Sunday 1:15 - 2:05 PM
Mugung Hwa
Dennis-uh! You very hand-some!
Presenters from the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Program
The Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Program brings
approximately 30 students, mostly recent college graduates, to Korea
to teach conversational English for a year while pursuing various other
educational objectives. This program is conducted in an intense immersion
environment; on a day to day basis, ETAs grapple with the joys and frustrations
of 1) living with a Korean family, 2) teaching in high schools and middle
schools, and 3) finding a place for themselves and their teaching
objectives within the complex administrative structure of the Korean
educational system. All ETAs are placed outside of Seoul; some of us are
in extremely remote environments where we may be the only foreigner within
miles. Thus, our experiences range from mildly unusual to outright
bizarre. Even seasoned TESOL veterans stand to gain unique insights
into the world of teaching
conversational English in Korea through our Fulbright ETAs. We
plan to speak frankly on a number of topics:
1) Our perception of the role of conversational English classes in
a rigid educational system focused mainly on rote learning and the University
Entrance Examination;
2) our attempts to encourage creativity and spontaneity in our students
through unique teaching methodologies;
3) some of the (positive and negative) lessons learned through living
with a Korean family for a full year.
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