The English Race — Meet the Contestants
Interview · 2 of 4
Meet Minho Kang
Who is he?
Minho Kang
Seoul, South Korea · Age 22 · Business student
Minho is one of four contestants competing in The English Race, a language competition that takes teams across Britain and Europe. He grew up in Seoul as the only child of two high-achieving parents, and for a long time his life followed a clear plan. Then he became a competitive swimmer — and then, at eighteen, an injury ended that career before it had properly begun. In this interview, he talks about preparation, precision, and the things he did not expect to find in Britain.
1
Pre-Reading: New Vocabulary
Study these words before you listen to the interview.
| Word / Phrase | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| methodical | doing things carefully, in a fixed and logical order, without rushing or skipping steps | She was methodical in her preparation — she checked every detail before the presentation began. |
| anticipate | to think about something that will happen and prepare for it in advance | A good chess player tries to anticipate the opponent’s next three moves. |
| discipline | the ability to control your behaviour and make yourself do difficult or unpleasant things when necessary | It takes real discipline to train every morning before school. |
| precise | exact and accurate, with no unnecessary detail and no errors | The instructions were precise — one wrong measurement and the whole experiment would fail. |
| composed | calm and in control of your feelings, especially in a difficult or stressful situation | Despite the chaos around her, she remained composed and kept working. |
| threshold | the point at which something begins or changes; the level you must reach before something happens | He was right at the threshold of exhaustion — one more kilometre and he would have stopped. |
Connect each sentence to the vocabulary word it best describes.
Tap a sentence on the left to select it, then tap the correct word on the right.
Sentence
Word
“She always follows the same steps, in the same order. Nothing is left to chance.”
precise
“He knew the other team would press high, so he changed the plan before kick-off.”
threshold
“Five-thirty every morning, without fail, for three years. He never missed a session.”
methodical
“Every measurement was exact. He used the same word twice to be sure.”
discipline
“Everyone else was panicking. She just looked at the problem and started solving it.”
anticipate
“He had nearly reached the point where he would have to stop. But he didn’t.”
composed
Listen to Minho’s Interview
2
Read and Listen: The Interview
Fill in the gaps as you listen. Use the word bank to help you.
Gap-fill: Six words from the vocabulary list appear as gaps in the interview. Choose the correct word for each gap.
methodical
anticipate
discipline
precise
composed
threshold
Interviewer
Minho, thank you for being here. Can you start by telling us a little about where you come from?
Minho
Of course. I grew up in Seoul. My father is a surgeon and my mother is a civil engineer. I am their only child. I think — if I am honest — my path was decided quite early. Study hard. Enter a good university. Find a stable career. I accepted this without question for a long time.
Interviewer
That sounds quite a lot of pressure for a child.
Minho
(a pause) I did not experience it as pressure at the time. I was
by nature. I liked order. I liked knowing what came next. The plan felt like structure, not like a cage. I think I only understood the difference later.
Interviewer
What changed that understanding?
Minho
Swimming. I started competitive swimming at fifteen. For the first time, something felt genuinely mine — not because my parents had decided it, but because I chose it. I trained very hard. I learned what real
feels like — the kind where you continue when you no longer want to, because stopping would cost you something important.
Interviewer
I understand you had to stop swimming. Can you talk about that?
Minho
(a short pause) A shoulder injury. At eighteen. It ended my competitive career before it had really begun. I — I have not fully processed what that meant. I know that sounds strange to say out loud. But it is true. I reached a
— and then I was on the other side of it, and the thing I had built my identity around was gone.
📖 Language Note: “I have not fully processed”
Minho says “I have not fully processed what that meant.” This is the present perfect tense — he uses have not + past participle (processed). He chooses this tense because the situation is still connected to now: the injury happened in the past, but its effect on him is ongoing. Compare: “I didn’t process it” (simple past — finished) vs “I haven’t processed it” (present perfect — still unresolved). Listen for this tense when people talk about unfinished emotional situations.
Interviewer
And now you are here — studying business, competing in a language race. How does it connect?
Minho
I am not sure it does connect — not in a straight line. When I heard about the race, I noticed something in myself. A kind of recognition. Strategy. Preparation. The ability to
what a challenge will require before it arrives. These things felt familiar. I entered without telling my parents until my application was accepted.
Interviewer
How do you approach the challenges in the race? What is your method?
Minho
I try to be
about what the task is actually asking. I have noticed that people — including me, in the early stages — often answer the question they wished they had been asked rather than the one in front of them. I try to read very carefully. I make notes. I identify the exact requirement before I begin.
Interviewer
Has that always been enough?
Minho
(a quiet pause — this is a genuine admission) No. There was a moment in Edinburgh. I had more information than my partner. More facts. I was thorough — perhaps too thorough. She told a story. I described the facts of a door. (a very slight pause) She scored higher. I was — I remained
on the outside. But I thought about it for a long time afterwards.
Interviewer
It sounds as though your partner has taught you something.
Minho
(a pause — he considers this carefully) I would say — I have observed something in her that I did not expect. I prepared for everything. Except for the things I did not prepare for. She is one of those things. (a beat) That is not a complaint.
Interviewer
Thank you, Minho.
Minho
Thank you.
3
Comprehension Check
Tap the best answer for each question. Feedback appears immediately.
Why did Minho accept his parents’ plan for his life without question?
Why was swimming so important to Minho?
What does Minho say about his shoulder injury?
What lesson did the Edinburgh challenge teach Minho?
What does Minho mean when he says his partner is “one of the things he did not prepare for”?
4
Think and Discuss
There are no right or wrong answers. Talk with a partner, or write in your journal.
- Minho says that for a long time, his parents’ plan “felt like structure, not like a cage.” Have you ever followed a plan — for school, work, or your future — that felt right at first but later felt limiting? What changed?
- Minho admits that in Edinburgh, he “described the facts of a door” while his partner told a story — and she scored higher. Do you think it is more important to have all the facts, or to communicate well? Can you think of a time when one mattered more than the other?
- Minho says he “has not fully processed” losing swimming. Is there something in your own life that you have not fully processed? You do not need to share it — but think about why some experiences take longer than others to understand.
Next in the series : Ádám Tóth