Foreign Language Fever Heats Up for 2015 Gwangju Universiade

While preparing the international sporting events that is the Gwangju Summer Universiade 2015 (GU 2015), the citizens are learning foreign languages for free and getting experiences with the chances to welcome foreign visitors as volunteers.

The Universiade Language School is a sort of educating program for the Gwangju citizens, which will be lasting till the year of 2015 since it was initiated in 2010, supported by the GU 2015 Organizing Committee (GUOC 2015) to foster the volunteers who are able to communicate in those of foreign languages for the successful hosting of the GU.

The language school is divided into two semesters (first and second halves) in a year with the number of 5 language courses including English, French, Japanese, Chinese, and Spanish lectured by native speakers focusing on practical conversations twice a week in the courses of 10 to 14 weeks.

There have been 3,300 people completed the courses so far at the language center of Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) including other 9 language centers in the universities.

According to the survey result on satisfaction level carried by the GUOC 2015 intending the foreign language school attendees regarding the objective of the foreign language school, 70 percent of the responses were in favor of the 'To do voluntary work during the GU 2015' that was much higher than the 'To enhance English skills' which was favored by the percent of 26.6, and the 95 percent was appeared on the 'Hope to retake the courses', revealing the high satisfaction rate about the courses and the contents of the classes.

While it has been closing the courses, the GUOC 2015 has been hosting the 'Foreign Language Competition' to reinforce the attendees' skills getting a great deal of attention.

Two of the language competitions so far, there have been various types of attendees participated from teenagers to university students, office men, housewives, and even some seniors in their 70s to review and improve their language skills that they have been practicing.

A staff member of the GUOC 2015 expressed, " As languages are need the steady learnership, we will be opening the language school till the year of 2015 to develop the volunteers' communication ablilities and to help them qualified as the core of the successful hosting of the GU 2015.

For more information contact: Officer Annie Kim, Marketing & International Affairs Division.

+82 62 616 3541, e-mail: audiiss@naver.com

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