The International English Writing Competition (IEWC) is a global essay-writing contest meant to encourage a deeper interest in the English language and to push students toward achieving better writing skills. It is hosted and run by Yonsei University and JoongAng Ilbo (Korea Daily), and students in elementary, middle, and high schools is encouraged to compete. As a competitor in last year’s competition, I recommend that anyone who has picked up a pen before come out and participate in the 8th IEWC.
To be honest, last year I walked into the competition room not expecting much. I expected a small competition known to few. However, on the day of the competition, I walked into a classroom full of students who were ready to conquer the essay prompt. We had 80 minutes to plan and write the essay. The prompt, I remember, was pretty challenging. It actually required me to reread the passage, think about it for a while, and bring back information I had learned in my previous years in school. It was not something one could just make up on the spot; it prompted me to deeply reflect on past events that were related to the essay topic. Writing the essay, I admit, was a bit difficult. However, I felt that it was beneficial in that it allowed me to challenge myself and test my writing abilities. For these reasons I would definitely recommend this competition to everyone. It is certainly a good chance to challenge yourself as well as show off your writing skills.
Registration for the competition ends on Thursday, May 10, and the competition will be held on Sunday, May 20. I suggest that you polish up your essay-writing skills before the competition. Good luck to everyone who decides to take this opportunity!
