Page 20 - ELG1707 Jul Issue 449

FEATURE .

F DELVENTHAL

We’re

not in

Kansas

anymore

Students may have felt like
Dorothy in the land of Oz

US students have been learning to empathise with English language learners
by being flung ‘in at the deep end’ in South Korean secondary schools, Irena
Barker reports

eachers often look for ways to of English language learners here in the mingled in the hallways and in the wider
empathise with their pupils and United States,’ Professor Cho said, ‘so community. This, Professor Cho points out,
understand how their background student teachers can have the experience a was frequently the best learning experience
Tand experiences can affect learning. newcomer has when entering the American for the Americans as it helped them realise
And in English language teaching, when education system. Initially, they had culture how much they could learn from their
pupils can come from far-flung countries and shock as well, and we have observed their students. They also picked up some Korean
cultures, this is all the more important. transformation was more impactful than the phrases.
So one university has come up with traditional experience.’ She said, ‘I think the mindset in education
a novel way of helping undergraduates often is: ‘I’m here to help them.’ We’ve
understand how it feels to be catapulted A novel problematised that deficit model about
into an unfamiliar culture and language – by immigrants and English language learners.
sending them abroad to teach. way of helping We talked a lot during this programme about
Hyesun Cho and Lizette Peter, assistant how student teachers can translate theory
and associate professors of curriculum undergraduates into practice and learn from their students
and teaching at the University of Kansas, understand how it feels as well.’
developed the unique study-abroad The future teachers were also required
opportunity for students to teach English in to be catapulted into to develop and implement their own lesson
secondary schools in the city of Gwangju, plans for their English classes in Korean
Korea. an unfamiliar culture schools. Programme leaders provided them
Two groups of students have already with daily feedback on lesson plans and
completed the programme, and a third group and language helped them to improve their teaching.
departed for Korea in May. This was the Students were encouraged to think
first classroom teaching experience for many about their own identities as teachers and
education majors who will eventually teach Participants stayed in dormitories with consider what it means to be a teacher and
in schools in the US. For some, it was also students at the schools and interacted with a native English speaker. They were also
their first trip outside of the US. them outside of the classroom. They enjoyed urged to reflect on issues surrounding race,
‘We wanted to replicate the experience food with students in school cafeterias, and ethnicity and gender and to write about their
20 July 2017

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