In May, at the 2023 Middle East & Africa King Sejong Institute Workshop in Sharjah, UAE, the Sejong TalkPawon 25 Contest under the theme of “KSI Communicates with the World” was held. We interviewed Sumaya Nabas, an instructor at KSI Amman, Jordan, who received the Participation Prize at the contest.

Good morning, Ms. Sumaya Nabas. Can you tell us about yourself and how you feel about receiving the Participation Prize in the Sejong TalkPawon 25 Contest?

Hello. I am Instructor and Operating Staff Sumaya Nabas of KSI Amman. It's been almost 3 years since I started working at KSI Amman, and I learned how much Jordanians love the Korean language and culture during that time. Of course it felt good to receive the prize, but I was happy to be able to show students studying Korean language and culture with passion at KSI Amman.

What kind of place is KSI Amman, where you work? Please tell us the main age group of the learners, their characteristics, the reasons and goals for learning, as well as something about which you feel proud of KSI Amman.

Most of the learners at KSI Amman are women in their 20s who love K-pop and dramas. The Jordanian learners are very interested in Korean culture. We also try to provide opportunities for cultural experiences at KSI. With such efforts, the number of learners who are passionate about learning Korean is increasing.

There is no end to the things that I am proud of at KSI Amman. But I will make it short and just say a few things. Most of the learners at this KSI are in their 20s, but there is one elderly French teacher. Even at her old age, she studied Korean hard without giving up and even went to travel in Korea. After the trip, she bragged that she could use the Korean she learned at KSI. Seeing that, I thought that no one is too old to learn.

There are many talented students at KSI Amman. In April, we held the “KSI Amman Mascot” event, and students submitted characters that showed the characteristics of Korea and Jordan. The winning work was a character called “Bokdeongi,” wearing a beautiful hanbok and hijab, showing the harmony of Korean and Jordanian cultures. You can see Bokdeongi on our social media.

How long have you been learning Korean? What motivated you to learn Korean in Jordan, and how did this experience affect you?

I have been learning Korean for more than 7 years. Just like our students, I learned Korean through K-pop and majored in Korean language at the University of Jordan. When I entered the Korean language department at the University of Jordan, I learned the Korean alphabet from Teacher Jo Mun-hwa. Now, we are working together at KSI Amman. Teacher Jo taught us not only the Korean language but also various other values of Korea, such as Korean education, relationships, and social life. What Teacher Cho emphasized most was understanding and respect. Seeing that she teaches not only Korean language and culture but also the wisdom of life to students, I wanted to become a person with good influence like her one day. I will always keep these thoughts in mind and try to become a better Korean instructor.

Was there anything special or interesting while preparing for this contest? Tell us if there were any stories behind making the video for this contest.

Interviews with students were fun. It was rewarding to hear about the experiences that students had at KSI. A student said that it was nice to talk to a Korean student at iftar (the fast-breaking evening meal in Ramadan) at a Ramadan event at KSI Amman. I felt that KSI Amman was truly a place for Korean and Jordanian cultures to mingle.

Lastly, what is the goal you would like to achieve at KSI Nairobi? In addition, please tell us if you have any personal goals as a Korean language learner.

I mentioned that KSI Amman is a place where Korean and Jordanian cultures meet. That is what I would like to work harder on. I want to go to Korea and do deeper research on Korean linguistics and find ways to deliver it better to the learners of the cultures of both countries.