2015 Gwangju-Jeonnam KOTESOL Conference
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Presentation Abstracts & Presenter Biographical Sketches
Download Conference Program Book at bottom of this webpage.
Pre-registration and Venue information is available HERE.
Plenary Session | 1:00-1:30
To Live Like an ELT Professional in Korea
--- Dr. Joo-Kyung Park (Honam University)
PLENARY PRESENTATION
Professional development is an on-going, never-ending right and responsibility for anyone in any field who believes that they are a professional. Literature has defined professional development for ELT professionals in many different ways and suggested numerous different approaches and opportunities. However, what is important to know is what is available and how committed you are to reach out and grab it.
The purpose of this presentation is to inform English teachers, native and non-native, new and old, of the professional development opportunities available to them while they are based in the Gwangju/Jeonnam/Korea area. In particular, by reflecting my own journey as an ELT professional, I will share what I have done for my professional development, what has been the most compelling power to allow me to continue that journey, what concerns and challenges I have had, and how they have been resolved.
As someone who first learned English in Korea in the seventh grade, polished it up in the US as a doctoral student and in Australia as a visiting scholar, I am now using it for my global communication with people from many different parts of the world for diverse personal and professional purposes. I had once dismissed being an English teacher but ended up being an ELT professional who teaches English to students, teachers, and teacher trainers. As a Korean learner of English, speaker of English as an international language, ELT researcher, and practitioner, I still need further development to adequately perform my multi-faceted professional role professionally. Sharing is certainly one good way of doing so and that is what this presentation is all about.
PLENARY SPEAKER
Dr. Joo-Kyung Park is a professor in the Dept. of English Language and Literature at Honam University in Gwangju. She received her MA in Linguistics from Seoul National University and her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction (ESL/EFL/Bilingual/Multicultural Education) from Texas A&M University, USA. Her teaching and research interests include teacher education, speech/pronunciation, critical pedagogy, NEST-NNEST issues, English as an international language, and English immersion. She has numerous publications of books, book chapters, and journal articles. Her recent book chapter appears in The Pedagogy of English as an International Language (2014). She has presented in many parts of the world including USA, UK, Australia, and many Asian countries as an invited speaker. Currently, she is President of The Applied Linguistics Association of Korea (ALAK), Conference Executive Director of Asia TEFL, and radio host of Weekly Review on GFN (Gwangju Foreign Language Network).
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Pre-Conference Workshop | 10:30-12:00
REFLECTIVE PRACTICE SIG WORKSHOP
Seeing Things Differently, Seeing Things Better: Transformational Teaching
--- Jocelyn Wright (Gwangju-Jeonnam Co-facilitator, RP-SIG)
THE PRESENTATION
The theme of this 2015 Conference is “A Journey in Professional Development.” Reflection contributes immensely to our growth, and as Farrell (2015, p. 10) points out, there are different levels of reflection (viz., descriptive, conceptual or comparative, and critical).
Critical reflection, which is of interest here, “involves teachers looking at all the different perspectives of a situation/problem and all of the players involved: teachers, students, the school, and the community” (Farrell, 2015, p. 9). Teachers operating at this highest level are considered transformational intellectuals (Kumaravadivelu, 2003). To arrive at the stage of transformational teaching, teachers must aim for higher goals of practice (e.g., ethical, moral, political, and social).
Reflection on these, therefore, will be the focus of this workshop. We will start with three musical warm-up activities. Then we will do a puzzle that allows us, via an inductive process, to consider the roles of teachers. Next, we will look at a key definition and do a self-reflection activity. Finally, we will look at a practical definition of reflective practice as a means of introduction to the Gwangju-Jeonnam Reflective Practice Special Interest Group (details below).
References
-- Farrell, T. S. C. (2015). Promoting Teacher Reflection in Second language Education: A Framework for TESOL Professionals. New York, NY: Routledge.
-- Kumaravadivelu, B. (2003). Beyond Methods: Macrostrategies for Language Teaching. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
THE PRESENTER
Jocelyn Wright works in the Department of English Language and Literature at Mokpo National University. She has degrees in linguistics and education and is also CELTA certified. She has been teaching English in Korea at the university level for over 6 years, is actively involved in KOTESOL at the chapter level, and coordinates the local Reflective Practice Special Interest Group (RP-SIG). Her many interests include professional development and critical pedagogy.
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Concurrent Sessions | Teaching Techniques
1:45-2:30
Effective Strategies for Classroom Management
By Dr. Wayne Bottiger
Creating classroom management strategies can be daunting for even the most experienced educators. This workshop focuses on some of the more useful ways of developing a better rapport with students, while at the same time maintaining a proper balance between rule setting and productivity. Since the rules for instructor student interaction vary greatly from setting to setting, professionals in the classroom are challenged to come up with better and more viable ways of creating a positive learning atmosphere for everyone involved in the process. This workshop presentation will give participants an opportunity to enquire about how to better meet the needs of learners in the most beneficial ways. This workshop focuses on management styles, leadership techniques for educators, pitfalls that can befall anyone who is unprepared to enter the learning environment, and what to do when things appear to be “getting out of control” in the classroom.
Wayne Bottiger has been a professional educator for more than 30 years. He specializes in several areas of linguistics and second language acquisition. Dr. Bottiger has been in Korea for the past eleven years and currently works as a visiting professor at Kangwon National University. His interests are in research and development of learning tools for second language learners.
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2:40-3:25
Providing Instructions: Say More Using Less
By Tyson Vieira
This presentation is a collaborative workshop focused on giving instructions in the ESL classroom. Have you ever given instructions to an activity and received immediate blank stares? Does your Korean co-teacher translate your exact instructions right after you? You are not alone; in fact, it is one of the most common and overlooked issues in TESOL professional field. In this workshop, we will focus on the importance of tactical instructions, with practice and examples on how to make your instructions more precise and learn tips on how to make them more effective in the classroom. The workshop will have a reflective questionnaire regarding one’s instructions and preparation, a video observation activity of a teacher’s game instructions, and a small group activity focusing on instructional precision and improvement.
Tyson Vieira works in the Jeollanamdo Language Program (JLP) under the Provincial Office of Education. Tyson is an active of the Gwangju-Jeonnam Chapter, serves as the co-facilitator of the local Reflective Practice Special Interest Group and has written articles for JLP’s Bibimbap and for Gwangju News. His MA TESOL obtained from Azusa Pacific University in California.
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3:35-4:20
Don’t Speak Korean; This Is English Class… in Korea
By Robert Western & Michael Alpaugh
A major debate among EFL academics is on the role of the students’ native language in the EFL classroom. This will be a demonstration-style presentation that will discuss the role of Korean, or any L1, in the English classroom. It will demonstrate several instances where it may be useful to use the students L1, and how to use it in an efficient and ethical way. It will also discuss areas in which the L1 can be a danger to a teacher who is not fluent in the language and suggest a few useful tools to overcome this problem. This presentation will be especially useful to those in the public school system or those currently at hagwons; however, most of these tools can be used successfully with undergraduate students at the university level as well.
Michael Alpaugh and Rob Western are both graduate students at the University of Birmingham currently completing their dissertations. Michael Alpaugh’s current research areas include teacher training, and he is researching the gap between academic theory and actual teachers in Korea. Rob Western’s current research interests include curriculum development and implementation for young learners and teacher training. He is currently researching the implementation and development of a new curriculum at a series of hagwons in Korea.
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4:30-5:15
Open-Ended Questions for Originality in EFL Speaking & Writing
By Tina A. Zaman
This presentation will outline how to pose relevant, accessible, and meaningful open-ended questions as topics for the teaching of speaking and basic essay writing in mixed-level university English classes, as well as provide steps to successfully introduce and facilitate speaking and writing workshops to assess and develop students' English speaking and writing ability. Organization, form, and creativity in self-expression support students to confidently discuss their own ideas, aspirations, and lived experiences in spoken and written English. Key points will include the interconnections between students’ learning needs with regard to speech and composition and how to guide students' use of pronunciation, intonation, and native English-speaking accents to prepare themselves for the writing and public speaking demands of the global professional realm.
Tina Zaman is a Visiting Professor in the Department of General Education at Pusan National University in Busan. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in English and Creative Writing, as well as a Bachelor of Arts from Mills College in Oakland, California. Professor Zaman has taught in the fields of critical analysis, technical writing, and cultural studies as well as bilingual K-12 education, foreign language instruction, and California immigration and civil rights law.
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Concurrent Sessions | Digital / Technical
1:45-2:30
Designing Better Classroom Activities Through a Playcentric Approach
By Peadar Callaghan
There is nothing quite so disheartening for a student as boring and unengaging classroom activities. Too often the design of these has been based around “students will be able to” (S.W.B.A.T) statements or specific linguistic goals. When materials are designed in this way, sadly little attention is paid to how the student will engage with these activities or be engaged by them. In contrast, the playcentric approach to design, such as employed in the video game industry, focuses on creating and maintaining engagement. By understanding and applying a playcentric approach to classroom activities, teachers can increase student engagement with the material, retention, and application. This presentation will focus on how to breakdown some of the most common ESL activities using a playcentric approach. It will then discuss how these activities can be improved on.
Peadar Callaghan graduated from the University of Limerick with an MA in ELT. He has been working in Korea for over nine years. During this time he has given numerous presentations on a wide range of topics. All his presentations focus on being practical and adaptable to all students no matter their levels or ages. Peadar is currently the president of KOTESOL and teaching at Daegu University. His interests include gaming and martial arts.
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2:40-3:25
Using Alternate Reality Games in the Classroom
By Paul Starr
Alternate Reality Games (ARGs) are a unique blend of interactivity, problem solving, and storytelling spanning a variety of media and real world spaces. They are fictional stories that bleed into the real world and often lead players to decode various puzzles and cooperate with other players to move the story forward. Players often report that playing in ARGs is like being in a spy movie in real life. While ARGs have yet to be widely applied to educational settings, this presentation will focus on their potential usefulness in ELT. This presentation will provide an overview of ARGs and their previous uses as educational tools. The focus will then shift to two recent uses of ARGs by the presenter in EPIK classrooms and discussion of the successes and failures of these examples. Participants will be asked to try designing some basic ARG elements for their own learning environments.
Paul Starr currently teaches at Hanam Middle School in Gwangju with English Program in Korea (EPIK). He came to Korea in 2013 after completing his Bachelor’s in Media Production and earning an MA in Adult and Community Education at Ball State University. During his time at Ball State, he produced a number of Alternate Reality Games and has presented his work with ARGs in education at conferences in Kansas and Kentucky.
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3:35-4:20
Using Filter to Create Authentic Language Exchange
By Sonyong Beattie
The presentation will focus on basic techniques used in the field of film production to stimulate discussions for ESL learners through the art of audio-visual storytelling. The conventions used in the art of fictional storytelling will be discussed. The purpose of the presentation will be to show how to create an original story using authentic voice in the second language. For some learners, this will mean translating from the first language to English the phrases in the context of the story that will be told. For others, the project will give an opportunity to create a language that can be perceived and understood universally through sub-textual elements such as music and camera angles. The methods demonstrated will show how to manage time and scheduling for the production of each student project.
Sonyong Beattie has been teaching ESL in Korea for the past six years and has been a member of KOTESOL since 2010. She attended Florida State University for her undergraduate degree in English Literature and attended Columbia College Chicago in Cinema Production for her graduate studies. Sonyong has taught in both private and public schools in Korea, and she has also taught business English to adults. She is currently working as a freelance instructor.
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4:30-5:15
Tweeting and Blogging Towards Professional Developments
By Tim Hampson
Blogging and social media can allow teachers to build a professional network, create discourse, develop their ideas, and help one another. They also have a reputation for being mysterious and difficult. This workshop hopes to demystify and explore these media and how they can be helpful for teachers. We will cover the “hows” and “whys” of tweeting and blogging. A guide to setting up and using a Wordpress and Twitter account will be provided. Participants will be given the opportunity to discuss problems or trepidations they have with these media. We will also develop a communal list of blogging prompts to inspire those who wish to blog after the workshop. This presentation is suitable for teachers of any setting and of any level of technological knowledge who are interested in using social media. It assumes no level of prior technical knowledge and does not require any equipment.
Tim Hampson is an English teacher in Guri who has been blogging and using social media since 2005. Before moving to Korea in 2013, he taught public speaking at schools and universities in the UK. He has a master’s degree in Theology from the University of Hull. He blogs about teaching on tjhampson.com and tweets at @timhampson.
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Concurrent Sessions | Professional Development
1:45-2:30
Accessing Professional Development Online
By David Harbinson
Professional development (PD) is essential for teachers in the ELT profession, but finding PD opportunities can sometimes be challenging. However, as technology continues to become a bigger part of our lives, the opportunities for PD online are continuing to increase. In this talk, David will look at what continuing professional development (CPD) means and talk about the various ways teachers can access PD online. David will discuss the different types of formal training courses that are available online, webinars, and online conferences, blogs, social media, and more. There will be opportunities for attendees to discuss and ask questions of the presenter as well as other attendees about their experiences with online PD. This talk is suitable for anyone who wants to learn more about the opportunities for professional development that are available on the internet.
David Harbinson has been teaching English in Korea since 2007. He is currently a freelance teacher based in Daegu. He has experience in teaching all ages, as well as experience in teacher training and ELT materials development. David holds the Trinity CertTESOL and an MA in Applied Linguistics and TESOL, and has recently completed the DELTA module 1 exam. He is an active member of the online ELT community on Twitter (@DavidHarbinson).
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2:40-3:25
Professional Development: Collaborative Teaching in EFL/ESL
By Tory Thorkelson
This presentation will look at a variety of ways to enhance your own professional development within your local school, circle of colleagues, and friends, KOTESOL Chapter, nationally, or even internationally. Based on an article by Clandfield and Budden, the presenter will both offer suggestions and foster discussion about how best to pursue personal professional development in a variety of ways and through a number of mechanisms from among those you can pursue by yourself, in small groups, or through an organization like KOTESOL. A discussion of related questions as well as an exchange of participants’ ideas for professional development will also add to the presentation.
Tory S. Thorkelson, M.Ed. (TESL/TEFL) is an Associate Professor at Hanyang University’s Seoul Campus. He is a past president of Seoul Chapter as well as of KOTESOL and currently heads KTT for the second time. He is working on his dissertation for a doctorate through Middlesex University as well as a Business Communication textbook and entries for Wiley’s ELT encyclopedia. He teaches ESP- and EAP-type courses in a program he helped create and design.
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3:35-4:20
Skills for Teaching and Job Interview Success
By Colin Walker
Teachers aspiring to press ahead with their careers are confronted with heightened competition for university teaching positions. In the wake of these rather challenging circumstances, what can teachers do to get ahead of the competition and take their pedagogy to the next level? As a contribution to the conference’s theme, A Journey in Professional Development, this presentation tells the narrative of an English teacher’s work experience as a human resources professional in Canada and then highlights how this experience not only gave him an advantage in his job applications, but also led to more informed pedagogic decisions in the language classroom. Complete with graphics, animations, and multiple references for EFL research, this presentation appeals to post-secondary instructors, or those looking to secure a university teaching position.
Colin Walker was raised in the Canadian prairies. After graduating with a BA in Economics and Certificate in Human Resources Management, Colin relocated to Korea where he has taught English for five years. Currently, Colin teaches English as an Assistant Professor for the Department of English Language and Literature at Myongji University.
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4:30-5:15
Priming the Pump: Professional Development for the EFL Instructor
By Stephen Schuit and John Healy
Filling gaps in our knowledge and competencies should be an integral, continual part of our professional lives; after all, skilled educators produce successful learners. Using Yeungnam University Foreign Language Institute’s model for faculty development, Steve and John will discuss various courses of action to stimulate your growth as a teacher, whether it’s self-directed or employer-mandated. This interactive presentation is intended for in-service teachers who are interested in advancing their careers in EFL pedagogy or in other disciplines. Participants will leave with insights into how to quickly and effectively bolster their effectiveness in the classroom, and their credibility in the teacher’s lounge.
Stephen Schuit, B.S., M.Ed., C.A.G.S., is an Associate Professor at Yeungnam University. His expertise includes conflict resolution, group facilitation, management, and leadership. His blog, Korean Bookends, about his Korean expat teaching and living experience, has over 23,000 views.
John Healy, B.A., M.A. TESOL, is an English language instructor at Yeungnam University. He is fluent in TOEIC Speaking test preparation strategies and business English. John’s research interests include L2 academic writing, L1 use in the L2 classroom, and learner motivation.
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Concurrent Sessions | Research / ELT
1:45-2:05
The Career Cycles and Job Satisfaction of Expat TESOLers in Korea
By Akli Hadid
Using data collected from interviews and surveys conducted with 119 expat TESOLers in Korea, this presentation will focus on the findings of the career cycle and job satisfaction aspects of teaching EFL in Korea. As for career phases, the first year can be either positive or negative. Years 2 to 5 are called the “confirmation phase”; years 6 to 10 are the “diversification phase.” This presentation will give an overview of aspects of teaching EFL in Korea, such as the future plans of TESOLers, whether they have regrets, and what their concerns were as beginning teachers. The presentation will be two pecha-kuchas, one on the career cycles and one on job satisfaction, and the rest of the time will be dedicated to discussion with those present. Anyone interested in teaching EFL long-term in Korea can learn about the different phases teachers go through in Korea.
Akli Hadid is a PhD candidate in Sociology and Korean Studies at the Academy of Korean Studies. He is also the Assistant Coordinator of the ITS Program at Korea University Sejong Campus, a program pairing foreign exchange students with Korean students during one semester. He is a regular guest columnist at the Korea Times and the Diplomat Magazine, and taught EFL at Kaya University in Gimhae.
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2:10-2:30
Themes in Reflective Practice Among NESTs in South Korea
By Chris Miller
Reflective practice (RP) has a rich tradition in ELT (see Mann, 2005). The researcher using a grounded theory approach seeks to understand emerging themes arising from an analysis of the discourse contained in four teacher development group (TDG) sessions comprised of predominantly native English speaking teachers (NESTs) working at various levels in the Republic of Korea. Major themes include a) use of clarifying questions b) social exchange c) activity exchange and d) negative comments. The presenter will address the potential value of the findings, speculate on the factors responsible for the emerging themes and provide recommendations for the facilitation of future TDG/RP sessions by ELT practitioners.
Christopher Miller holds a MSEd in TESOL from Shenandoah University. Christopher began his career in ELT in the Republic of Moldova serving in the United States Peace Corps. He has worked in the Republic of Korea for five years and now currently works at Daeil Foreign Language High School. His presentation experience has focused on various forms of reflection to promote more effective pedagogy. The presenter can be contacted at cmiller112@su.edu.
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2:40-3:00
Moving Learning Forward in the Korean EFL Classroom
By Hyeong Jun Chae
It is said that teachers are expected to identify students’ current performance and promote learning in a manner that helps students reach expected performance. In light of this, Shepard put forward the teaching strategies of eliciting prior knowledge, providing effective feedback, and teaching students how to self-assess. These strategies can promote a learning culture in which teachers and students alike move learning forward. They thus have profound implications for teaching practices in EFL settings. Firstly, it should be asked whether teachers apply these strategies. It should also be examined how teachers implement them and whether they foster classroom practices that assist students in moving forward. The presenter will facilitate an interactive discussion where the audience shares ideas on how to implement the strategies.
Hyeong Jun Chae is a teacher at Okgok Elementary School in Gyeongsan, Korea. He has a master’s in TESOL (2013) from Flinders University in Australia. Last year (2014), he presented at the KOTESOL International Conference on the effects of graphic-organizer and discourse-marker instruction. His areas of research interest include EFL reading research, language learning strategies, and cognitive approaches to foreign language acquisition.
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3:05-3:25
Pecha Kucha Sessions
[ Pecha kucha = oral Power-Point presentation of 20 slides, each set to automatically change after showing for 20 seconds.]
--- Pecha Kucha 1: Building Rapport with Korean Students || By Nate Kent
Nate Kent is an assistant professor at Chosun University and program host at GFN English Language Radio.
--- Pecha Kucha 2: Professional Development Through KOTESOL || By Dr. David Shaffer
David Shaffer is a professor at Chosun University and President of Gwangju- Jeonnam KOTESOL as well as KOTESOL Publications Committee Chair.
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3:35-3:55
Effectively Using Movies in the L2 Classroom
By Raymond Bryer
This presentation provides some ideas for using English movies in class as a method to introduce target vocabulary and grammatical structures as well as promote open class discussion. It reports on the methods used in a class taught (in two different versions) to pre-service teachers. In both classes, students were required to watch a specific film every week (each relating in some way to teaching or learning) for homework. That movie was then used as the basis of each week’s lecture. First, specific quotes from the film were analyzed for targeted vocabulary and grammar practice, and then characters and/or general themes in the movie were used as the basis for more low-structure activities, which included group, pair, and whole class discussions. The discussions served as a motivating way for learners to express their own opinions and challenge the opinions of others.
Raymond Bryer currently teaches English Education at Jeonju National University of Education. He previously taught in the English Education Department of Jeonbuk National University and has been teaching ESL in Korea for eight years. He holds a BA in Journalism from The Pennsylvania State University and an MA in TESOL from Anaheim University.
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4:00-4:20
Clear Your Conscience: Use Images Legally!
By Jocelyn Wright
These days, we are increasingly aware of the value of using images to enhance our materials, slideshows, or course websites, but are we using them properly? Some teachers may be surprised to learn that not all photos on the Internet are part of the public domain. If this is your case, you may want to attend this workshop, which covers definitions related to copyright and fair use, websites for free and legal use of images, different permissions and licenses, attribution, derivatives, and useful references. Korea used to be quite lax when it came to plagiarism. The situation is changing fast! The purpose of this short workshop is to raise consciousness about the ethical use of images and to help you use them honestly and without fear.
Jocelyn Wright works in the Department of English Language and Literature at Mokpo National University. She has degrees in linguistics and education and is also CELTA certified. Her many interests include professional development and content-based learning. The later requires frequent adapting and creation of materials. Hence, her special interest in learning more about copyright.
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4:30-5:15
Learning from Mistakes: Becoming a Better Teacher by Examining Common Student Errors
By Dan Svoboda
Students who share the same mother tongue often make the same types of errors repeatedly. Educators can make use of these common errors to perceive differences in linguistic structure between the students' native language and the target language. Understanding these differences can become a key element in improving your teaching skills repertoire and in building better rapport with your students. This workshop will provide educators with a chance to examine a variety of English translations by high-level Korean students of an identical source text to spot recurring errors. The discussion that follows will help language educators working with Korean students focus their efforts on correcting common mistakes and, more importantly, understanding why students make those errors. The first part of the workshop will involve participants working in groups to spot mistakes in sample student work while the remaining time will be spent discussing what those errors can tell us about the influence of the Korean language on English use by students.
Dan Svoboda is an Assistant Professor in the Graduate School of Interpretation and Translation (GSIT) at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS). He graduated with an MA in Literature in 2011 and is currently working on his doctoral dissertation. His professional interests include Korean-English translation theory and literary criticism as well as teacher training and speaking activities in the classroom. Outside of work, he enjoys speaking Korean while traveling around the country. He is currently President of the Daegu-Gyeongbuk KOTESOL Chapter.
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 Gwangju-Jeonnam KOTESOL Conference 2015 Program Book | 1.39 MB |
