contestants have proven their love for Korean - and we hope it never dies.

[Interview : Ralph Lauren Thaddeus, Participant from Malaysia] "I still can't believe I've won. I'll study Korean even harder".

[Interview : Steffi Strysak, Participant from Germany] "I was amazed by how good everybody was".

[STUDIO]

You told me before you took the dictionary and memorized it when you were learning Korean.
I almost got all the way through. So don't ask me about words towards the end.
Well great job to you all. You guys have worked so hard.
And the results look great!

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