I’m pleased to announce that Suwon chapter will have a workshop on the first Saturday of September (the first day of the month: 2012-09-01) at 2pm. It will be at the usual place, the 3rd floor of the General Lecture building (Jong-hap-gang-ui-dong / 종합강의동) at the University of Suwon (see our Google Map below for directions).
The presenter will be Brad Serl, a professor at Pusan University of Foreign Studies, and president of the Busan chapter of KOTESOL. He is very experienced and qualified, and I will give a fuller introduction on the day of the workshop.
The topic of the workshop is the NEAT (National English AbilityTest) which Korean high school seniors will soon be taking in order to enter university. The presentation will be 90 minutes, including Q&A time.
Presentation abstract:
“This presentation is an exploration into the new English test that will theoretically be replacing the English portion of the KSAT in 2015, the NEAT. I will start by looking into why the government decided to change to this new test, and question whether the reasons for the test’s implementation were pedagogically sound and if the test will meet these goals.
Once the introduction is finished I will then look at the individual components of the test and what this test will mean for us as English teachers. I will look at specific test items and requirements for students to successfully complete the test. This presentation will be a mix of lecture and workshop, with audience participation actively encouraged.”
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There will also be a short question and answer session about our next workshop. Because of the KOTESOL international conference in October, we will not be holding any workshops that month. However, I would like to ask members and other attendees if they are interested in spending the November workshop discussing and sharing what they learned and what they think about the international conference.
This will be valuable both for those who are unable to attend the conference, just as for those who are able. It’s a great chance for people to learn about what happens at these conferences, and the great information that can be gained from them. It can also be an excellent chance for conference attendees to consolidate what they learn by teaching others (which is always a fine way to deepen your understanding), and to find out about conference sessions they were unable to attend (because there is always so much to see that it’s nearly impossible to see everything you want to).
This discussion session will be brief (10-20 minutes) and there will be refreshments and snacks available afterwards. The total time of the day’s activities will be about two hours (2pm ~ 4pm).
I’m looking forward to seeing you there.
Matthew Millar
(President, Suwon Chapter of KOTESOL)
Google Map: http://goo.gl/maps/3DF79
