Page 21 - ELG1707 Jul Issue 449

FEATURES & COMMENT

experiences.
Professor Cho and Professor Peter detail
the students’ experiences in a chapter they
have written in the Handbook of Research
on Efficacy and Implementation of Study
Abroad Programs for P-12 Teachers. The
programme is different to most study-abroad
experiences, they write, because participants
are experiencing it as teachers, rather than
students.
Professor Cho said that when they
return, the students – who are majoring in
education or Korean or East Asian studies –
see a world of career opportunities opening
up.
‘Many of them were thinking, “I’ll be
working with English language learners
here in the US.” But now some of them are
thinking, “I can teach abroad,” and the non-
education majors are considering teaching as
a career.
‘But it wasn’t just about teaching English but through ‘transformative teaching’, Cho university and want to research the value of
in another country. We also challenged their and Peter write in the Handbook. They say these kinds of projects further.
perceptions about what it means to be a students taking part in the programme are
teacher of English language to learners in the able to experience this by reflecting on and n Does your university department have
global context.’ understanding the social and political effects an innovative approach to training English
Effective English language teaching is not of their craft. language teachers? Tell EL Gazette about it by
something one can master simply through a The academics are now hoping to establish emailing editorial@elgazette.com or tweeting
basis in theoretical and practical knowledge, an exchange programme with a Korean @elgazette.

CASE STUDY

‘These Annette Jardon was one of the first MA in Tesol before actually going
into the field to teach.
students to complete the programme
to teach abroad in its first year of ‘I was placed with six students
conversations operation. She says the experience for the entirety of the practicum,
and we were able to bond a lot. At
was ‘a defining moment’ in her life
and helped her decide she wanted to the beginning, it was a bit awkward
are without teach English abroad. and they were very shy in talking
She is currently in the second year of
to me. By the end of the practicum,
an MA in Tesol. however, they had completely
a doubt the studying East Asian languages and opened up to me and would ask
‘When I went on the trip, I was
me challenging questions like what
cultures with a focus on Japanese and Americans think of North Korea and
most precious Korean language,’ she said. ‘I had what I think the meaning of life is.
‘They would ask me for advice with
always been interested in teaching,
but hadn’t planned on continuing on deeply personal problems, like feeling
memories’ to my MA so soon. overshadowed by siblings or feeling
‘I am so glad I decided to go, as it’s
pressure to change themselves in
really been a defining moment for my certain ways to fit a mold others were
life. Up until then, I had been active trying to push them into.
with helping international students ‘These conversations are without
improve their spoken English through a doubt the most precious memories
conversation groups at the Applied I have from my time there. My
English Centre at my university, but I students gave me the opportunity to
had minimal in-class experience. peek into their world and see
‘The practicum gave me the things from the
opportunity to go into the classroom perspective of
and see what skills I could transfer students. I have
from my informal teaching no doubt this will
experience and what skills I still impact how I teach
needed to develop. It turned out that and how I interact
there were a lot of skills that I needed with my students in
to develop, so I decided to pursue my the future.’

editorial@elgazette.com 21

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