CRI听力:Asian Games Volunteer Can Speak Fluent Chinese

Malaysian journalist is seen at the Media Village of the 17th Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, Sept. 16, 2014. The Media Village is located in Guwol-dong, Incheon, 10 kilometers away from the Main Press Cente. It consists of 15 apartment buildings, providing a total of 2,900 rooms. The 17th Asian Games will be held from Sept. 19 to Oct. 4. [Photo: Xinhua/Lin Yiguang]

Volunteers have long been an indispensable part of sports extravaganzas and the forthcoming Incheon Asian games are no exception.

Working in the main press center, 20-year old Kim Hwari is one of the volunteers who work as a translator, particularly for Chinese journalists. There are many local volunteers like her who can speak fluent Chinese.

CRI's Xu Fei is now in Incheon's main press center, and introduces us to this enthusiastic volunteer Chinese translator. 

Kim Hwari was born in a family with a trans-cultural background. Because her mom is a Chinese who married her ethnic Korean father, Kim Hwari has a beautiful Chinese name: Jin Huali.

Kim Hwari is a freshman majored in Chinese. Her college is located in Seoul, and it would usually take her more than two hours each day traveling from her college to the main press center, where she works the afternoon shift. However she doesn't feel a bit tired with her work.

"It's interesting. My parents support my decision. Their only concern is that I would be very tired. But I told them I'm only 20 and should continue to work hard."

Incheon planned to recruit 18,500 volunteers with ages of at least 16 years old as of June 1, this year. Except main and sub press centers, these volunteers need to work on the side of competition venues, non-competition venues and training venues to ensure the success of the event.

Priority has been given to those who have experience in international events and fluent language skills.
According to Kim Hwari, a striking feature for the Incheon Asian Games volunteers is that a good portion who applied to become volunteers can speak fluent Chinese.

"As far as I was informed there are many who volunteered to be Chinese translators. I remember when I joined the interview before being granted eligibility, the ratio of volunteer Chinese translators and the volunteers who can speak Japanese were three to one."

Kim Hwari explains there had been a fierce competition of volunteers who could speak Chinese due to the fact that the number of South Korean people who can speak Chinese has grown exponentially over the past decade.

"There's a rising trend for kids of South Korea to receive education in China from their elementary to high school period. And when they return to their home country for college entrance, they have mastered good Chinese language skills. With this advantage, they enjoy a good chance of being selected as volunteers for every big occasion."

In addition to obtaining good language skills in China, today, many High School and university students in South Korea study Mandarin Chinese as a foreign language after English.

Dressed in her light green Korean-style uniform, Kim Hwari told us with a sweet smile about her ambition to work in a local high school as a Chinese teacher.

"My goal is to become a Chinese teacher in a local high school. In South Korea, there's a secondary foreign language class in almost every high school. Our first foreign language is English, and the secondary foreign language lessons include Chinese, Japanese, French and German. I want to be a Chinese teacher in the future."

When she said this, her eyes are filled with light of aspiration.

For CRI, I'm Xu Fei in Incheon, South Korea.