Writer홍보협력팀
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2022-02-21
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The essays of activities of Korean language teachers in KSIs around the world impressed Korean language education in Korea and abroad.
The King Sejong Institute Foundation (hereinafter KSIF, President: Lee Hai-young) held an award ceremony for the “2021 Korean Language Educators’ Essay Contest” at the KSIF conference room in Seocho-gu, Seoul, at 2 p.m. on January 26.
The contest, held to share excellent cases of KSI teachers to celebrate the 10th anniversary of KSIF, received a total of 126 works for 30 days from November 25 to December 24 last year, reflecting the enthusiastic responses and interest of many people. KSIF announced a total of 17 winners (One Grand Prize, Two First Prizes, Three Second Prizes, Four Encouragement Prizes, and Seven Consolation Prizes) after screening.
The Grand Prize went to the essay of President Kim Eung-su of KSI Nairobi, Kenya. He settled in Kenya at the age of 65, and it has been 13 years since he undertook a new challenge at KSI Nairobi. He helped students get out of poverty by sending students with high scores to Korean universities and Korean vocational institutes. In this way, he sent more than 100 students to Korea to study.
The student President Kim Eung-su best remembers is Phyllis Wangechi Ndiangui. Phyllis, who faithfully participated in Korean language classes without giving up, and wanted to become a scholarship student in Korea. However, she could not receive her high school diploma because she was unable tot pay for her tuition. When President Kim Eung-su heard about her situation, he paid for her tuition and helped her to go to and study in a Korean university.
After graduating from university in Korea, she came back to Kenya and is now working as a Korean teacher at KSI Nairobi. President Kim Eung-su wrote in his essay, “We are overwhelmed with joy at the increasing number of students applying for KSI every year. The story about Phyllis was my most rewarding experience in managing the King Sejong Institute.”
The First Prizes were awarded to Teacher Kim Ji-yeon (Yangon, Myanmar) and Teacher Kim Young-Ja (Brussels, Belgium). Teacher Kim Ji-yeon’s work was special in that she calmly described her activities as a teacher in the unstable domestic circumstances in Myanmar in diary style. Teacher Kim Young-Ja described the stories of different learners she met during 11 years of activities as a Korean teacher with the theme of “Stars.”
She said in her essay, “The learners of Korean are the ones that make the language shine more brightly. Korean language teachers do not stop at teaching the language. They are the messengers of culture who disseminate Korean culture around the world.”
President Lee Hai-young of KSIF said, “I thank all of you for the heartwarming stories and achievements that the KSI teachers around the world have given us. We will work hard to discover and preserve the history and achievements of KSI to tell the world about them.” KSIF plans to publish the winning works of the contest as a booklet and produce videos based on the contents of the works to distribute them.