Re:幸峯 權泰國(행봉 권 태국)의 토론영어카페를 개설하며 드리는 말씀(Inaugural Speech)

[hangbong]

Inaugural Speech (Opening Address)

March 3rd, 2009

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.

Welcome to the English Debating Society Club hosted by CICAClub and supported by the community libraries.

Let me just start off by introducing myself.

As some of you already knew, I am Tae Gook Kwon.

I also have an English nickname, TeeGee. So you can call me Mr. Kwon, or just TeeGee.

As for my social career, I'm the owner and director of CICAClub, which stands for "Club for International Communication and Activities." I'm running an enterprise for supporting students in order for them to successfully lead their global activities by means of the global language, that is, English and Mathematics. That's why I've often been told by some Americans that I'm sort of a pioneer and cultivator with a spirit of enterprise especially in the field of education.

Ladies and gentlemen, with the governmental support, now CICAClub is proud to announce a series of free services with our featured lectures of English Debating Basics for building up English speaking skills of our community people in Gang Seo area which is scheduled to be provided on every Tuesday Evening from 7-9, from now on continuously to the end of June, this year.

Now, I'm very happy to say that I am in charge of this lecture as an English instructor and programming director for the production of Global Forum in order to help you with your successful debating performance in English with the features of pros and cons in competition. What is a special feature with the lectures is  a native speaker, Mr. Luke Viano, to be with us, who majored in philosophy and mathematics graduated from Johns Hopkins University.

Today, I'd like to present you some important background knowledge on my lecture course.

I'm going to split my presentation into four main parts.

First, I want to begin with giving you some background philosophy how you came to be benefited by these free services provided by CICA Club and supported by the community libraries. When I was a middle school student, I used to be in the library after school. From time to time, the young librarians helped me join in free services and events like discussion or debating arranged and held in the meeting rooms in the City Library Hall in Daegu Korea. Meanwhile, I had got an idea that I would like to repay for the benefits I were given, so recently I have been thinking that I would volunteer to be of help to the community people in providing with some good English educational services as far as I can do to express my thanks for what my community had done for my early education. One autumn day In 2006, the Service Section Chief of Gang Seo library once asked me to volunteer to give an English Lecture profitable to the community people. So, I have waited for the right moment, and the moment was thought to be in 2008 spring. I presented English debating lectures from March to June. This year, according to the proposal by Gang Seo Library, I again decided to present more fundamental, comprehensive and intensive English debating course for the community people which can extend to the whole Seoul area connecting community libraries through both on-line internet and off-line interpersonal net. So far, I've given you the background information how and why we came to meet together here in the library. So let's enjoy this English social activities with our beautiful mind and heart of gold.

Secondly, I'd like to talk something about the ideas on the features of my lectures that you will be provided in this English debating course. English is now becoming more and more popular not only in enterprise but also in entertainment. Even in such a local community life and social activity as we are involved in, we need to enjoy global cultures like Hollywood films and Internet radio and satellite TV news broadcasting services. Another instance on such global cultures is that it has already become one of the daily happenings for any one of us to meet across and be acquainted on the street with workers and travellers from various foreign countries as well as in our work places. Our local community in modern times is sort of a microcosm of the global village on earth, which means a small society that has all the typical features of much larger international and global activities and so it seems like a smaller version of the global world. Therefore, once we've got a community club as a form of Non-Governmental Organization by an ethnic group of language masters who have a fair to a good command of English in an area characterized in EFL atmosphere, then it means, we can make our life up-to-date and stylish adaptable to the rapid transition in the current global culture on our planet, Earth. I'm sure that's why you present yourselves here today. To have this community globalization project successfully achieved, however, I want you to put a great emphasis on your mastering of exact pronunciation through practicing phonetic phrases like small talks so as for you to acquire a competence of articulate speech which is the key to the door open to the real global world and to breathe in the worldly association of intelligence based on the international language of English.

Accordingly, and thirdly, my lecture is characterized with the following features:

It needs to customize each participant's aim or goal of speaking fluency and competency. The student's job is multifaceted and he or she should be an all-round player in positions and performances. This course is a trial run for the real situations in English debates or panel discussions as a form of Forum. So don't worry, be happy to slip and err. Therefore, we should uphold the mood and spirits so as to keep your up-building attitude towards the other class members. This is a starting point to add to the global culture that we  aim to achieve. So why don't we make believe that we are already in one. Let's build up a stereotype of global community microcosm that I've already mentioned in the beginning. We need to create a pseudo environment enough to enjoy our own grandeur and stylish international life by mounting it on top of the world.

Lastly, I hope you set up your own goal of English proficiency through your intentional and interactive participation, with integrative and strenuous attitude, promptness, dedication, contribution and, above all, devotion. Don't beat around the bush, just jump on the mainstream in this course. Then, some of you will be given the opportunity of enlarging your language activities into the real global world. I wish you a good luck and this could be a stepping stone for CICA tenured membership like Prestige Club and Century Club.

Now, please feel free to talk about any ideas on what are the factors to contribute to our success in making our life global and stylish through this project of English Debating Society Club.

Thank you for your time and attention.

HangBong TeeGee Kwon

[JEFF(윤기복)]

I hope I could write down passages like this in a row... i'd better study hard from now~ ^^

[Sandy(선경)]

your speech produced the great impression on me~!! :)

[Sandy(선경)]

thanks for your dedication :)

[Ken.]

ha ha