Teacher, Trainer, Researcher: Interview with Ian Moodie

Interview with Ian Moodie

Interview by David Shaffer

You might not see him out and about so much. When he’s not in class teaching pre-service teachers or attending a TESOL conference, he is likely hidden away in his office doing research on one of his projects or out on the sea with his kayak and fishing rods. The Gwangju News was lucky enough to meet up with Dr. Ian Moodie recently, and he was happy to provide us with the following interview.

Gwangju News (GN): Thank you for making yourself available for this interview, Dr. Moodie. It is very much appreciated. Would you start off by telling our readership about yourself before you came to Korea?

Dr. Moodie: Sure. Good question. I have lived in Korea on and off since 2002, so I haven’t thought about this in a while. After graduating university, I worked in an office for a year, but hated that, so I quit to find out more about the world and to figure out what interested me. I traveled a bit. I taught skiing at Whistler (a big resort in Canada), and I remember I was reading a lot and trying creative stuff, like photography and writing, but none of that stuck.

GN: And after all that, what made you decide on coming to Korea?

Dr. Moodie: Well, I had always been interested in language and linguistics. I also liked traveling. Some friends of mine from university were teaching English here and suggested that I come and give it a try. I did, and I liked it. After that first experience, my academic interests began to change, and I started reading more about applied linguistics. I went back to graduate school two times. The last time, after getting a PhD in 2015, my wife and I decided to move back to Korea, and I looked for a permanent position, which I was fortunate to find in 2017 at Mokpo National University in Muan.

GN: You are now a tenured professor there. Could you tell us what you do there – what courses do you teach, what extracurricular activities might you be involved in, etc.?

Dr. Moodie: Sure. As a professor, my duties involve three aspects: teaching, research, and service. I am in the Department of English Education, where I teach linguistics and English education courses to pre-service English teachers. As for extracurricular activities, I lead some study groups, I do academic and career counseling for our students, and I am involved in a few committees as well.

GN: What do you enjoy most about your work? And conversely, what do you enjoy doing most unrelated to your work situation?

Dr. Moodie: I would say it is the research! Although I didn’t start until my mid-thirties, I feel very lucky that I found something that I love to do so much. I feel very fortunate that Mokpo National University is very supportive of the research that I do, as are my colleagues.

As for non-work-related activities, that is easy: fishing. I am crazy about fishing – any kind of fishing. I was surprised how good the fishing was in Jeollanam-do when I moved here. I now have four fishing kayaks, and dozens of rods and reels, and I go out whenever I can. This fall, the jjukkumi (webfoot octopus) fishing was decent around here, and I caught well over a hundred to share with my in-laws.

GN: I know that you are heavily involved in research. I saw that you were just awarded the Grand Prize at the 2nd Annual Mokpo National University Academic Awards. Can you tell us about that? What was the award for? What is your research about?

Dr. Moodie: Oh, yes, that was an honor. That was awarded for having the highest research output and quality over the last three years at our university. Much of my research over the last few years has investigated professionalism, career trajectories, and occupational wellbeing among expatriate English teachers in Asia.

GN: Often when we set up a research project, we have an idea of what we think the project results will turn out to be. What has been the most unexpected result in your research? And also, what has been the most exciting result?

Dr. Moodie: The most unexpected result was finding out that female expat teachers had much lower occupational wellbeing than males. However, that finding is not replicating in a current study (being done with Valencia Epps), so it may just be a fluke. As for the most exciting result, it’s always the next one! I love the anticipation of having new data come in.

GN: You have been a member of Korea TESOL for quite some time, and a lifetime member for quite some time also. How might KOTESOL have contributed to your personal professional development?

Dr. Moodie: Well, when I was first starting out, I learned a lot about pedagogy at the TESOL conferences. Also, I remember that before I was applying for PhD programs, Patricia Duff (from the University of British Columbia) did a really informative presentation about narrative research in TESOL. That presentation helped me conceptualize a research framework for my PhD applications, which turned out quite well!

GN: We often talk about “ah-ha moments” in the teaching profession. Would you share with us some of the most memorable ones that you have had in the classroom?

Dr. Moodie: Oh, yeah. The biggest one was in 2008 or so, during my first semester at Daegu Haany University. Their committee chose the Firsthand English series from Pearson, a series led by Marc Helgesen. I felt that suddenly my self-efficacy in teaching improved a lot. Somehow the book was perfect for my classes. Well, it turned out that Marc had actually tested it at our university! That experience taught me about the importance of well-designed, theoretically informed materials that are at the right level for students.

GN: Any interesting teaching-related anecdotes share to with us?

Dr. Moodie: I wish I had some. I’m actually a pretty conservative teacher. I’m a technician, mostly. I like to have a solid plan, and then I stick to it.

GN: What changes would you most like to see in the Korean education system, particularly in relation to English education?

Dr. Moodie: Oh, boy, what a question! Well, I think everyone realizes that negative washback from the college entrance exam is the single biggest impediment to good language pedagogy in schools; however, changing that is a tricky task politically. I think the single biggest feasible change would be adding a full-year to public school teacher education. The practicum is just way too short in Korea to make much of a difference. Pre-service teachers often only teach seven or eight classes – classes, not days or weeks – during their practicum period, which is woefully inadequate. It would be much better if novice teachers would have a full-year (or at least a full-semester) of mentorship before they are asked to teach on their own.

GN: What is it about Korea that keeps you here?

Dr. Moodie: Two things. First, having tenure is a huge privilege, so I don’t think I would ever leave now that I have that. The second thing is family: my wife is a local public school teacher, and she has no interest in moving abroad either.

GN: What plans have you set for yourself in 2025, and beyond?

Dr. Moodie: In 2025, I have a few research projects that are ongoing, including starting a book with my research partner, Vincent Greenier. Likely, that will take us much beyond 2025! Additionally, I’m mentoring a Fulbright research scholar from the U.S., Valencia Epps, who is working on research related to wellbeing and collaborative teaching practices among expat English teachers in Korea.

GN: Research projects, a book project, then there’s undergraduate and graduate teaching, and we can’t forget the fishing. You sure do keep busy! I want to thank you for this interview; it was a pleasure.

Photographs by Ian Moodie.