The 9th National Bilingual Contest organized by Multicultural Education Center (Director Chae Ho-Suk) of HUFS R&DB Foundation and the National Institute of Lifelong Education (NILE) and hosted by the Ministry of Education and LG Yonam Foundation was held on November 6, 2021 (Saturday). The annual event was held with much fanfare at the International Seminar Hall of the Minerva Complex and 17 metropolitan and provincial offices of education across the nation. As in last year’s, this year’s event took place via a virtual platform in compliance with social distancing requirements to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Student contestants made their speech online with only the adjudicators and organizers gathered at the venue to evaluate speech performances in real time.
The event kicked off with video messages of congratulations by HUFS President Kim In-Chul, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Yoo Eun-He, LG Yonam Foundation Vice President Jung Chang-Hoon, and NILE Director Gang Dae-Jung.
The Contest has been held each year since its launch in 2013 to support students from multicultural backgrounds build self-esteem in their bilingual proficiency and build a more positive identity. HUFS signed an MOU with the Ministry of Education in 2015 as a co-organizer, and this year’s event marks the 7th event held at HUFS.
A total of 52 elementary, middle, and high school students were selected from the preliminary screening hosted by the nation’s metropolitan and provincial offices of education. They made a speech both in the Korean language and their parents’ native tongue on a given subject. The 25 adjudicators, including HUFS professors, evaluated their performances fairly and, at the same time, at the level of their understanding.
These 52 final contestants received special citations, including the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education’s Award, the HUFS President’s Award, and the LG Yonam Foundation Chairman’s Award. They will also be given an opportunity to further develop their bilingual skills at LG Global School run by HUFS Multicultural Education Center.
