Welcome to the KOTESOL Social Justice (SJ) Special Interest Group (SIG)! Unofficially launched in September of 2015, the group soon became affiliated with KOTESOL. From its start, this group has endeavored to connect active educators who are interested in social justice, language teaching and learning, and critical approaches to education in South Korea.
Through its Facebook group and member-driven initiatives, this SIG aims to provide a forum for discussion and exchange of a wide range of social justice issues connected to language and education. Some key issues we seek to address pertain to inequality and injustice, and the ways these effect diverse individuals in society due to differences in the following: age, ancestry/background, physical appearance, level of education, sexuality and/or gender identity or expression (LGBTQIPA+), mental/physical health and/or ability/disability, national origin and/or native language(s), political/religious/spiritual beliefs, race/ethnicity, socio-economic and/or marital/relationship status. The scope of issues ranges from individual/local concerns to more collective/global ones, as they relate to a vision for a more harmonious/sustainable future for all.
In the spirit of heart and hope, members of this KOTESOL SIG will attempt to promote positive and pacific transformative social outcomes through teaching and learning.
If you are willing to adopt a critical stance, believe you can make a difference, are seeking new ideas for effectively handling classroom situations (e.g., bullying, discrimination, etc.), would like to engage in constructive dialogue with others, and/or have collaborative project ideas, or have additional questions, please send a brief direct message or email (sjsig@koreatesol.org) to the group facilitators with a short statement relating your interest(s) and motivation(s) for joining us.
