Outcome #2: Ability to communicate effectively and appropriately within a cultural context at a basic level or higher in a language other than one's native language.

Beginner Level Korean Speaker

In the summer of 2012, I studied abroad at Hanyang University in Seoul, South Korea. This was my first opportunity to take Korean language and to practice speaking it with native Korean speakers. During the summer of 2013 I decided to study a full year’s worth of Beginning Korean language at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. These Korean language classes have helped me communicate with people in South Korea and with Korean visitors in Hawaii.  

When I first went to South Korea I was only confident in saying two things in Korean. Those words were ‘Hello’ and ‘Thank you’. I am still amazed at how much Korean I was able to learn in just four weeks at Hanyang International Summer School. During my final week I met an elderly woman on the subway who spoke absolutely no English. She had an amazing warm smile that made me think of my own grandparents.  Only using Korean I was able to introduce my friend and myself to her. I was also able to tell her where we went to school, where we were from, how old we were and a few other personal details about ourselves. The cool part was that she seemed to be able to understand me and I could understand most of what she said back to me. After we talked for 5 stops it was time for my friend and I to get off, so we had to tell her good bye.  This was probably the best conversation I’ve ever had with someone I may never see again. Just thinking about that conversation still warms my heart, I will never forget her smile. 

            A different experience I had using Korean language was after I won the title of Miss Aloha Hawaii 2016. The Miss Aloha Hawaii pageant is connected with the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival. At the festival there was a Korean family that owned a Kona Coffee business and they came up to me to take a picture. I could hear them speaking to each other in Korean so I the proceeded to speak to them in Korean. A few phrases I said to them was한국 사람이에요? (are you Korean?), 안녕하세요 (hello), 만나서 반갑숨니다 (nice to meet you), and하와이 어때요? (what do you think of Hawaii?).  I always like to greet Korean visitors all in Korean because I’m sure not too many people in Hawaii speak Korean so it is very unlikely for them to find a Korean speaker. Every time I have the opportunity to speak to Korean visitors in Korean they looked very surprised and shocked. It’s always nice to speak to someone in a different language and actually understand what they are saying.  

Although I can only speak a beginner level of Korean, I am happy that is allows me to connect with Korean speakers on a very basic level. Sometimes a hello and a smile can go a very long way with people. In the future I would like to become more fluent in the Korean language so I can connect with Korean speakers on more than just a basic level.

Here are a few random Korean phrases that I have used:

안녕하세요, 제 이름은 커스티예요. 만나서 반갑숨니다. (Hello, my name is Kirstie. Nice to meet you.)

이거 하나 주세요. (This one please.)

딸기팥빙수 하나 주세요. (Strawberry shave ice/ice cream treat please.)

하와이 어때요? (What do you think of Hawaii?)

제 언니 아주 바쁜 사람이에요. (My sister is a very busy person.)

I enjoyed learning basic Korean language at Hanyang International Summer School 2012 

Winning the title of Miss Aloha Hawaii 2016 has given me the opportunity to use my Korean language a bit more often than usual. With this title I volunteer with the Big Island Visitors Bureau (BIVB) to greet Hawaii Island visitors and promote Hawaii Island. My first BIVB experience as Miss Aloha Hawaii 2016 I was to lei greet a Korean VIP group that flew to the Kona Airport.