Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to our group’s presentation.

First of all, we have to note that the fact that many schools and universities in Vietnam have established
brotherhood with ones from all over the world is nothing new. Almost annually, there are visits from
these foreign schools when culture exchange programs are held with the aim of creating the chances for
the students to mingle, promoting mutual understanding and strengthening the bonds. In our specific
given situation, a group of Korean tourists from an allied university come to visit us and we are in charge
of deciding the main performance. So, how many people here are in favor of choosing and performing
a pure Vietnamese song, please raise your hand?

(nếu là đa số thì rất đáng mừng =)))

1. Globalization perspective:
a. First scenario: đa số
I see the most of you want a Vietnamese song as the main performance.

To briefly define what the main performance is, it can be said to be the pillar performance and must by all
means demonstrate the main, the highest purpose of the whole culture exchange program.

So, the question is WHAT IS THE MAIN PURPOSE OF A CULTURE EXCHANGE PROGRAM?
When you think that our main performance should be a purely Vietnamese one, you are mostly
inclined to think it is a chance for us Vietnamese to introduce our culture to foreign friends, to
impress Korean people with our beautiful songs and dances, right?

Our group would like to put forth our own modest conviction, YES, that’s what most of you tend to
think. While this program undoubtedly serve as great opportunities for Vietnamese culture to spread
further, which may just be one of the side purposes, the main, the highest purpose remains
“EXCHANGING CULTURES”. The act of conducting this program must be held in utmost obligation
of giving each country a better, deeper insight into each other. This is the mutual playground for both
sides in which the receiver and the guest hold equal rights. This is not a stage set exclusively for one
party.

Therefore, the main performance must project the characteristics of a real culture exchange. We deem
the best choice of all is a performance that contains the quintessence of both countries, Korea and
Vietnam alike. The performance in which us Vietnamese are the artists and Korean pieces are the art is
just exactly THAT (what we need). This is the epitome of the cultures fused together in a manner that
must be made respectable in everyone’s power and conscience. It is the act of connecting cultures to
recreate something refreshing. It signifies the coming together of cultures and reflects the flat world
concept by Thomas Friedman where globalization reigns and all cultures are equally respected with
equal opportunities.

The young students of Vietnam will live true to this spirit by taking advantage of the conditions that make
flat world possible to learn and recreate. As true global citizens, the organizers must look at this matter
from a global perspective, not from a national one. Global perspective plays the role of utmost
importance in the universal attempt of various cultures to interconnect.
We shouldn’t worry that our Vietnamese culture doesn’t have the chance to shine. Because this is
exclusively the main performance we are talking about. There are many other performances that will be
purely Vietnamese or Korean so the chance to promote our country’s culture is NOT taken away from us.
You may ask that, if both pure Vietnamese and Korean music will be played, then the program already
satisfies the purpose of exchanging culture. Our answer is, this is also exchange, but the exchange on the
surface, because though more appealing and realistic, it is easily accomplished just by sitting at home
browsing the internet. A real culture exchange must be where each country pour their heart and mind
into actively gaining an understanding and expressing of the other’s culture in the age of globalization.

b. Second scenario: thiểu số

Thank you. Our group holds the same opinion with those who don’t raise their hands.

We think that, the main purpose of a culture exchange is … giving each country a better, deeper
insight into each other (cần bổ sung)… Therefore, it is best to have main performance that can
project the quintessence of both Vietnamese and Korean cultures. (diễn giải dựa trên đoạn in
nghiêng phía trên

2. From Psychological perspective:

Moreover, psychologically speaking, the majority of people feel pleased to have their cultures appreciated
by others. Please all look at the screen to watch an extract of a program on KBS, a Korean popular
channel. It shows how enthusiastic Korean people are watching foreigners performing their country’s
songs and dances. This signifies a very bright prospect that Koreans just might be crazy about
Vietnamese artists performing their music. It is great pleasure to see people try to study, understand and
then express what they learn about one’s culture.

Additionally, people are inclined to love things that bring the sense of familiarity, something that feels
like home, especially when they are going to another country. So, on coming to a different land, in this
case Vietnam, Korean people must feel warm to be greeted, to be shown with things from their own
country, especially when the ones doing the showing is Vietnamese people. This is a gesture of
friendliness and hospitability which exude a cozy and familiar, therefore comforting atmosphere for the
Koreans.

This all help contribute positively to the image forming process of the Koreans about the Vietnamese.
Vietnamese students will appear to the Korean as thoughtful and eager to learn. The evidence is that
Vietnamese students care about the Koreans’ feelings and try the best to create the most comfortable
atmosphere to make their exchange experience most pleasant. Besides, with a successful performance of
Korean music by Vietnamese students, this shows that Vietnamese people are very studious and laborious
in the attempt to learn about Korean culture. Image the depth of the effort poured into the performance. In
order to avoid any errors, minor or major, Vietnamese students must strain themselves with the learning
and practicing under close inspection of real Korean teachers in order to make the performance
successful. This must surpass the effort put into a pure Vietnamese main performance and signifies that
Vietnamese people truly put their heart and mind, body and soul into the performance. The Koreans, if
perceptive enough to realize this, will hold us in high regards.

3. Conclusion

A great performance does not have to go first nor last like vedette, but it has to be a concise performance
and has to carry the purpose of the meeting. What our team would like to create in this short meeting is to
spread the global citizen spirit: “Be the change you wish to see in the world –Gandhi”

Do we want to live in a world where no barriers exist?

It has to be us who will stand up and remove those barriers in order to get to know, to explore this world
further.