Deadline for Online Application & Speech Submission: SATURday, feb. 29, 2020

Application submission: https://forms.gle/EGMbTv4rRb7sxqxq7
Speech submission: Submit through email to tksc2020@gmail.com

Qualifications:

• Applicants must satisfy all of the following criteria:
• 15 years of age or older
• Not a native speaker of Korean
• Qualify for one of the 4 contest categories

Note: Applicants need to be attending an educational institution (secondary, post-secondary, or continuing education) at the time of the contest and should discuss participation in the contest with their instructors. If any questions arise regarding applicants’ qualifications, the Organizing Committee’s decision will be final. Past contestants and winners are eligible to participate. However, past first place prize winners are not allowed to participate in the same category in which the prize was won.

Categories:

(1) HIGH SCHOOL & Novice

• Not have a parent/guardian who is a native speaker of Korean
• Studied the Korean language for less than 50 hours (except high school students)
• Not stayed in Korea for more than a total of six months after the age of six

Note: It is presumed that the “parent(s)” lived with the applicant until the applicant finished secondary school. “Hours of study” means the number of instruction hours of Korean language study. Hours of study should include all hours of Korean language study, including private lessons, by the time of the contest.

(2) Beginner

• Not have a parent/guardian who is a native speaker of Korean
• Studied the Korean language for less than 120 hours
• Not stayed in Korea for more than a total of six months after the age of six

(3) Intermediate

• Not have a parent/guardian who is a native speaker of Korean
• Studied the Korean language for less than 240 hours
• Not stayed in Korea for more than a total of six months after the age of six

(4) Advanced

• Studied the Korean language over 240 hours (No limit on hours of study)
• No limit on duration of stay in Korea, but should specify the duration of time on online application
• Can have either or both parents/guardian who are native speakers of Korean as long as the applicant is studying Korean as a foreign/heritage language
• If born in Korea, can have stayed in Korea for up to 4 years of age from birth

Speech Title and Content:

Applicants should:

• Submit speech to the Committee at time of application
• Choose own title and subject of their speech
• Write own speech
• Memorize the speech

Note: Reading or using cue cards will be subject to demerit points. Small disparities between the written speech and the oral presentation will not be subject to penalty as long as the content is the same.

Speech Length:

• High school & Novice: Maximum 2 minutes 30 seconds
• Beginner: Maximum 3 minutes
• Intermediate: Maximum 3 minutes 30 seconds
• Advanced: Maximum 3 minutes 30 seconds (plus answering an impromptu question)

Note: Contestants who exceed the time limits will be subject to demerit points.

Judges and Evaluation Criteria:

• Panel of three judges comprised of individuals involved in Korean Language Education in Canada
• Speeches assessed according to manner of presentation, content, organization, grammar and pronunciation
• Participants in the advanced category are subject to answer an instant question from a judge after the presentation for a bonus point.

Certificates and prizes:

• All contestants will be awarded a participation certificate and a souvenir
• Top 3 winners in each category will be awarded prizes and certificate of award
• The first place winners of each category will be awarded a place in the 2020 summer language program at one of the 5 major universities in Korea (transportation, room & board not included)
• One Grand Prize Winner will be selected among participants across all categories and will be awarded a place in the 2020 summer language program at a major university in Korea and a round-trip airline ticket.* * Some restrictions apply including blackout periods.