On November 1, Jeonju North Jeolla KOTESOL had our second workshop of the fall. Courtney McLaren introduced us to K-pop Fandom in the Classroom. People who share fandom of any sort can also share lived experiences, age, nationality, gender, ethnicity, among others. They are invested intellectually and emotionally. With other fans they can share comfort, enjoyment, community, identity and positive experiences. Why does this matter in the English classroom? It provides a unique opportunity for high engagement and motivation to encourage English conversation.
Our second presenter was Andrew McNulty on Using Visuals as Language Bridges. Visuals help with memory retention, fill language gaps and encourage critical thinking. Motivation, engagement and creativity sparks joy and interest. He explained that he used Canva to create the wonderful visuals he shared with us. Plus you can personalize or Koreanize visuals with things like banana milk or ramyeon, boasting students’ interest.
Our next meeting is on December 6 at Jeonbuk University. We will have Jeong Eun Lim speak on Innovating EFL Education in the Age of AI, some elections and a year end celebration!
