LPGA’s Kim and Recari Sign with LTC to Strengthen Native and Foreign Language Skills
On May 20th, the LPGA announced a new partnership with the Language Training Center (LTC). This partnership exists under the KOLON LPGA Cross-Cultural Development Program and has allowed LTC to assist the LPGA with its language and cultural education efforts.
In doing so, LTC’s President, Martin George, Language Training Project Manager and Teacher, Erica Tomasik, and Hannah Perkey, Sales Executive traveled to Springfield, IL for the LPGA State Farm Classic to meet and discuss various language and cross-cultural trainings available to the elite ladies. Here, several athletes signed up for classes, including Inkyung Kim and Beatriz Reacari. Kim is working to further her verbal and written communication skills in English. Recari, on the other hand, is taking language classes to learn Japanese.
Inkyung Kim’s (pictured below) goals are to improve her interviewing skills and her professional speaking skills. She is also working on her writing skills for emails, letters to ProAm partners, etc. Tomasik and Kim meet 1 to 2 times a week via Skype or in person at various tournament sites. “Kim is already making a lot of improvement and is applying the techniques and skills she learns into her daily life,” reports Tomasik.
Pictured above is Kim with Perkey as the Cross-Cultural Training Agreement is signed.
Posed above is Recari with George shortly after Recari finished her Japanese Language Assessment and signed-up for classes.
As mentioned before, Beatriz Recari (pictured above) is studying Japanese and her goals are to become fluent conversationally as well as gain an understanding of the Japanese writing system. Beatriz has never taken Japanese before, so Tomasik has started with the basics of the language: greetings, basic conversation, commonly-used expressions for golf and for daily life, and writing the Japanese characters. Recari has learned many languages in the past, so “she has what it takes to learn Japanese quickly and authentically,” states Tomasik.
Since the LPGA State Farm Classic, many more of the LPGA’s elite have also signed up for either Language Training or Cross-Cultural Training. Such classes will truly benefit their careers and their lives, both on and off the course.