From the Editor
It’s March! What better way to start off a month than with a holiday (March 1st Movement Day, Samil-jeol) and with a new issue of the Gwangju News! And what … Read More
Author: Dr. David Shaffer
David E. Shaffer is Vice-President of the Gwangju-Jeonnam Chapter of Korea TESOL (KOTESOL). On behalf of the Chapter, he invites you to participate in the teacher development workshops at their monthly meetings (always on a Saturday). For many years, Dr. Shaffer has been a professor of English Language at Chosun University, where he has taught graduate and undergraduate courses. He is a long-time member of KOTESOL and a holder of various KOTESOL positions, including First Vice-President and Publications Committee Chair. Dr. Shaffer credits KOTESOL for much of his professional development in English language teaching. He is also editor-in-chief of Gwangju News.
From the Editor
February is here, the shortest month of the year. But even though it contains fewer days, it is still filled with four full weeks, two of the 24 seasonal terms (Ipchun, “The Coming of Spring,” and Usu, “Spring Rain”), and the sweetest of sweet observances (Valentine’s Day).
Special Interest Groups for English Teachers: Interview with Reece Randall
There is a new guy in town, though he is not new to Korea or to Korea TESOL. Taking up a new position at the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) is Reece Randall. He is also the new second vice-president of KOTESOL, and one of his roles in that position is to oversee the organization’s special interest groups (SIGs). In this interview for the Gwangju News, we ask Reece, among other things, to explain what SIGs are and how they work.
Researching North Korea in Gwangju: Interview with Dr. Moe Taylor
“There is a great deal of interest in all matters North Korean among scholars, experts, and policymakers here. That also means some of the top experts on North Korea in the world are based here. There are several archives and libraries here that are extremely useful to my research. More specifically, I came here to Gwangju to take advantage of this great research opportunity with the Asia Culture Center (ACC).”
From the Editor
The gates are opening on a new year as the entrance to January welcomes in 2023. We are met with greetings of “Happy New Year!” Additionally, the lunar new year welcomes us on Seollal (Jan. 22) with 새해 복 많이 받으십시오 (“Wishing you much happiness in the new year”). The felicitations are for happiness, but the stark reality is that there are also challenges awaiting us in the Year of the Rabbit.
Learner Journals and Portfolios for Language Improvement
This article reports on a quite successful, combined journal-portfolio project with 76 university students over a one-semester period. Its purpose was to determine satisfaction with the project, its effectiveness in improving autonomous learning program design, and its effectiveness in improving autonomous study habits.
From the Editor: December 2022
December is upon us – the month whose doors close out the year. And what a year it has been! As 2022 has dug us out from under the tyranny of the Covid virus, we have been able to enjoy more of the in-person events that were once so commonplace.
Gwangju Peeps, KOTESOL Peeps: Where Are They Now?
Expats are a quite transitory group. Many are very active in their adopted community, and then one day they are gone. You lose touch with them, and as the saying goes, “Out of sight, out of mind.” Well, what we have done is contact a number of former Gwangju residents who were also active members of the Gwangju-Jeonnam KOTESOL Chapter and asked them what they are up to now and how their experience here, including their KOTESOL experience, may have helped them in life after Gwangju.