Growing up in a Thai-Chinese family dominates life.

To begin, Thai is the primary

language used in the household and my first language. Its impacts are the biggest due to both
family tradition and societal behavior. However, living in with a grandmother in an extended
family gives a very different experience. My ancestors had moved from China to Thailand, so
my grandmother, on the mother's side, is influenced by Chinese culture, which is passed along
through the generations. My mother also uses Chinese in the house, while my father uses Thai
only. Moving into elementary school, I studied English as a second language, and my interest in
languages grew. I found exploring languages and their usage enjoyable, as well as the culture
that I have gained through the lessons. Also, I had a chance to learn Chinese in elementary
school as well. Even though Chinese is being used within the family already, it is a very different
form of Chinese. In the house, my mother used Teochew, while the school taught me Mandarin,
which is being used more widely than any other form of the Chinese language. Since I have
been learning Chinese for a long time, I found it difficult as the chance to use it in Thailand is
limited. Therefore, I always want to successfully use Chinese. At the age of twelve, my life
changed unexpectedly. Korean culture became dominant resulting from the introduction of
KPOP, also known as Korean Pop music, which has influenced me for the last five years. With
all my experiences, I have chosen BALAC as a pathway to my success in language and culture,
as well as communication skills as a whole because it provides a variety of opportunities to
discover and master humanity.
Throughout my life, I have had different experiences with the Korean and Chinese
languages and cultures, such as traveling, watching, and studying. I had two years of
experience in Korean and more than three years in Chinese. I first studied Chinese in Grade 1
as part of the school subject. However, I didn’t have a chance to take Chinese as seriously as
English at the time. Throughout elementary and middle school, I have taken a lot of Chinese
courses. Still, I can’t fluently use them because I moved schools many times, so I never had a
long time of experience focusing on Chinese. In high school, my long-established desire for
Chinese combined with my interest in a Chinese survival show called CHUANG; therefore, I
decided to study Chinese language courses both outside of school and as an elective for
school. I took it seriously as it is a part of my everyday life, similar to English. Other than the
language itself, I have been to China many times for different reasons: for my parent’s business
and for a short experience studying. I have undergone Chinese food, language, and culture my
whole life. Moving to Korean culture, in 2017 I was first introduced to K-POP music, and It has
become an essential part of my life since then. My life is largely influenced by BTS, a Korean
boyband. They are my inspiration, my motivation, and my emotional healer. As a result, I began
studying Korean in 2017 with a passion for trying to understand them. For me, It is always
enjoyable, never tired or bored, studying Korean. Not only K-POP but also Korean culture
altogether. Watching K-dramas is one of my favorite leisure activities. It is a great opportunity to
practice the language and watch Korean culture at the same time. Additionally, I have been to
Korea about five times both with a tour guide and being a tour guide myself. I’m proud that I’m
able to plan and guide my family through the trip, as well as practice my Korean in real life and
explore their food. Being around different environments and cultures awaken my curiosity about
their origin and impact on people.
 Moreover, I consider myself a fast learner, and an explorer. I have been participating in
many school activities both in front of people and as staff behind the scene. Once, I have
appointed to be the MC for an online conference and debate and was selected to be the head of
the group for Rub Nong activities, as well as a treasurer of the house color. I am also in charge
of the social network admin for the school Photo club, which is what I enjoy doing the most
because it allows me to interact with others and socialize with them. I’m sure I will be able to
perform well on any occasion. Even though I have nothing special in particular, I’m the one you
can rely on in any situation.

After graduating from this course, I will be able to use languages effectively and fluently
when working with different people in my career life, in terms of communicating with colleagues
and customers and forming businesses of my own. Also, incorporating knowledge of cultures
into understanding customer preferences and social trends. The lesson that is learned in
BALAC will contribute to my success in life in all aspects and help me pursue my goals.