International English Teaching Conference Comes to Gwangju

It’s not often that a truly international conference comes to Gwangju. This year, however, Korea TESOL has teamed up with ESBB and the Gwangju-Jeonnam Chapter of KOTESOL to organize an … Read More

How Languages Are (and Aren’t) Learned

By David Shaffer Language learning methods are not always as effective as they might at first seem to be. Here we will take a somewhat deeper (though admittedly brief) look … Read More

Misbeliefs About Second Language Learning Methods 

By David Shaffer  Beliefs are formed in large part by the experiences that we have. And misconceived beliefs are often construed by not having had the opportunity of experiencing a … Read More

Myth-conceptions About Children Learning a Second Language 

By David Shaffer  Myths die hard. Myths in general are misconceptions held by a culture or society, large or small, and persist in almost any area of endeavor that one … Read More

Fostering Global Education Through the Korea-Malaysia Teacher Exchange Programme (KOMTEP): Building Bridges Between Malaysia and South Korea 

By Rusydi bin Ruslan  The Korea-Malaysia Teacher Exchange Programme (KOMTEP), launched in 2014, serves as a beacon of educational collaboration between Malaysia and South Korea. The Ministry of Education Korea … Read More

Montessori Math: Guiding Early Childhood Learners from Concrete to Abstract Mathematical Thinking 

By Kim Yul  Every child in the world is born with mathematical instincts. They can count, recognize, and compare all sorts of numbers and amounts. Children instinctively begin to count … Read More

Often Overlooked Traits That a Good Language Teacher Make 

By David Shaffer  Every teacher wants to be outstanding in their profession, but does everyone want to put in the required effort? In our earlier installments on the topic of … Read More

The Connection Between “Cosmic Education” and the Imagination 

If you have observed a Montessori classroom before, you will know that students are working a lot with the scientific subject. Science is the most valuable and practical subject to enhance students’ imagination, and they enjoy it very well. Children take a deep interest in dinosaurs and space very naturally, and during that moment, their imaginations develop explosively. Dr. Maria Montessori recognized that all of science and history tell portions of the same story: the continuing creation of the universe. This “Cosmic Education” tells that story. In a uniquely Montessorian way, the experience offers children a context for, and reveals connections between, such subjects as astronomy, chemistry, geography, history, and biology, to name a few. “Learning” the academic subject matter, however, is secondary to a loftier educational goal.