International Youth Fellowship invites students to the 22nd English speech contest

The 22nd IYF English Speaking Contest will be held on Nov. 12, with applications open until later this month.

The event is hosted by the International Youth Fellowship and sponsored by the Ministry of Education, Seoul Metropolitan City and the National Council of Youth Organizations in Korea.

Middle and high school student applicants must submit their scripts by Oct. 15, and university student applicants by Oct. 22.

Common themes for all participants are: "My dream," "Moving moments," "The person I respect" and "Exchange, self-control, and thinking skills." Participants from middle and high schools will receive two other topics: “Talent to lead the Fourth Industrial Revolution" and "Global issues of the 21st Century and my role." University student participants will be given two other topics: “Recognition of global environmental problems in the 21st century and suggestion of solutions” and "Role of humans in a future where we coexist with robots.”

Middle and high school student applicants must submit a three-minute script, and four-minute length scripts are required for university students.

Scripts will be accepted through the IYF website. Applicants who are selected for the regional finals will be announced through the website and notified via text message. Middle and high school students will be announced and notified on Sept. 22 and university students on Sept. 29.

The regional finals will be held in each region on Oct. 29 for middle and high school-aged participants and on Nov. 5 for university student participants. Top winners will compete on Nov. 12 at the Seoul Human Resource Development Center in Seocho-gu, Seoul.

Winners of the final round will receive scholarships worth 9.3 million won ($6,627) in total, including 1 million won as the grand prize, 700,000 won as the first place prize, and 500,000 won as the second place prize.

"The IYF English Speaking Contest, which was held online for last two years due to COVID-19, will be finally held as a face-to-face event again. Release your burdens and overcome limitations through the IYF English Speech Contest, the largest and most prestigious speech contest in Korea," said an official from the International Youth Fellowship.