Eleven Boise State students enrolled in the class Korean 102 competed online in the recent 4th Annual Boise State Korean Language Speech Contest. The contest is for students who are successfully completing their first year of language studies in the Korean program.
Yookyung Lee, an instructor of Korean in the Department of World Languages at Boise State, and Haewon Cho, director of the Korean language program in the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations at the University of Pennsylvania, evaluated the contestants.
Students were required to use proper grammar, expressions, and vocabulary. The judges evaluated contestants’ speaking in both formal and conversational modes in addition to students’ listening comprehension and ability to answer questions.
Alexandra Booth received the Award of the Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Seattle. Kassidy Hammond received second place. Aslen Whitmore received third place. Brenna Wasser received honorable mention.
The Consulate of the Republic of Korea in Seattle sponsors award certificates and prizes for the winners and all the participants.
In addition to improving students’ language skills, the competition also celebrates the completion of a year-long Korean learning experience, Lee said. “We prepare this competition not only with our regular course sessions, but also with Korean-English language exchange with Korean students.”
Boise State’s Korean program, she added, makes an effort to connect with members of the Korean community beyond campus.