YU Students: Share Experiences with Foreigners

International Center! They have various programs to cultivate the world-wide abilities to YU students. They have already tried to make an effort for students to experience something new. Notably, they are organizing many programs that foreigners and Korean students can do together. Until now, many students participated in these programs. Let’s read about their stories and learn what these programs are.

Buddy Program
This program is for enrolled students to improve their foreign language abilities and global mind while helping foreign students to understand Korean culture, adapt to daily life, and to promote exchange programs between Korean
and foreign students.

Buddy Program
Department of Media & Communication Jang Eun-jae
Making foreign friends is the biggest reason why I wanted to join this program. I experienced it two years ago, but I was shy at that time and I felt sorry to foreigners. So, last year, I applied again. In my activity plan, I wrote that I wanted to be trustworthy and reliable friend to foreigners who live away from their family and that I would be reachable 24 hours a day to help them anytime. After I was selected, the thing I wanted to do most was to introduce Korea’s delicious food to my new friend and to go to a Jjimjilbang with them. We ate a lot of delicious foods at famous restaurants, but I was sad that we could not go to a Jjimjilbang because of my Malaysian friend’s religion. In the beginning of the semester, I helped them with many things such as course registration, getting a student card, taking an identification picture and making an alien registration card. Over time, we had good memories like going to Dalseong Park, E world and Seomun market. We especially talked a lot about our different cultures. We thought about it deeply and debated on a subject in our daily lives. Actually, I was embarrassed at first because it was so unfamiliar to me, but in retrospect, it made me to think more widely and I am very thankful for the memories. A useful thing to know is that you always need a pen and a note when you meet your buddy to talk about what you did because you should write an activity report to get a grade. It is better to take pictures. I became confident in my English through this program. I also learned some Malaysian language. However, the most important thing was that I made a great friend. Also, Buddy program itself is not only to learn other language but also to volunteer to friend. Therefore, someone who wants to apply this program should keep in mind all of this and if you show sincerity, this will be very meaningful to you.

Window to Korea and Window to the World Plus
Window to Korea is a program that makes teams of two or three Korean and exchange students who visit famous tourist attractions or historical sites during two days or longer. Window to the World Plus makes teams of two Korean students and two exchange students. They visit top companies, universities or government branches and interviews them. YU supports the participation fee to each member.

Window to Korea School of Economics & Finance Hong Eun-ju
I am now working as an International Public Ambassador and I did the Buddy program last semester. However, it is not difficult to make a team with foreigners. I talked about the ‘Window to Korea’ program on Facebook to my friends and finally two of them contacted me. I believed that they did not know about Korea, so I searched for information in advance and explained it to them. Then we made plans together while we looked at pictures on the internet. We made a plan following this concept: To experience various Korean cultures with our five senses.

Sight: Korean traditional village with autumn colors.
Hearing: Korean traditional village with sounds of merchants and tourists.
Taste and smell: Eating one of the most popular street foods and other traditional dishes such as Bibimbap.
Touch: To wear Korean traditional clothes such as a Hanbok.

We had a good time without much trouble while traveling with each other. Above all, appreciated my foreign friends because they were satisfied with the trip. To decide where to sleep is what I remember most about the trip. I hoped that they would have the chance to live in a Korean traditional house (Han-ok) even if it was more expensive than other places. At first, I worried whether they would like it or not, so I asked if it was okay. However, they readily accepted to experience that part of Korean culture. They said the floor was warm and comfortable. I learned a lot of things by explaining about my Korean culture to my foreign friends through Window to Korea. I was happy because I felt like I became a Korean tour guide. I was proud of myself at that time.

Language Partner Program and International Study Club
LPP is an English study program. Each team is composed of five Korean students and one international exchange student who meet four hours a week. On the other hand, ISC is a self-study language club with one Korean student leading one team. For ISC, each team is composed of two Korean students and two international exchange students. The Yeungnam Observer reporter also participated in this program.

ISC Department of Business Jang Hye-rin

A Swedish exchange student joined a sports club that my friend and I were members of. I felt really great and proud of myself when I taught her Korean and I talked about the Korean culture. Because of this, I thought that I wanted to have a chance to introduce the Korean culture to other international exchange students. My friend and I made a team name and a plan that we would study for two hours a week. After few days, we were selected for this program and met Wang Yesin and Pan Sini who are Chinese students. First, we studied Korean together for five weeks because our foreign friends must show an improvement in language ability. Then, we were supposed to experience a traditional Korean house (Han-ok) and a home-stay, but we adjusted our plan after talking with each other. We had good memories, such as playing games, going to the market and Modern distance. The most excited one is that we played a game that I invented to test about their knowledge of Korean and proverbs. Our foreign friends were very interested but I was worried because they had difficulty in learning Korean. However, they soon followed and I was pleased that they used the words in real life.

At first time, we were unable to communicate with each other, so we had a little trouble, but we knew that the language barrier was not important between friends. When we had the completion ceremony, I was very sad to see them go because I became fond of them while spending time together. Though it was a short period of time, I was very happy to talk a lot and share our cultures with each other. I hope that they will remember Korea and want to revisit Korea even if they return to their own country.

If other students want to join this program, I recommend various activities because YU give out 10,0000 won for education at the end of the program. To make specific plans is good for foreign students because we must teach Korean to them. Also, they should participate sincerely as they must write a report once a week.