Writer홍보협력팀
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2021-09-23
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Teacher Kim Young-youp started his work at King Sejong Institute at quite a mature age of 50. For the past six years, he has been trying to communicate with the learners through “Korean that is fun and easy to use” instead of “Korean that is learned through books.” Arranging a theater class with the learners in Riga, Latvia, was part of his efforts to achieve this. Here, we invite you to a special stage presentation by the best dream team!
Teacher Kim Young-youp:
I started working at Korean Cultural Center in Kazakhstan in 2016. After that, I worked at KSI in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. I am currently working at the KSI in Riga, Latvia from July 2019. When I was a senior in college, I worked as a Korean language educator in Yakutsk for four years. Starting with that, I also taught Korean for 15 years at a language school at a university in Korea. I still feel bad for my clumsiness when I took the first step as a Korean language educator. That is why I applied to be a dispatched teacher when I was almost fifty. I am starting to feel better as I meet with the learners from different countries, talk with them through Korean culture, and share each other"s cultures. While meeting with many learners from KSIs in three different countries, I felt that the difference lies not only in the cultural background, but also in individual disposition. Some learners are passionate and they express K-dance with the whole body, while others are shy and have trouble expressing themselves in Korean. I therefore decided to create a theater class to help the passive learners talk more comfortably. At first, I was worried that there may be no one applying for the class. Fortunately, five students enrolled in the class. And all of them were prizewinners from speech contests. I guess I took a pretty good first step.
Liene:
I became interested in Korea thanks to K-pop. At first, I tried to teach myself Korean, but it wasn’t easy to study regularly by myself. I looked for places where I could learn Korean, and found King Sejong Institute. In the past four years that I spent at KSI, I participated in various events. Thanks to that, I became more confident and broadened my view of the world. I also have a dream now to have a job related to Korean. The theater class that I had with Teacher Kim Young-youp was another new experience. As I became immersed in the role, the lines in Korean stayed clearly in my memory, and it helped me to improve my speaking skills. It is important to have the right pronunciation and intonation to express the emotions suited to different situations. Teacher Kim Young-youp helped me with correct pronunciation and understanding of the scripts, so I was satisfied with my performance.
Dace:
That"s right. I still have trouble with Korean pronunciation, but Teacher Kim gives me personal training before classes, so I improved a lot. I also worked hard so that my poor pronunciation didn’t get in the way of the story of the play.
Eliza:
It was hard to memorize the lines, but Teacher Kim read it with me, and it helped. One time, one student could not attend the practice, and he stood in and read the lines in a really fun way. As we all laughed and had fun practicing, the practices have become unforgettable memories. When I first came to KSI, I was only a middle school student, 14 years old. I will become a college student soon. To tell the truth, I didn’t have any specific dream before going to KSI. Now, I have a wonderful dream. It is to work at a Korean embassy in Latvia. I believe that my experience in the theater class will be a great asset to achieving that goal.
Anna:
I was very interested in Korean history, and the play that the theater class was planning was the story of Dangun Wanggeom, the root of Korean history. I did not hesitate to enroll. It was also interesting to be able to study Korean in a different way. It"s a little boring to learn Korean just through books. Teacher Kim always helps us learn Korean language and culture naturally with fresh ideas, which is encouraging to the learners who have been studying Korean for a long time.
Teacher Kim Young-youp:
Since last year, the world has been experiencing a crisis due to the pandemic. And it hit the theater class, too. This was when we were almost finished practicing the lines. An emergency lockdown order was issued due to the rapid increase of confirmed cases in Latvia while we were discussing the stage management and costumes. Of course we could not invite audiences, so we put our heads together to find a solution not to make our efforts be in vain. Then we decided to change the way we approach the audience. We decided to perform the play not on a stage, but through a video.
Anna:
After the lockdown, we discussed everything online. In order to put our performance on video instead of a stage, each of us needed to record the lines of our roles, and edit them into the video. It was unexpected, but I think the saying is true that where there is a will, there is a way. We had an expert in video editing in our team. That"s why we call ourselves the Dream Team.
Eliza:
We wanted to have the preview in the same place, at least. So we watched the video together in a large auditorium, ensuring the two-meter safe distance. It was more rewarding, as it was an outcome achieved through hardship.
Anna:
Even though we couldn’t be on the stage, I had a special experience of being an actress and part of the audience at the same time by watching the preview. However, I still yearn for being on stage myself and welcome the audience. If I have a chance, I would like to experience the reaction of the audience from the stage.
Liene:
Preparing for the play myself, I realized what a hard job actors have. I was also able to learn more deeply about Korean history. I will never forget the times that I spent with my teammates, practicing for the play together.
Teacher Kim Young-youp:
Sadly, the theater class had to close as face-to-face classes became impossible. We have now changed to a drama class. And we have recruited three new members. Someday, when COVID-19 is over, I want to make a new stage, face-to-face again. Although we are having a difficult time like a bear and a tiger in the cave, we will be able to face a bright future someday if only we can carry on, remembering the patience of the bear. Until that day comes, let’s not lose our spirit, Dream Team!
Dace:
I am in charge of film production support at Riga City Council. I once went on a business trip to Korea in 2012, and since then I’ve been interested in Korean culture. Before going to KSI, I taught myself Korean by watching Korean dramas. My favorite Korean shows are "Queen and I" and "Signal." I was able to enjoy learning Korean language and culture more as I started attending KSI. Participating in the theater class was also a good experience.
Liene:
I am a 22-year-old office worker who likes K-pop. I like the sounds of the Korean language, so I came to KSI. It is a stage of development for me. I had an opportunity to not only learn Korean, but also to have various other experiences. Among them, being in the theater class was a chance for me to grow to another level. I sincerely thank Teacher Kim. Thanks to his encouragement, I am not afraid of challenges anymore. Someday, I want to visit Korea, too.
Anna:
I am a mother with a daughter, and I work in the aviation field. My interest in Korea started with K-pop, and eventually led me to KSI. Now Korea is part of my life. I would like to move to Korea to live there some day. To do that, I will study Korean harder. Teacher Kim Young-youp always helps us to study Korean in a more fun way, just like the theater class. There"s no time to be bored. I hope that he doesn’t lose his passion with time. Thank you, Mr. Kim!
Eliza:
I am Eliza, the youngest in the Dream Team. I like the animation Run Hani, so people call me by my nickname Hani. When I first came to KSI, I was only 14. Now I’m going into college. As I got to know more about Korea, my dreams got bigger. I want to work at the embassy to help communications and exchanges between Korea and Latvia. Teacher Kim has given me the belief that I can fulfill my dreams. I am glad that I met him. Even if you move to another location, please remember us!
“There are five people in the dream team, but only four participated in the interview. The other member, Laura, also showed great acting ability through constant exertions in the play. Laura is a passionate learner who can sing Korean trot songs splendidly in Korean singing contests. Although she could not be with us today, Laura also has a special relationship with us.”