Conferencing for Self-Improvement

When English language teachers think of professional development, what usually comes to mind is reading a book on English language teaching (ELT) or taking a course. Actually, there are many and varied self-improvement methods available to the English language teacher, but here I will concentrate on just one — a major event that took place in Korea in October. This annual fall event is the KOTESOL International Conference (KIC), by far the largest event of its kind in Korea. Just ask the over 1,000 teachers who attended. There are more than a dozen ELT associations in Korea with annual conferences, but none of them comes near to KOTESOL in participation of conference-goers and exhibitors. Here I will point out some of the conference offerings that I think I have facilitated my growth in ELT over the past two decades.

The People and Networking

I cannot think of any other event in Korea where so many ELT people congregate in one place. They are varied and dynamic. Many are native English speakers and many are from outside of Korea, and they are set in many different ELT contexts. Teachers of young learners, teenagers, university students and business people, as well as private institute teachers, teacher trainers and school administrators — all have experiences to share, a desire to learn and a sense of adventure. Aside from the presentations offered, simply being a part of this event and interacting with attendees would make the conference worthwhile. The conference is a prime time for networking. The “KOTESOL Cafe” set up at the conference was abuzz throughout the two days of the event, as was the “Members’ Networking Social” at the close of the first day. There was buzz about what people heard in the presentations: new classroom techniques, interesting research results, teaching philosophy and theoretical insights.

The Conference Sessions

This year’s KIC was held October 3-5. During the two days of the main conference, there were over 150 concurrent presentations given. Unlike other ELT conferences in Korea, in which other conferences limit themselves almost entirely to research-based presentations, KIC caters to sessions presenting practical classroom techniques. Over 300 presentation proposals were submitted to this year’s KIC, from which about 150 were selected. Most other Korean conferences, on the other hand, must select almost all of their submitted proposals in order to form a program of 30-50 presentations. As the KIC is an international conference, close to half of the proposals regularly come from outside of Korea.

Attendees can pick up a new technique or activity that they can use back home in their class on Monday morning. You can walk past some very quiet sessions presenting research findings, but further down the hall the noise level in the session room may be high, as the attendees try out a new technique or participate in a class activity. There is something for everyone and more than enough for anybody. Everyone leaves with their bag of classroom resources, much fuller than when they came and their store of ELT knowledge much richer.

The Names

In addition to an international slate of session presenters, the KIC invites big-name speakers to participate in the conference. These renowned authorities on ELT and applied linguistics come from many corners of the globe to give plenary and featured presentations. Some of these include Scott Thornbury, David Nunan, Keith Folse, Paul Nation, Thomas Farrell, Jack Richards, Stephen Krashen, Rod Ellis and Michael Long. This year’s event included a series of pre-conference workshops in which a dozen of our plenary and featured speakers participated, giving the attendees in these smaller sessions a greater chance to interact with “the names.”

The Exhibitors

KIC also offers a materials exhibition for the attendees. Dozens of exhibit booths line the corridors, offering books and other ELT materials by familiar publishers such as Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, Macmillan Publishers, Cengage Learning, Collins Learning, Helbling Language, and YBM Sisa. Materials include teacher’s handbooks, student coursebooks, graded readers and much more. These products are offered at discounted prices to attendees.

The Bonuses

Participants often transform from conference-goer to conference presenter, honing presentation skills that carry over into better teaching skills. Some present at conferences outside of Korea. KIC does not put itself on: it requires the skills and dedication of a large group of KOTESOL volunteer members. These conference organizers meet throughout the year to plan the annual KIC and, in the process, learn more about their professional field, develop bonds with their fellow conference planners and end up putting together an exceptional conference. If you haven’t yet been a part of a KOTESOL International Conference, or one of its national or regional conferences, you would do well to consider doing so for your self-improvement as an English teacher.

Gwangju-Jeonnam KOTESOL

Monthly Chapter Meeting

Date & Time: November 8 (Saturday), 1:45 pm

Place: Chosun University, Main Building, Left Wing, Rm 4211

1. Presentation: The “I Am Happy” Project: Working with Young Learners

Billie Kang (Master Teacher, Taebong Elementary School)

2. Presentation: Ten Poetry Activities for the EFL Classroom

Dr. Yeong-Seon Park (Chonnam National University)

Morning (11:00) Reflective Practice Session

Admission: No Charge

For more details:

Facebook: Gwangju-Jeonnam KOTESOL

Website:   http://koreatesol.org/gwangju

Email:       gwangju@koreatesol.org

Twitter:     @GwangjuKOTESOL