The Korean Language and Cultural Center has provided Korean language classes to government-invited, foreign scholarship students since 2008. It also has operated the Buddy Program. Some KMU students help foreign scholarship students adjust to school life and Korean culture, and both foreign scholarship students and KMU students gain valuable inter-cultural understanding through various cultural experiences. Students who are interested in partnering with a foreign student and are able to communicate in English can apply to the Buddy Program by submitting an application letter and TOEIC score to the Center.
Students who are selected as a buddy receive training and a hand-out about dormitory rules and things to do with foreign scholarship students during the orientation. In addition, buddies greet foreign scholarship students when they arrive at the university or East Daegu Express Bus Terminal. Buddies introduce life on campus and outside the school such as finding buildings and cafeterias on campus, using the library and ATMs, taking the subway, exploring markets, and helping them learn Korean more easily.
After meeting or doing activities with a foreign scholarship student, buddies write reports about the activities and they can earn volunteer service hours. The students’ volunteer work is added to their Compass K profile. It is a good chance to raise self-confidence in English and learn about other cultures.
● Name: Zsófi Sinka ● Age: 23
● Country: Hungary
In my major in Hungry, we all want to get to Korea to study and live here, so we all knew about this scholarship through the Internet, friends, and our professors who advise us to apply for this scholarship.
The Buddy program is beneficial to me because it is much easier to settle down in Korea. I got to know about new things like transportation cards, the language and new cultures. It is also just good to hang out here. During summer vacation, after I arrived here, my buddy and I went to Daiso to buy stuff. She told me what Daiso is and how to take a bus and pay the bus fee. She also showed me how to buy a subway ticket and take the subway.
I like seeing landscapes like rivers and mountains. There are many mountains around Daegu, so it is a good place for me. I am especially happy to be in the dormitory because I can see mountains. We will go to a mountain to ride a cable car soon; I really look forward to going there.
When I study Korean, speaking Korean is really hard. I want to speak fluently, so I talk to many Koreans. Also, I watch Korean movies and dramas like Boys over Flowers with Korean subtitles.
● Name: Karla N. Concepcion● Age: 28
● Country: Dominican Republic
I heard about this scholarship from my sister. She is a university professor, and the Korean Embassy in the Dominican Republic sent e-mail about programs in Korea to all university professors.
After arriving in Korea and meeting many people, what I like most is how they interact with others and express themselves. They always want to know about other cultures and to use what they learn from the other cultures. In addition, I like the way Koreans approach foreigners and want to know about other cultures. During holidays in the Dominican Republic, only parents and their offspring gather together, but in Korea I was surprised to learn that parents, children and many other relatives meet and spend time together.
With my buddy, I learn many things about Korean culture and language. She helps me a lot, and I really appreciate it.
Korean vocabulary is difficult for me. Korean grammar is similar to Spanish grammar, so it is not hard to learn. However, when Koreans are talking, I feel that many sounds they say are almost the same, so it is hard to catch the meaning of what they say. After studying and memorizing many words, it is going to be easier for me.
