Category: Teaching & Learning

Language Teaching

AsiaTEFL: “Unity Within Diversity, Diversity Within Unity” 

Gwangju News

Those familiar with English language teaching (ELT) are most likely familiar with the international ELT associations TESOL Intl. Assn., centered in North America, and IATEFL, centered in Europe. These two associations have been with us for nearly a half century, leaving Asia underrepresented. To fill this gap, AsiaTEFL was relatively recently formed. The following interview is with AsiaTEFL President-Elect Park Joo-Kyung, a resident of Gwangju, and focuses on what AsiaTEFL is and what it has to offer the ELT community.

Language Teaching

Leadership and Service: A Life Path for ELT Professionals

Gwangju News

Many people in the Gwangju area know Professor Park Joo-Kyung for her work in the field of English language teaching (ELT) as an instructor, teacher trainer, administrator, ELT association leader, and the list goes on. But what you may not be as aware of is that she is also widely known in ELT circles throughout the nation and, indeed, throughout Asia and beyond for her leadership and service – as attested to by her recent appointment as president-elect of AsiaTEFL. Our KOTESOL interviewer recently caught up with Dr. Park to quiz her more on her leadership and service activities over the years.

Language Teaching

Teaching Content Courses in the Students L2

Gwangju News

When we think of teaching lessons in English in Korea, we immediately think of teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) and, most often, of the instructor being an expat, native speaker of English. However, what has been trending in recent years, especially at the tertiary level, is teaching content courses (e.g., engineering, history, mathematics) in English. To understand better this aspect of teaching, we have sought out Phillip Schrank, a university professor in our Gwangju community, for this interview.

Language Teaching

“Teaching for a Better World”: Advancing the Field of English Education

Gwangju News

If you are a language teacher in the Gwangju area or a member of Korea TESOL (KOTESOL), the nationwide teachers’ association, you have quite likely heard of Lindsay Herron. She has spent well over a decade teaching in Korea and almost as long involved in KOTESOL. Lindsay is presently the president of the Gwangju-Jeonnam Chapter of KOTESOL, a past national president of KOTESOL, and the chair of this spring’s KOTESOL International Conference. Lindsay graciously agreed to the following interview to talk about teaching, the local KOTESOL chapter, the upcoming conference, and a bit about herself.

Education

The English of North Korea: Analyzing Kim Jong-un’s Revised English Textbooks

Gwangju News

Before the revision in North Korea, English or Russian were the only languages taught in cities in 2003, but in 2013, English education was expanded nationwide. In the revised curriculum, foreign language subjects were unified into English, and the Russian language course was abruptly ended. As a result, the number of hours spent by students in English classes has been greatly expanded (Cho et al., 2015).

Language Teaching

The Jeollanamdo Language Program: Still Going Strong

Gwangju News

“We are currently at just over 300 teachers. This number is on a slow decline, but this is mostly due to population decline, a prominent issue in Jeollanam-do.”

Education

Flipping the Classroom: Walking in Students’ Shoes

Gwangju News

“This warm welcome reminded me to be mindful of our students’ current circumstances.”

Language Teaching

The Guest English Teachers’ Program

Gwangju News

Each team-teaching relationship was more different than similar.