In Korea, the month of May brings a warmth that can be attributed to not only the weather, but the numerous celebrations of family and community, for example, Parent¡¯s Day, Children¡¯s Day and Teacher¡¯s Day. However, it was my recent experience of a worldwide competition that made me feel proud to be a member of the Pocheon community and Daejin University. The competition I¡¯m speaking of was the World University Taekwondo Championships that was hosted by the city of Pocheon and Daejin University, as well as the Korean Taekwondo Association. Over fifty-five countries brought their best university athletes to this event.
The world is well aware of Korea¡¯s national sport, Taekwondo, and now the world has been given a beautiful introduction to this hidden jewel known as Pocheon-si. I had the pleasure of talking to the competitors from different areas of the world, as well as my home country Canada. Every one of them was glowing with compliments, especially the beautiful mountainous regions that surround Daejin University. The volunteer¡¯s kindness and the Daejin University students¡¯ use of English were also given high praise. Two things became apparent, the pride I felt for my students and the Pocheon volunteers, and how important it is that I continue to encourage my students to practice and improve their use of English.
Languages are not learned for tests, alone, but rather for people to express ideas, help in times of difficulty, and to share a common sense of community. When I heard university athletes from other countries using English as the medium to interact with one another, it occurred to me that if the students at Daejin continue to improve their English language skills by using the language to communicate, they will have a wonderful opportunity to grab hold of their place in the Global Village and be part of an exciting future for Korea and the world.