From UBC
If you are interested in applying for the Toronto Korean Speech Contest and would like to receive editing feedback on your script, please contact Eurie Shin (eurie.shin@ubc.ca) by February 19.
Additionally, prizes include a round-trip flight to Korea and a summer language program scholarship!
Students selected to represent UBC may also receive approximately $300 in travel support.
2025 Toronto Korean Speech Contest and K-pop contest
The 19th Annual Toronto Korean Speech Contest will be held on Saturday, March 15, 2025 at the University of Toronto. Participants should submit their application along with the speech by Saturday Feb. 22. A message about the qualification will be sent to each participant. Qualified participants should attend the main round meeting held at 11am on Saturday March 15 (EDT).
TIME & LOCATION
11:00AM-5:00PM Saturday March 15, 2025 (Eastern Time)
@Innis Town Hall, University of Toronto (2 Sussex Ave., Toronto, ON M5S 1J5)
SCHEDULE
11:00 am – 12:00 pm: Registration
12:00 pm – 12:20 pm: Opening Ceremony
12:20 pm – 1:00 pm: High School & Novice Category
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Beginner Category
2:00 pm – 2:20 pm: Break and Snack
2:20 pm – 3:15 pm: Intermediate Category
3:15 pm – 4:00 pm: Advanced Category
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm: K-Pop Contest
5:00 pm – 5:30 pm: Award Ceremony
DEADLINE FOR ONLINE APPLICATION & SPEECH SUBMISSION:
Saturday, February 22, 2025
Online application here
QUALIFICATIONS:
Applicants must satisfy all of the following criteria:
- 15 years of age or older (for High School & Novice Category) l 18 years of age or older (for Beginner to Advanced Categories)
- Not a native speaker of Korean
- Qualify for one of the 4 contest categories
- Cannot participate if attended a regular school (elementary and/or secondary school) in Korea
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 are not allowed to participate in the same category.
CATEGORIES:
(1) HIGH SCHOOL & NOVICE
- 15 years of age or older
- 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
- Cannot participate if attended a regular school (elementary and/or secondary school) in Korea
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
- 18 years of age or older
- 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
- Cannot participate if attended a regular school (elementary and/or secondary school) in Korea
(3) INTERMEDIATE
- 18 years of age or older
- 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
- Cannot participate if attended a regular school (elementary and/or secondary school) in Korea
(4) ADVANCED
- 18 years of age or older
- Studied the Korean language over 240 hours (No limit on hours of study)
- Not stayed in Korea for more than a total of 12 months after the age of six
- 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
- Cannot participate if attended a regular school (elementary and/or secondary school) in Korea
SPEECH TITLE AND CONTENT:
- Submit speech to the Committee at time of application (Use the online application form)
- No limitation in topic. Choose own title and subject of their speech in Korean
- Write own speech
- Memorize the speech
SPEECH LENGTH LIMIT:
- High School & Novice : 2min. 30sec.
- Beginner: 3min.
- Intermediate: 3min. 30 sec.
- Advanced: 3min. 30sec.
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. A contestant who exceeds the time limit will receive demerit points every 10 seconds and have to stop after 30 seconds.
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.
- All main round participants 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 & souvenir
• One grand prize winner across all category and top 3 winners in each category will be awarded prizes and certificate of award
– Grand Prize: award certificate and a round-trip airline ticket to Korea + scholarship for a summer language program in Korea + a gift (TBA)
– 1st place in each category: award certificate + scholarship for a summer language program in Korea + a gift (TBA)
– 2nd place in each category: award certificate and a gift (TBA)
– 3rd place in each category: award certificate and a gift (TBA)
– Korea Tourism Organization Special Award: award certificate and a gift (TBA)
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TRAVEL SUPPORT:
For speech contest participants from outside the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), ask your teacher about travel support.
K-pop Contest:
- Hosted by: University of Toronto Korean Students’ Association (UTKSA)
- Eligibility: Only students taking Korean courses at high school or university can apply (team members may be invited).
- Performance Categories: Dance or singing
- Selection Process: Final participants will be chosen through a preliminary round organized by UTKSA.
CONTACT:
contact.tksc@gmail.com