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ContentsDepartmentsEditorial Team and Mission 4Editor’s Welcome 5Advice Corner 8Expat Living 29Report Cards from the Edge 30FeaturesSafety and Support in the EFL Classroom 6Josette LeBlancPower Tools 10Chris SurridgeEast of Korea, West of Japan 12Iain StanleyProfessional Development Without a Teachers’ Room 14Kyle DevlinGroup and Pair Work in Korean Classrooms 16Thomas BaldwinTextbook Adaptation 18Hyun-Ae LeeFace-off: Presentation Skills 21Aaron Jolly & Joshua DaviesAcademic English Writing Development 22Robert KimKoreaTESOL.org 24Bryan StoakleyTeam Teaching in Elementary Schools 26Sean DonnellyManaging Your Elementary School Classroom 27Matthew StoneSummer 2011 Volume 15, Issue 2 3

The English Connection Editorial TeamEditor-in-ChiefTim ThompsonAssociate EditorsMichael GriffinManpal SahotaAssistant EditorBora SohnCopy EditorsElliot PattonMaria PintoNews EditorsCurtis DesjardinsEzekiel MentilloPublications LiaisonDavid D.I. KimDesign and LayoutMark WhitingProofreaderDon RikleyPublications Committee ChairDr. Mee-Wha BaekAdvisorDr. David ShafferProductionKangnam PrintingTHE ENGLISH CONNECTION, published quarterly, is the official magazine ofKorea Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (KOTESOL), anacademic organization, and is distributed free of charge as a service to the membersof KOTESOL. Advertising is arranged through Bob Capriles(capriles.kotesol@gmail.com or phone: 010-3433-4799).Cover photo: Islands off the south coast of Korea. (Mark Whiting)All materials contained within THE ENGLISH CONNECTION is copyrighted bythe individual authors and KOTESOL. Copying without permission of the individualauthors and KOTESOL beyond which is permitted under law is an infringementof both law and ethical principles within the academic community. All copies must identify KoreaTeachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (KOTESOL) and THE ENGLISH CONNECTION, aswell as the author. The ideas and concepts, however, are presented for public discussion and classroomuse. Please write to the editors and individual authors to let them know how useful you find the materialsand how you may have adapted them to fit your own teaching style or situation. The articles and opinionscontained herein are solely those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the policies ofKOTESOL or the opinions of the editors, officers of KOTESOL, or individual members.PRICE: FREE to members / 5,000 won (US$5) to non-members.4www.KoreaTESOL.org

Editor's WelcomeDear Reader,Thank you for taking a few minutes to check out the redesigned The English Connection magazine forKOTESOL. You might be asking yourself, is this the same magazine that KOTESOL usually sends me? Toanswer your question, yes it is. The new editorial staff has worked hard to create a magazine designed tofocus on the professional development of English teachers in Korea. We hope there is something in eachissue that will cause you to pause and reflect on what you do in your diverse classroom settings.I would like to thank the previous editorial board, especially Dr. Kara McDonald, Dr. David Shaffer andMaria Pinto for all of their hard work and devotion to TEC. They worked tirelessly to maintain themagazine’s high standards over the years. I would also like to thank the column editors and contributorswho worked hard to provide engaging articles for each issue.I was asked to take The English Connection in a new direction and have chosen Michael Griffin andManpal Sahota to help me rethink what The English Connection is and what it can be. We have addedsections such as an advice column for classroom challenges and a section on expat living to help all of usstay informed about issues that affect our lives here on the Korean peninsula. In an effort to attract moreL2 users of English and public school English educators into KOTESOL and give them a voice in ourorganization, we will attempt to find practical stories written by and for those demographics. Finally, forreaders who have enjoyed the magazine for years, we will continue to find interesting articles andinformation about education-related topics in Korea and around the world.One of the main goals of the new editors is to solicit submissions from a wide range of contributors. Tothat end, we will be scouring not only KOTESOL, but the world to find excellent writers and educatorswho will share their thoughts and experiences. We also strongly encourage KOTESOL members teachingin Korea to submit their manuscripts. TEC will be publishing articles from different contributors everyissue in an attempt to keep the magazine fresh and something worth investigating every quarter. Pleasecontact us about your ideas or send your submissions to TECsubmissions@gmail.com.We are also working hard to ensure that The English Connection gets to you, the reader, in a timelymanner. We understand that information regarding conferences and chapter events can be timesensitive and we will be working with the KOTESOL’s webmasters to keep events updated on the websiteas well as in our new TEC News online publication which will be available to KOTESOL members as wellas the general public so that we can better publicize the great things we are doing as an organization. TECNews will include conference reports, member updates, and other organization-related news items thatyou might be interested in. Check it out at www.KoreaTESOL.org/TECNews or look under thePublications tab.Speaking of KOTESOL's new website, we plan to have every issue of TEC online and available toKOTESOL members on the first day of June, September, December, and March from this point forward.We hope you will read online as well as in print and send your comments to TECfeedback@gmail.com tolet us know how we are doing with KOTESOL's magazine.Welcome to the new TEC. Our mission is to always be on point, on time, and online.Sincerely,Tim ThompsonTim ThompsonEditor-in-ChiefSummer 2011 Volume 15, Issue 2 5

Safety and Support in the EFL ClassroomJosette LeBlanc shares how teachers can create better class environmentsHas a teacher ever called you dumb? Did your teacher everyell at you for getting the wrong answer? Worse yet, wereyou ever hit by your teacher for not meeting academicstandards? Now reflect on this: Did you really learn fromthese teachers? Probably not. I have a deep sense that myinability to multiply fractions has something to do with myhigh school math teacher labeling me stupid.Personal experience, and a little background in secondlanguage acquisition, tells me that teachers who provide asafe and supportive learning environment also have moresuccess in helping students meet their learning goals. Partof the learning process includes making mistakes. When wehave permission to make mistakes, we also have permissionto learn from them. However, when we feel anxious, ormore precisely, when we feel unsafe, our ability to riskmaking mistakes and to hold on to new information isgreatly reduced. I believe that when the renowned linguistStephen Krashen refers to the importance of a low affectivefilter in learning a new language he may also be referring tothe importance of a safe and supportive classroom.Teachers do not need to be well-versed in Krashen’sAffective Filter Hypothesis to understand the pedagogicalimportance of creating an environment conducive to loweranxiety. Via their own experiences, and their ability toempathize with their learners, teachers are able to apply theconcepts of safety and support to their classrooms. In orderto get a better sense of how Korean teachers of English feltabout this concept, I asked 17 practicing teachersparticipating in the Keimyung Intensive English TeacherTraining (KIETT) program in Daegu these questions:Do you think students learn better when they are in a safeand supportive classroom? What do you do to help yourstudents feel more comfortable with you and the otherstudents? Are there any special activities you do?The teachers’ responses showed a desire to create anatmosphere where mistakes are accepted and studentssuffering from low confidence are supported. These teachersvalue student/teacher rapport and use teaching strategiesthat foster a sense of safety and support. A brief examinationof their responses follows.Supporting ImperfectionProviding a non-threatening learning atmosphereis one of the most basic keys to a successfullanguage class. – Mi-Ju Yu: Sangwon High SchoolMi-Ju Yu describes how she noticed a big difference in herstudents’ willingness to speak English in class when theywere in the presence of a teacher with whom they feltcomfortable and safe, as opposed to a teacher who wasdeemed “scary.” She noted “the same students may expresstheir opinions and communicate freely without any anxietyor fear with one teacher, but with another, they may chooseto remain quiet and feel reluctant to speak in the targetlanguage. This shows how significant the teacher’s role is tostudent performance in class, and in turn, to studentachievement.”Of course, this anxiety isn’t always created by the teacher. Inmany cases, a student’s fear of speaking English in classrelates to the larger societal belief that she shouldn’t speakwithout perfect pronunciation. Myung-Hyun Jung realizeshow detrimental this belief is to his students’ linguisticgrowth. He asks his students to embrace theirKorean-English expressions and pronunciation: “If we areafraid of speaking Konglish, we can’t open our mouths! Inmy classroom, I endeavor to remove students’ shame andfear of speaking English (Konglish). Konglish is notshameful. After speaking Konglish, we can refine ourEnglish step-by-step. Communication is first, and accuracyis second.” By giving students of all levels permission toexpress themselves, he provides a supportive atmospherethat brings them one step closer to helping them gain thecourage to be communicative.It is easy to tell our students that it is okay to make mistakes,but how do we really show them that we will deliver on thispromise? Jeong-A Lee, from Neungin Middle School inDaegu, explains to her students that as non-native speakers,they will naturally make mistakes. She reminds them of thisfact by making mistakes herself, but instead of being hard onherself or feeling embarrassed, she lets the students laughwith her. “They may think that we are the same even if I ama teacher, and they are the students.” They start to noticethat making mistakes is a normal part of speaking a secondlanguage, but most importantly, they notice that theirteacher is willing to support them if they also fail at perfection.Healthy Student-Teacher RapportGood teacher-student relationships start when wecan trust each other. – Bu-Kil Cho: Sang-in HighSchool in DaeguEssentially, what Jeong-A described above was an exampleof positive student-teacher rapport. When students feel asense of connection and trust with their teacher, they are6www.KoreaTESOL.org

also more willing to extend themselves outside of theircomfort zone. Although creating such rapport may be easywith some students, it can be a challenge with students whocome to class already believing they will fail. Eunji Lee andBu-Kil Cho remedy this notion by trying to meet with theirstudents on a one-on-one basis to check in on what ishappening in their lives. This personal time gives thestudents the chance to see that their teachers are interestedin their lives and in their learning. In this way, students startto see that they can trust the teacher.However, trust is not a one-way street. The KIETTparticipants also mentioned how important it is for studentsto get a glimpse into the teachers’ lives: “From myexperience the best way to build trust is to open myself up tothe students, even though it would mean sharing mypersonal life, or my childhood memories, good or bad.”Bu-Kil, who is teaching at Sang-in High School in Daegu,explains that when she has been able to get to this personallevel with her students, the results have been remarkable.With mutual understanding built between them, studentswho were once falling behind, or who feared speaking up inclass, were now embracing her English lessons with courage,willing to take the risk of making mistakes. Min-Jeong Leeagrees on this point. She explains that when she has talkedabout herself and her experiences as a student, she hassucceeded in creating closer relationships. She notes that “ithelps a lot to make a safe and warm class.”Knowing What to ExpectSuccessful experiences give students moreconfidence. – Eun-Ju Jang: Seong-ju High School inSeong-juTo complement their personal beliefs about safety andsupport, some of the KIETT teachers have developedteaching practices that foster this kind of classroomenvironment. “I always let my students know what they willlearn next class. Once students know this, they can previewthe text or learning points. The readier they are for class, theless they will make mistakes during the class.” For Eun-Ju,this sense of preparedness gives the students a better chanceof achieving their language learning goals. Once studentsfeel like they have a handle on what will be coming up inclass, they are more willing to try, and they have a betterchance at performing successfully. In the end, this givesthem a stronger sense of accomplishment. The confidencethey get from this experience provides them with theself-assurance they need to try again the next day. ForEun-Ju’s students, this kind of support makes a world ofdifference.I seldom ask students to present answersunexpectedly. – Hyun-Ae Park: Gyeongbuk GirlsHigh School in DaeguHyun-Ae introduces the Think-Pair-Share (TPS) strategy asa way to alleviate common stresses students have abouttalking in front of their peers. She gives students time tothink of what they want to say. Then, in pairs, they discusstheir ideas. Finally, she calls on some of the students toshare what was discussed in their pair. “I introduce thenotion of TPS as my favorite class routine so that they canexpect what will always happen after I give questions. Theyknow they have time to share their ideas with partners, andthey seem to feel more comfortable.” Creating predictabilitybecomes a supportive teaching technique for enhancingstudent performance.ConclusionThere is no doubt that we learn more effectively when we arein a safe and supportive environment. When we sense thatwe have the space to make mistakes, we are more open toreceiving new information. When we are prepared for class,we are more willing to risk trying something new. When ourteacher listens to us, and also empathizes with our struggles,we are more able to come to class with full attention.Through their personal learning and teaching experiences,the teachers in the KIETT program have made valuable useof their awareness of safety and support. They have usedthis awareness to create a classroom ripe for learning.Note: I would also like to thank the teachers whoseinsightful and helpful ideas were not able to make it in thisarticle due to limited time and space: Hyun-Jin Im,Hae-Yoon Jung, Jeong-Min Kim, Bok-Soon Kim, Ju-EunLee, Hee-Ja Jeong, Myeong-Suk Jung, Byeong-Mi Sohn,Seung-Hee Park, Hae-Gyung Kim, and Hae-Jin Park.If you have any questions or comments about safety andsupport in the language classroom, I would love to hear fromyou. Please contact me at josette.leblanc@gmail.com.Josette LeBlanc(MA TESOL) is a teacher educatorin the Intensive EnglishTeacher Training Program atKeimyung University inDaegu. She is passionateabout teacher social andlinguistic awareness; howemotions affect teaching andlearning; and holistic education.You can join in ondiscussions of these topics ather blog which can be found atwww.throwingbacktokens.com.Summer 2011 Volume 15, Issue 2 7

Advice CornerFour educators give suggestions to help English teachers around KoreaI work at a public elementary school and the head teacher just told me that I'll be teaching anew conversation class for the Korean teachers at my school. I was told that I could planwhatever I want for the class. I've never taught adults before, let alone teachers, so I have no ideawhat to teach or where to even start. Do you have any suggestions?HarbirJinju, Gyeongsangnam-doSoo-Young LeeEnglish Teacher,Daejeon HeungryongElementary SchoolSoo-Young LeeCongratulations on your newstart with Korean teachers!First, I think you should try tograsp the general characteristicsof the teachers (e.g.gender, length of teachingcareers, homeroom or subjectteachers, their interests, needsand ages). The next thing tofind out is their levels. Therewill likely be various levels andtheir interests and needs couldbe very different. If so, don'tbe disappointed or puzzled.This is just the first step.After that, find out what skillsthey want to improve andwhat they want to do and study. The teachers will besatisfied with the process especially if they are involved indesigning the course with you. They may choose the topic,select types of activities, and discuss what direction theywould like the course to take. These questions might lendthemselves well to a group discussion for your first class.You should mix your thoughts and opinions with what theytell you they want. Don’t forget that you are the person whoorganizes the conversation class. Many elementary schoolteachers will be ready to follow you and the syllabus youcreate. Remember that you can make revisions to yourschedule later on.I think a supplementary textbook will be helpful. It might bedifficult for you to prepare every supplementary activity byyourself. After analyzing the teachers' needs and leveldifferences you can find some proper textbooks and thenadapt them to your class. Even though it might take a longtime, it will be time well spent.Above all, please try to build up rapport with the teachers.The most important thing is to have empathy andunderstanding for each other. If you put yourself in otherteachers' shoes, it's not difficult for you to build up rapportwith Korean teachers. So, creating a space of understandingis the key to making the course successful. Good luck!Kevin GiddensWhat an exciting yet dauntingopportunity. My most difficultyet rewarding classes are thosethat I'm able to design myself.My experience with Koreanteachers is that they are verydiligent yet demandingstudents. The good news isthat they are highly motivatedto learn English. Both theirstudents and the administrationare pushing them toimprove their language proficiency.However the term"conversation" isn't the firstthing that comes to mind interms of what their needsmight be. I would spend sometime in your first class findingKevin GiddensTeacher Trainer,SookmyungWomen's Universityout exactly what areas they need to work on most and thendesign your course from there.Group dynamics can really make or break your course and inmy experience they can be quite complex among teachers.For this reason, I'm not shy about spending ample time onactivities that promote cooperative groups. In addition,Korean teachers respond really well to a focus on"Classroom Language." They may even be preparing for theTeaching English in English (TEE) test where they areevaluated on their classroom language. Here are tworesources that might be helpful:Hadfield, J. (1992). Classroom Dynamics. Oxford: OxfordUniversity Press.Hughes, G., Moate, J., & Raatikainen, T. (2007). PracticalClassroom English. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Working with adults, especially teachers, requires anattitude of respect and, at times, humility. In past classesI've had students who have taught for longer that I've beenalive. They have strong and concrete beliefs about teachingand learning languages. As a relative newcomer to theKorean context I've found it really helpful for both myprofessional growth as well as my relationship with mystudents to actively listen and learn from their experience.8www.KoreaTESOL.org

Elynnor Trail,English Teacher,Seoul GaeilElementary SchoolElynnor TrailFirst, speak to the teacherswho will be studying with youand try to get an idea of theirEnglish speaking level. Onceyou know approximately howmany people will be meetingtogether and whether they areat a beginning, advanced, or amixed level, you can plansomething suitable. Ask themwhat class structure wouldmake them feel most comfortable.Do they just want tochitchat? Would they prefer atextbook and a set lesson planeach week? In my experience,most Korean teachers prefer ano-pressure, free-talkingconversation class.Second, you may want to prepare a list of possible topics foryour class. This could be a brief interesting news article,current celebrity gossip, or each member of the groupsharing a past experience relating to a common theme. Formore ideas, search the internet. Try keywords such as ESL,conversation topics, conversation starters, or questions foradults. Hundreds of questions for ESL teachers on a varietyof topics can be found at http://iteslj.org/questions/.Whatever topic you choose, try to limit your role to askingleading or open-ended questions, and allow the students topractice speaking as much as possible.It’s often helpful to let the Korean teachers know the topicyou will be studying a few days to a week in advance. Theymay wish to jot down a few thoughts on paper, or they mayjust mull it over in their minds throughout the week. Eitherway, they will probably feel more comfortable sharing inEnglish when they have had a chance to feel prepared.Lower-level students can also benefit from a list of keyphrases and idioms associated with the topic. A Korean-English phrasebook such as English Expressions for myDiary which can be found at Kyobo Books is helpful, as it isorganized by topic and may be a good starting point for someteachers who feel particularly timid.Shannon McGarthI was asked to teach aconversation class for theKorean teachers at my schoollast year as well, and like you, Idid not have experienceteaching adults. I spoke with afriend of mine who teachesadults in Korea and sherecommended the textbookOpen to Debate by Neal D.Williams. The book covers 70Korean issues includingKorea’s greatest hero, Englishfor kindergarteners, U.S.troops in Korea and globalwarming. I found this book tobe very useful because all ofthe topics created discussionsand it was interesting for meShannon McGrath,English Teacher,Seoul DaemoElementary Schoolas a foreigner to get a Korean perspective on these issues.Each two-paged unit is also easily broken down into threeparts: a dialogue, two-three short factual paragraphs andthree to five discussion questions. I often had the teacherstake turns reading the dialogue and discussion questions,whereas I would read the factual paragraphs. I also providedthe teachers with lined paper so they could create their ownvocabulary lists from new words in the units.Another great idea is to create a comfortable andentertaining environment by incorporating ice breakeractivities into your first lesson. These are fun and easy waysto get discussions started and to expand on vocabulary. Forexample, a great game to play is to put pictures of famouspeople on your forehead and ask questions to figure out whoyou are. The trick is only asking yes/no questions, such as,‘Am I a girl?’ or ‘Am I from Korea?’ I also found cards onlinefor popular brain-teasing games such as ‘Scattegories’ and‘Taboo’. These were a great way to break the ice and increasetheir vocabulary in a comfortable and entertainingenvironment. You can find these resources and more at:http://bogglesworldesl.com/adultesl1.htm.Advice Corner is an opportunity for readers to send in their questions andconcerns about problems they encounter while teaching English in Korea.The English Connection will find experienced educators to give advice foryour unique level, problem, and teaching situation.Send your questions or concerns to tecfeedback@gmail.com.Summer 2011 Volume 15, Issue 2 9

Power ToolsChris Surridge takes your e-learning development to the next levelYou’ve been Moodling for some time, have been addingstudents, setting up online homework assignments, and nowhave your online classroom more or less in order. It’s been along road from the day you first decided to take some of yourcourse material online, and you’re right to feel proud ofyourself. In the process of making these additions to youreducational repertoire, you’ve also noticed some holes inyour skill-set. Some of the processes for setting up yourMoodle involved fiddling with files with extensions like phpand ini, which you’re still not sure you understand. You’velearned how to navigate the control panel of yourcommercially hosted server, but you’re still a little cautiousabout exploring more energetically, lest you breaksomething or, even worse, delete something that can’t berestored. I’d like to recommend three “Power Tools” to helpyou fill those holes in your skill-set, improve yourself–confidence, and at the same time, take your e-learningdevelopment to the next level. These tools will enable you toimprove your skills quickly, effectively and safely.XAMPPThe first Power Tool I’d like to recommend is XAMPP, anall-in-one web server package that you can run on your localmachine. Think of it as a testing area or sandbox for yourexperiments with eLearning. XAMPP is a fairly simplepackage that will allow you to install a functioningApache/PHP/MYSQL server on your PC. This will enableyou to install, test, explore, break, repair, delete andre-install Moodle or any other web software to your heart’scontent. What’s more, by locally installing XAMPP and thena version of Moodle identical to the version on your existingcommercially-hosted site, you can create content locallyand, when you are satisfied with the results, upload it to yourproduction site. The installer package, along with detailedinstallation instructions, can be found atwww.apachefriends.org. Best of all, XAMPP is free.Lynda.comIf you’re confident that online learning is an effective alternativeto classroom learning, this is a perfect opportunity toput your money where your mouth is. Lynda.com is anaffordable, subscription-based online training service thatboasts an enormous library of subjects related to technologyand media development. Lynda.com’s online courses arelead by industry experts who specialize in teaching to arange of learners, from those with little experience, to thosewho need something extra to make them stand out amongthe competition. Their courses involve video-driven lessonsthat describe processes in intuitive, useful ways. Many oftheir courses are project-based, which can be beneficial tothose of us who need results we can see and interact with inorder to really feel we are learning and improving. For themost part, Lynda.com is not a free service, but itssubscription–based system means you can control howmuch you wish to invest in your development. Think of itless as an expense, and more as a reward to yourself forhaving committed to your professional development.Lynda.com can be found at www.lynda.com. You can trysome free sample courses, available as podcasts, before youcommit to a subscription. Finally, Lynda.com videos can beviewed on iPhone or iPod touch devices, allowing you to takeyour training wherever you go.Adobe Creative Suite 5.5Adobe is the defacto standard for web design tools. To besure, by many people’s standards, Adobe products areexpensive, but I believe if you’re committed to yourdevelopment as an e-learning creator, you deserve the besttools available. There are a number of flavors of AdobeCreative Suite 5.5, ranging from Web Premium, whichprovides an impressive array of media-creation tools, toMaster Collection, which is basically the motherload ofAdobe applications. I use Master Collection because itincludes industry-standard video-editing tools in additionto core applications like Adobe Flash and Dreamweaver.Academic discounts are also available for qualified buyers,and recent experience indicates that such discounts areavailable for educators here in Korea as well as in NorthAmerica. Website: www.adobe.comAdobe tools, in conjunction with Lynda.com training andXAMPP, can help dedicated e-learning developers andcontent creators upgrade their skill-sets in record time. Youknow that your time is valuable and that your content ishaving a measurable impact on your learner’s experiences.In no time, you’ll find yourself navigating your web projectswith confidence and ease, and others will also be sure tonotice your mad skills. Do yourself a favor and invest in you.You’re worth it.Christopher Surridge was acareer educator andself-taught technophile wholived and worked in Daejeon,Korea at the Korea AdvancedInstitute of Science andTechnology. He constantlypushed the boundaries ofe-learning, and integratedMoodle, 3D virtual worlds, adventure learning,portable gaming, and social media into hiscutting-edge courses. He was also the creator ofDevil Island Mystery.Chris passed away on May 4, 2011. To learn moreabout the amazing life that Chris Surridge lived,please visit www.KoreaTESOL.org/TECNews.10www.KoreaTESOL.org

2011KOTESOL International Conference XIXPushing our Paradigms;Connecting with CultureSeoul, KoreaOctober 15/16, 2011

East of Korea, West of JapanIain Stanley compares teaching and living in the two countriesA topic of discussion that generates a healthy debatebetween teachers is the comparison between living andworking in Japan and Korea. Different people have differentviews and can often provide compelling arguments for whyone is more appealing than the other. Without doubt, eachplace offers opportunities to enjoy unique culturalexperiences that can live in the memories forever.Professionally, they also provide teachers with the potentialto save good money and an opportunity to enhance theircredentials and develop their careers.For many people, it seems that the requirements ofJapanese universities are far too exclusive, presenting aclosed door that is impossible for most to open. I mean, howmany teachers out there have publications or conferencepresentations on their resumes by the time they’ve decidedthey want to work at a university in Japan? Many teachersdon’t even know where to begin as far as both are concerned.Fear not. If you are determined to land yourself a universityjob in Japan, the visa system there is your friend.I currently live in Japan and work at a small university in thesouth of the country. I’ve been here for two years, and priorto that was at a university outside Tokyo for four years.Before coming to Japan, I worked at universities in Daejeonand Seoul. Perhaps my experience gives me an insight intolife in both countries and may be of interest to teacherscontemplating life in either place. There are certainlysimilarities, but also just as many differences.In my experience in Korea, requirementswere far less stringent. I understand thatthe visa process is far more thorough inKorea these days, but the process of actuallygetting a job at a university in Japanis, I believe, much more difficult.In terms of getting a job, I think that the requirements are alot more stringent at Japanese universities. Usually, youneed a master’s degree, university experience (preferably inJapan), publications in verifiable journals (preferably refereed),references that can be relied upon (as they are usuallychecked),and occasionally a good command of Japanese. Inmy experience in Korea, requirements were far less stringent.I understand that the visa process is far more thoroughin Korea these days, but the process of actually getting a jobat a university in Japan is, I believe, much more difficult.Work visas are one of the major differences for teachers inJapan and Korea. In Korea, you are beholden to youremployer, and your visa is inextricably linked to your placeof employment. Therefore, on a standard E2 visa, privatelessons are strictly illegal. It’s a controversial subject whichcertainly divides opinion. However, in Japan, you own yourvisa. The work visa is yours, not your employer's. You canquit a job, get laid off or fired, and the visa still remainsyours. It is valid as long as it does not expire.How does this help in getting a university job in Japan?Well, a lot of universities hire part-time teachers. The hiringprocess is far less stringent and many a teacher withoutpublications has opted for this route. You can string a fewdifferent part-time jobs together and build your own littlelucrative kingdom. However, you have to remember that theuniversities that hire you part-time will seldom sponsor orrenew your visa, provide paid vacation, or offer health insurance.You simply teach your classes and get paid. Nothingelse. Nonetheless, it’s a way to get your foot in that door.In terms of job security, I think Korea is a little better thanJapan. This is simply because most Japanese universitieshire teachers on short-term contracts, usually lasting from3-5 years. That means that every few years in Japan you haveto brush up your resume and go through the process offinding another job. This is not particularly enjoyable if you12www.KoreaTESOL.org

They love to tell jokes and are extremelycurious about the world as it compares toKorea. However, as much as it might surprisesome people, Japanese students arealso quite gregarious at times, and arenowhere near as shy as they’re stereotypedto be.have a significant other, or family, that has ties to a certainplace. You can never be sure of getting a job in the samearea. This is not the case in Korea. If teachers at universitiesin Korea do their job to the satisfaction of their superiors,they are renewed for as long as they want. This is comfortingfor those who have kids in schools, or significant others wholove a certain area.As for the students themselves, I could go on for days aboutthe nuances in each country. Without doubt, Koreanuniversity students are more open, forthright, opinionated,and willing. I had some wonderful discussions with Koreanstudents. They are very inquisitive, unafraid to broach issueson a wide variety of topics. They love to tell jokes and areextremely curious about the world as it compares to Korea.However, as much as it might surprise some people,Japanese students are also quite gregarious at times, and arenowhere near as shy as they’re stereotyped to be. The majordifference is that it takes time to build rapport with Japanesestudents and to earn their trust. But once they feelcomfortable with the teacher and their classmates, just likeKoreans, they are willing to open up.One common point teachers have in both countries is theability to save money. Having lived in both countries, it’sdifficult to give a definitive answer on which is moreattractive, because there are so many variables, includingsalary, rent, cost of living, leisure spending, domestic travel,and transportation. It depends on lifestyle. For the mostpart, I think savings potential is about even, though this isopen to debate and further discussion. For example, publictransportation, including taxis, is much cheaper in Korea.That being said, riding bicycles is so common in Japan thatit often cancels out the need for people to spend money onpublic transportation. Moreover, even though tax might beslightly lower in Korea, the exchange rate currently favorsthe yen much more.Excluding obvious issues such as salary and tax, I thinkhousing has the biggest impact on how much a teacher cansave. At most universities in Korea, teachers will be providedrent-free, or heavily subsidized, accommodation. Teachersare usually responsible for utilities only. While this mayseem like a huge plus for Korea, there can be catches. Sure,the accommodation may be free, but you don’t get to choosewhere you live. At my first university in Korea, I wasprovided with a lovely, spacious apartment, but it was in ablock with many other faculty members. At my second job, Iwas provided an apartment where no other teachers lived,but it was extremely small and the furnishings left a lot to bedesired. Both were free and allowed me to save what I wouldhave paid in rent, but you leave things to chance in terms ofwhat kind of accommodation you get. Moreover, becausethe university provides the accommodation, if you leaveyour job, you have to vacate your apartment.In Japan, universities seldom provide teachers withaccommodation. Teachers must usually find their ownapartment and pay all associated costs. When you first getan apartment, this can be extremely expensive. Normally,you will have to pay 3-5 month’s rent in advance, in order tocover rent, the real-estate fee, bond, and ‘gift money’ to thelandlord. In addition, apartments are unfurnished. Due tosuch costs, it is very difficult to save much money in the firstyear at a job. The good thing is that you get to choose whereyou live and how your place is furnished. Further, if youleave your job, you get to stay in the apartment. The badthing is that if you leave the apartment, you need to sell orget rid of all the furniture. This is why ‘sayonara sales’ are sopopular in Japan.Overall, I think both countries have a lot to offer for teachers,both professionally and in leisure terms. Hopefully, inthe future, I can expand on more of these points and providea more in-depth analysis of some of the topics raised today.Iain Stanley is a Lecturer atMiyazaki InternationalCollege in Japan. He hastaught at the university levelin Japan, Korea, Thailand andAustralia. He is in the finalstages of his Doctoratedegree.If you have taught English in Korea andanother country, we'd like you to shareyour experiences. Please send yourproposal to TECSubmissions@gmail.comand we will let you know if others arealready working on it.Summer 2011 Volume 15, Issue 2 13

Professional Development Without a Teachers’ RoomKyle Devlin shares how to share with your colleaguesFor many, the words professional development may conjureup ideas of attending conferences, going to an organization’slocal chapter meeting, reading the latest journals orpublishing scholarly articles. However, professionaldevelopment doesn’t have to only mean these things.One of the fondest memories of my early teaching career wasthe sharing of teaching ideas in the staff room with ten tofifteen fellow teachers before, during and after classes.Though we may have been teaching classes individually, asmuch as we could, we made the learning of teachingcollaborative.Little did we know that we were taking part in professionaldevelopment – the sharing of ideas and experiences toincrease one’s skills and knowledge.Now, I’m in a setting where I see much less of my fellowcolleagues compared to where I worked in the past. Insteadof a staff room, teachers now have their own offices. It hasmade the type of collaboration that I once enjoyed muchmore difficult to take part in.Fortunately, there are ways of fostering professionaldevelopment in sharing with others even when a staff roomis nowhere to be found.Observing a ColleagueOne of the easiest ways that we as teachers can developprofessionally is to observe a colleague’s class. Having ateacher share a syllabus is one thing, but being able to sit inthe back of the room and being able to observe how anactivity is put into practice is quite another experience alltogether. At my place of employment, teachers often ask tosit in on another teacher’s class when a teacher is eitherlooking to expand his or her repertoire of courses he or shecan teach or when a teacher knows he or she will be asked toteach a new course in the future. This kind of observationcan be of benefit to both the teachers and the observer as theobserver has an opportunity to see how the material may bepresented and the teacher can ask for feedback on the lessonif he or she wishes.A Roundtable DiscussionAnother way of developing professionally is by setting up aregular roundtable discussion at one’s place of work. Aroundtable discussion is just that, a group discussion on aparticular topic. Generally, there is a person in charge of theroundtable whose task it is to ask individuals to lead aroundtable discussion. The topic may be something that theleader is particularly knowledgeable about or merelysomething that he or she has interest in. The leader of theroundtable prepares a list of questions to facilitatediscussion. The roundtable should not be one personpresenting on a topic. The goal of the discussion is forparticipants simply to share their ideas. Some have hadsuccess with holding roundtables once a month.Online SharingUntil recently, most online sharing was done through emailgroups or blogs, or sometimes through online group forums.The latest trend seems to be utilizing social networking sitesfor online sharing. The most popular of these sites isFacebook, which allows for the creation of group pages thatcan be easily connected to through one’s personal page. Inaddition to Facebook pages, some are now even utilizingTwitter to share professional development ideas online.One of the fondest memories of my earlyteaching career was the sharing of teachingideas in the staff room with ten to fifteenfellow teachers before, during and afterclasses.At its core, professional development is learning through thesharing of information. Not having a space where teachersroutinely gather does not have to mean that teachers can’tlearn and share on a daily basis. It simply means thatteachers have to look at other ways of learning and sharing,such as observing colleagues, participating in roundtablediscussions, or sharing online.Kyle Devlin received his Master’sin TESOL from The School forInternational Training in 2002. Heworked previously as a U.S. StateDepartment English LanguageFellow in Indonesia doingpre-service teacher training and iscurrently an Assistant Professor ofEnglish Education at HankukUniversity of Foreign Studies in Seoul, Korea.Summer 2011 Volume 15, Issue 2 14

Group and Pair Work in Korean ClassroomsThomas Baldwin explains how and why they should be incorporatedGuest public school and hagwon EFL teachers in Korea whowish to incorporate collaborative group and pair work oftenface difficulties when working in their classroom environments.These teachers are expected to be the English ‘gamesperson’ providing a ‘fun’ environment, not offering a trueeducational classroom. “Traditionally, teacher-centeredphilosophies emphasize the importance of transferringknowledge, information, and skills from the older(presumably wiser) generation to the younger one. Theteacher's role is to instill respect for authority, perseverance,duty, consideration, and practicality” (Sadker & Sadker,2006, p. 354). This educational philosophy is still the normin the Korean school system and administrators generally donot wish to go against the accepted system.While most educators in the 21st century would agree thatgroup and pair work are valuable activities in the EFL classroom,not all teachers in Korea are allowed to, or feel theneed to, use them. Many Western professional educatorswould say that what needs to be incorporated into Koreanstudents’ learning experience is “the broad activitiesapproach” (Harmer, 2007), allowing students to experiencea classroom from a Western perspective. This lack of Westernperspective may easily be seen in the reticence amongmany hagwon and public school administrators in Korea toincorporate changes. This is due to a reliance on the KoreanMinistry of Education (MOE) for direction, leaving classroomsthoroughly in the Korean mode. It is an educationalsystem where teacher-centered classrooms are the norm,and as such, teachers find themselves at a loss whenconfronted by the demands of a Western style of teaching intheir classrooms. This often leads to objections to the introductionof new teaching concepts by foreign teachers whoare hired to teach English but who are considered guests inKorea. Many of these problems can be solved by communication.A native-speaker English teacher (NEST) shouldattempt to begin a dialogue with his or her employer. Beingprepared for questions that may arise during this dialoguecan help the teacher overcome this resistance. This articlewill answer some questions that might come up in suchdialogues.Does it increase critical thinking?Most Western professional NESTs see interaction as thebasis for critical thinking in their classrooms. Collaborativeeffort by students allows them to change and modify theirroles in the classroom, where the students act as bothteacher and student by exhibiting a degree of independencethat would not be possible in teacher-centered environments.By incorporating this new learning style into theclassroom, the teachers will also begin to introduce Westernstyle critical thinking to their students.How can teachers arrange the classroom?There are no set rules as to how the classroom might bearranged, but many have offered basic guidelines. Klippel(1985) suggests several basic seating arrangements (circle orhalf circle) to put the students into a learning environment,noting that, “learning is more effective if the learners areactively involved in the process.” However, teachers inpublic schools are often faced with large class sizes, andsometimes have fixed seating in their classrooms. Teacherscan easily rearrange their classes to have two rows ofstudents face one another, instead of the teacher (or havestudents turn towards their partner in classrooms where thefurniture is bolted to the floor).The teacher can decide whether to keep students with thesame partner, to change partners, to pair a stronger studentwith a weaker one, or to pair two of equal ability – and canchange pairs and groupings for different tasks.In a large class, having students work in pairs or groups alsoreduces student numbers to a manageable level. A classroommanagement tool that works well to facilitate learningand participation is the use of competitions among groups ofstudents. The students working as a team then becomeactively involved with each other, rather than focusing onthe teacher. Korean students often appreciate rewards givenby their guest teacher and respond accordingly.Do students who work in pairs really learn?Pair and group work increases student talking time in classand gives students the opportunity to share learning strategies.It offers intensive, realistic practice in speaking andlistening; and it promotes a classroom ambiance that isconducive to learning. Pair work has another importantadvantage that work done in larger groups does not have."Student pairs will negotiate different aspects of the samepair activity. Therefore, pair activities help students withtheir specific language learning needs” (Harris, 2005).These outcomes of pair and group work allow the students tointegrate the target language in a covert way, virtuallyunaware that the target language is being learned.16www.KoreaTESOL.org

What about disruptive and shy students?Classrooms generally have some students who are shy, andsome who are disruptive. Activities based on the studentsalternating between pair work and group work can helpstudents become more aware of their in-class behavior.Disruptive students then have little or no opportunity todisrupt other students and will likely become more involvedjust by the nature of the activity. Klippel (1985) suggestsactivities that can help students learn to take turns,including one in which the speaker holds a ball of string andcompletes a specific task. In order to keep the process going,this student must hand the ball off to another, with eachspeaker transferring the ball, so that there are several linesof strings leading to and from her/him. These strings serveto identify the person who controls the conversation.Students are now actively involved in the classroom and areless likely to be disruptive.Korean parents like to be informed wheneverchanges occur in the pedagogical relationshipsthat go on with their children. If parents areshown that this system falls within theprofessional requirements for a ‘WorldClassroom,’ and if they are shown theresearched benefits of such changes, thenmost of them would not only allow thesechanges but would encourage them.Shy students are given the opportunity to rehearse the taskin front of an audience of one, or in front of a small group.This reduces the pressure they feel to perform, and mightmake them more likely to participate. In addition, they willbecome less reticent when they see others participate in alow-pressure situation.How will students adapt?Korean students who have never experienced a studentcenteredenvironment may be apprehensive at first, but theywill quickly adapt. They will need to be introduced to pairand group work gradually, which can be done by giving thema short task to perform. As students get used to the idea ofworking in pairs and groups, the teacher can extend therange of activities being offered (Harmer, 2007). Start withsimple, non-threatening activities that encourage thestudents to become involved and progress to more advancedactivities that cause the students to begin to think critically.Will parents accept changes to the norm?Korean parents like to be informed whenever changes occurin the pedagogical relationships that go on with theirchildren. If parents are shown that this system falls withinthe professional requirements for a ‘World Classroom,’ andif they are shown the researched benefits of such changes,then most of them would not only allow these changes butwould encourage them. Most Korean parents are alsoworried about how their children will fare on the KoreanScholastic Aptitude Test (KSAT). The KSAT currentlysupports a teacher-centered classroom with an emphasis onrote memorization, and teachers will have to continue to‘teach to the test’. However, both the Korean MOE andparents are also concerned about how these students willfare with English as the lingua franca of the new Koreaneconomy. To help students become more fluent in Englishby whatever means necessary, both groups will welcomethese changes.ConclusionNESTs genuinely want to help their students speak betterEnglish. Maximizing student talking time in the classroom isthe best way for students to improve their English ability.Pair and group work maximizes student talking time, givesshy students the opportunity to rehearse before performinga task before the entire class, keeps disruptive studentsinterested and participating, and teaches the studentsvaluable independent thinking and critical thinking skills.Korean parents and administrators want their students todo well in school and to be better-equipped to face the worldafter they graduate. It is hoped that the information in thisarticle will help teachers open dialogue with administratorson teaching through pair work, and will help the teachersanswer questions administrators might have.ReferencesHarmer, J. (2007). The practice of language teaching (4thed.). New York: Pearson Longman ELT.Harris, K. (2005). Same direction, different focus. Focus onBasics , B(A), Retrieved fromhttp://www.nscall.net/?id=988Klippel, F. (1985). Keep talking. New York: CambridgeUniversity Press.Sadker, D.M., & Sadker, M.P. (2006). Teachers, schools,and society (8th ed.). New York: McGraw Hill.Thomas BaldwinFor the past two years ThomasBaldwin has been an EnglishCommunications Instructor atWooSong University inDaejeon, Korea. Prior to that, hespent three semesters teachingEFL in Hamyang, Korea at theBoys Middle School andworking part time in a hagwon.He was also an EFL Instructor atthe Yokohama Institute ofMarine Sports and Sciences in Yokohama, Japan andhe taught in public schools and in a communitycollege in Oregon and Washington in the USA. He iscurrently a member of KOTESOL and can be reachedat thomas.wsu@gmail.com.Summer 2011 Volume 15, Issue 2 17

Textbook AdaptationHyun-Ae Lee shares advice for level-differentiated classroomsDressed in a formal black outfit, I paused at the door of theteacher’s office and took a deep breath. A short time later, Ileft the room with a single set of textbooks and thecorresponding CD-ROM in my hand, this time with a deepsigh, pondering over what I heard from one of mycolleagues: “Your students will range from kids who don’tknow the alphabet to those who aim at prestigious foreignlanguage high schools and anyone in between.” That was thefirst day of my teaching career at a Korean secondary school.I am currently in my 2nd year of teaching and lots ofquestions linger in my mind. The one that most interests meconcerns textbook adaptation in level-differentiated Englishclasses. Last year, I taught lower-level first-grade middleschool students, including many who were overwhelmed bytheir textbooks. This year, I teach first-grade classes as well,but my students are at a higher proficiency level and someare at too high a level for their textbook. Considering that allthe classroom variables, other than student competence,have remained the same, I asked myself, “will it be okay toreuse the materials from last year?” and found myselfanswering, carefully but confidently, “No.”What is going on in level-differentiatedclasses?The current National Common Basic Curriculum stronglyrecommends level-differentiated classes, especially in mathematicsand English, stating that “English classes at themiddle school level should consider different learning abilityof individual students and carry out different levels oflessons.” (KICE, 2008) Based on test results, students arestreamed into groups of homogeneous proficiency levels.For each lesson, students move to different classrooms andare taught by different teachers according to their assessedabilities, but with the same textbooks. The teachers discusswhich parts of the textbooks to keep before beginning thenew semester, and this process is critically linked to testing.To eliminate concerns that the tests might be unfair, teachersare supposed to construct test items based solely onitems that have been covered in all classes. Testing forces allteachers to teach at the same pace to ensure that they allcomplete the same tasks within a given period of time.To sum up, under the current system, students in the samegrade are split into two or three levels, all managed by differentteachers. However, the assessment of student masteryof learning objectives is not leveled correspondingly. As aresult, teaching processes, such as the adaptation oftextbook material to proficiency levels, are crucially affectedby the tests. This can lead to negative washback on classrooms,and sometimes to reduced motivation.Why is textbook adaptation needed?One major consideration for in-service teachers in thelevel-dependent Korean teaching context is that the sametextbooks are shared by students at different proficiencylevels. Although almost all English textbooks for secondary18schools in Korea are eligible for adoption at the local schoollevel, students do not have the ability to choose textbookstuned to their level. In addition, the national curriculummust be adhered to, and school exams must be administeredbased on the same course content regardless of students’competencies. Therefore, it is impracticable to match topicsto the level of students. There is another option, though.Materials can be matched to the student level instead, tokeep students’ minds on track for the topic. This suggeststhat, in designing a lesson, the core decisions should hingeon textbook adaptation rather than on textbook adoption.Streaming test BeginnerlevelstudentsIntermediatelevelstudents Are there any possible challenges to textbookadaptation?Let’s take a closer look at middle school English textbooks tosee how they are organized. There is a main textbook and itsaccompanying activity book; the latter functions as a leveledsupplementary textbook and supports the understanding ofcourse content. Each chapter of the activity book usuallyprovides three-tiered exercises, or activities built upon thesame texts (since teachers have to develop test tasks basedon course outcomes that overlap among all levels), with thetask difficulty varying so that teachers can choose anappropriate task to match students’ abilities.However, for teachers who strive to achieve congruencebetween the two course books, there might be some apprehension:How can students at the lowest level, who feel evenwww.KoreaTESOL.orgAdvancedlevelstudentstextbookFigure 1. Rationale for textbook adaptation

Figure 2. Original activity from middle school English textbook(For 1st graders, published by Chunjae (Yin-Gi Lee; revised edition), Lesson 12, p.150)a single short passage in the main textbook is impenetrable,be motivated? In addition, will all the tasks in the activitybook work with these students? In what way can studentmotivation be increased while using the same unit content?Before the list of questions gets too long, it is important thatteachers decide on any features of the material they wouldlike to change (McDonough & Shaw, 2003), using a range oftechniques such as adding, deleting, modifying, simplifying,and reordering. In addition, the level-suitability of the classroommaterial should also be taken into account.How can the textbook be best used?“The teacher must satisfy the demands of the textbook, butin ways that will meet the needs of those who learn from it”,(Stevick, 1972 in McDonough & Shaw, 2003, p. 75). So, theultimate question is, how can we cater to cross-abilitystudents with “level-appropriately” adapted textbooks?For me, the key was to have students create a portfolio thatincluded adapted-from-textbook materials and supplementaryworksheets. It brought several notable benefits to myclassroom: (a) l could generate language input matched tomy students’ ability levels with a textual form; (b) studentswere encouraged to compile the input they picked up, shiftingtheir role in the classroom from a passive to an activeone; (c) students felt a sense of achievement by updatingtheir ever-growing folders; (d) students could refer to theirpersonal learning log whenever they wanted.While I felt I had successwith portfolios someassumptions aboutadvanced students’ abilitiesare less successfulwhen transposed, withoutthought, to studentsat lower levels (Harmer,2007). The following aresome ideas about creatingsupplementary handoutsand tasks that areadded into the students’portfolios, bearing inmind levels of competence.1) For beginnerlevelsStudents who struggle atthe bottom are demotivatedand may well lagbehind in their understandingof coursecontent. They can chooseto be left out if they feelthat the tasks are notdoable.In order to adapt thecontent to get themeaning across and toboost the morale oflower-achieving students, exercises in textbooks should bemodified into more controlled tasks that give clear-cutanswers. For example, the activity shown in Figure 2, whichrequires students to complete captions for a cartoon with nogiven sentence options, can be converted into one withchoices given in jumbled order. This invites students to fill inthe blanks with lines that match each scene by consideringthe flow of the whole story and exploiting the languagesupport given. Also, more than two consecutive instructionsgiven together can be divided into separate sentences so thatstudents can better understand what they need to do (seeFigure 3).2) For advanced-levelsSome students at this level may feel that tasks in theirtextbook are not challenging enough. If they are givenmaterials that are used for intermediate or beginner levels,they might find it difficult to maintain their interest. Thus,as a necessary step toward keeping these studentsenthusiastic and motivated, activities in textbooks should becontextualized and adapted to be more attractivelychallenging.This can be done in a number of ways: First, challengingtasks with greater autonomy should be arranged for lessons.As an example, students might be invited to imagine theending of the given story or to devise possible solutions toproblems presented in the material, with or without writtenclues. This can be more demanding both cognitively andlinguistically.Figure 3. An example of textbook adaptation for beginning levelsSummer 2011 Volume 14, Issue 3 19

Figure 4. An example of textbook adaptation for advanced levelsSecond, since these students can generate their ownlanguage input, teachers can elicit support language andexploit it when outlining tasks. This helps students feelconnected to the class, and also heightens their enthusiasmfor hard work. Elicitation can even be done with printedmaterial. For example, the presentation of new vocabularyfor a reading text might be modified by distributing a wordworksheet which only provides Korean meanings andgetting students to write the English counterparts. Then,through the process of a whole-class check, students canlearn various synonyms from answers gleaned from theirpeers, as well as the target words from the textbook.Likewise, as shown in Figure 4, pictorial cues with no lexicalsupport might elicit more sophisticated expressions fromstronger students.Do your students sometimes hesitate ontheir textbook pages?Last year, I had many memorable moments in myclassroom, where I heard exclamations like “ah… got it!”from my slower students who needed extra support. Thisyear, on the other hand, I feel joy when I see my advancedstudents get involved in given tasks and hear themmurmuring “Eh? What’s this?” In large-size, leveled classes,students might switch off if they receive cookie-cutterintellectual stimulus from their textbook. To keep studentsengaged in learning, the teacher should respond not merelyto verbal questions, but even to students’ raised eyebrows.Be sensitive to their responses to the materials they have —even including their hesitating pencils on their textbookpages! This could be one of the unspoken messages whichyour student, with his or her own stance on the materials, istrying to bring to your attention. Keeping this and the aboveactivities and ideas in mind can be very helpful in dealingwith the potential difficulties inherent in level-differentiatedclasses.Hyun-Ae Lee startedher teaching journeylast year and iscurrently teaching atPyeongtaek GirlsMiddle School, apublic school locatedin Pyeongtaek, GyeonggiProvince. Her main academic interests are inmaterials development, extensive reading, andprofessional development through reflective practice.Email: jessica.efltr@gmail.comUseful websites for textbook adaptationhttp://english.njoyschool.nethttp://www.toolsforeducators.comReferencesMcDonough, J., & Shaw, C. (2003). Materials and methodsin ELT (2nd ed.). Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.Harmer, J. (2007). The practice of language teaching (4thed.). New York: Pearson Longman ELT.Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation (KICE)(2008). The national school curriculum: English.20www.KoreaTESOL.org

Before: (1) Research the audience if possible - how manypeople, how many years of experience on average, teachinglevels etc. (2) Decide how important it is for me so I knowhow much time can be dedicated to preparation. (3) Prepvisuals and practice 'out loud' in my head – I literallyvisualize myself giving the session and work through theentire session visually, including ‘hearing’ myself speak –especially the opening. Of course check the tech at the venueto the best of my ability... and bring a back-up.During: (1) Scan the audience and maintain eye contactconstantly. (2) Vary activities, be ready to alter things, keeptrack of timing, (3) Have fun and enjoy it, or focus onwhatever it is that motivates you.... and do not forget tosmile a lot! Studies of successful people show they smilemuch more than average - no matter what happens.After: (1) Ask for feedback. (2) Refer folks to more stuff atmy blog and links online. (3) Promote KOTESOL and otherevents, put people back in to the cycle by encouragingcommunity building. Tell them to join and follow KOTESOLon Facebook and Twitter.Face-off: Presentation SkillsAaron Jolly and Joshua Davies, two active members of the KTT team of teacher trainers, were asked how theyapproach giving presentations, to describe some of their outstanding presentation experiences and aboutteaching presentation skills courses. Let’s see if they agree or disagree in this edition of Face-off.1) Tell us briefly the key things you do before, during and immediately after one of yourown presentations.(1) Presenter – I did a session for GEPIK in Gyeonggi-dorecently and the audience was just so positive. I think myopening activity created such a buzz that it permeated rightthrough the 90 minutes; I’ve never had so many smiles andpositive vibes from so many audience members.Before: I try to practice parts of it in front of a live audienceand get feedback- Toastmasters is great for that (and veryforgiving of mistakes). Looking at content creation: I try toget out of my head and addresshow my topic solves audienceproblems, which leads to muchstronger buy in.During: Record it for futurereference. Focus on interaction,interaction, interaction.There’s a tendency when we getnervous to go into auto-pilot,but as soon as we stop having aconversation we lose theaudience.Joshua DaviesAfter: Send a follow up thanksto any attendees who share their business cards-it helps tocontinue the dialogue and bridge the gap betweenpresentations. Reflect: never stop adjusting/learning- evena presentation that went great can be improved, andwatching the video feedback enables that more.2) Describe your best presentation experience(s) as a presenter, teacher and audiencemember.(1) Presenter - Honestly? The first time I did a two-daytraining session and it didn’t blow up in my face, Making theleap from short sessions to leading 16 hours in a row forcedme to rethink everything in terms of flow and contentdelivery. It made me a better teacher.(2) Teacher – I did a course with Joshua at KoreaExpressways Corporation recently. One of the studentscame up with a final presentation that really moved me. Irealized again the power thatpresentation skills can have inteaching English for SpecificPurposes in ELT. He simply blew usall away.(3) Audience member – It’s a tie -Mark Helgeson (awesomecombination of interactivity, greatvisuals, informative handouts andawesome jokes), Rob Waring(passion, sureness of thought andAaron Jolly knowledge, feeling that you arewatching a revolutionary teacher inhis element), Tom Farrell (humor,call to action, being challenged as a teacher), Joy Reid (veryinteractive, always smiling, and seemed in total control ofher timing both at the macro and micro level).Summer 2011 Volume 15, Issue 2(2) Teacher - Anytime I get positive feedback from studentswho’ve had that huge moment of shock seeing their beforeand after videos. The best thing about two-day intensives isto see such a sudden real transformation.(3) Audience member - Ditto Aaron. Mark Helgesen was thefirst presenter I saw in person who ever tried to fully interactwith an audience. I’ve seen many since, but he was the firstto cause me to rethink my presenting.This article has been shortened for print. For theentire article please visit our website.www.KoreaTESOL.org/TEC21

3) In your opinion what are the three most important components of a presentation skillscourse? Why?(1) Rubric: You have to have a clear presentation skills rubricso that students know what is expected from the get-go. I useone adapted from Bryan Stoakley’s presentation skillscourse at the Korea National University of Education whichhe uses with pre-service teachers. You can find one onlineand adapt it, or ask around the KOTESOL circuit like I did.(2) Videoing: You simply do not know how you look whenyou present until you have seen yourself on video. Evenwhen I work with elementary kids I video them with my cellphone and play it back to them right away. It givesmotivation and encourages pride in performance. In arecent course, I had staff record and upload to a café or blogso that all students can see all other students videos andlearn from each other.(3) Will/passion/purpose: I firmly believe in the RobinWilliam’s stand-on-chairs-and-call-on-students-to-seizethe-dayapproach to teaching presentation skills (from DeadPoets Society). Presenting is a performance and should betreated as an art-form whatever the content. I challengestudents to tell us why anyone should care about what theyhave to present. I saw Professor David Perkins, a colleagueof Howard Gardner’s at Harvard graduateSchool of Education, give an amazing talkabout “Will” in education in 2008.Basically, through your “will” students cando amazing things. Take risks and inspireyour students, sharpen the tools of yourtrade with better use of technology, watchTED videos online and read the amazingbook on presenting by Garr Reynoldscalled Presentation Zen.(1) Student to student as well as video feedback. To continuegrowing beyond the classroom students need to develop atoolkit of self and peer assessment tools that will allow themto sustain their improvement and become part of acommunity of presenters.(2) Having a teacher who is becoming a better presenterhimself/herself. So many presentation skills classes aretaught by teachers who teach, but have never presented.They are overlapping areas, certainly, but I can’t stressenough that the teachers themselves should practicepresenting at Toastmasters or other venues, as it will allowthem to better understand and empathize with theirstudents.(3) Find local heroes. Oftentimes we focus only on westernrole models of good presenting - but sites such as TEDxSeoul have many examples of Korean presenters (speakingin Korean and English) presenting well, and this can helpbreak the idea that the ability to present interactively isculturally constrained.Aaron JollyJoshua DaviesIf you would like to challenge a friend orcolleague to a “Face-off”, send your ideato tecfeedback@gmail.com.Summer 2011 Volume 15, Issue 221A

Academic English Writing DevelopmentRobert Kim shares his ideas for univerity writing coursesIn order to teach EFL writing skills in the South Koreanacademic context, teachers should deploy varioustechniques to guide their pupils’ writing skills. Several ofthese are presented below.Brainstorming and FreewritingTwo good ways to get students to start thinking about a topicis to get them to brainstorm or freewrite.One way of brainstorming is to mind map the topic. In mindmaps, ideas are clustered to connect with a central issue.One big central circle contains the topic. The big circle joinsother circles that contain key details and examples. Forexample, a central circle could contain the main topicBarack Obama. Lines from the central circle could lead outto circles containing details such as his biography oraccomplishments. Students can organize their thoughts byconnecting the main topic with various details andexamples. Brainstorming can help pupils come up with aclear, coherent organizational scheme for their writing. Withthis approach, idea organization can lead to a path fororganized writing.Brainstorming can help students start to freewrite. They canwrite what is on their mind or respond to a question posedby their professor. When freewriting, they generate andorganize their ideas without consideration for any fluency oraccuracy errors. Freewriting can also serve as a springboardtoward tapping into prior knowledge of a topic.Show Samples of Various WritingOne technique that can be implemented in academic writingclasses is to show students samples of writing, such asparagraphs and essays.Samples can come fromprevious classes or from theassigned textbook. Theprofessor can drawattention to the features ofa good piece of writing invarious ways by breakingthe students up intodiscussion groups.Students can discusswhether a samplecomposition is properlyorganized. Alternatively,each student in a group canshare how certainsentences and paragraphsserve as examples ofspecific kinds of writing,such as ac o m p a r i s o n - c o n t r a s tcomposition. Students mayeven critique or rate asample piece of writing.These activities can help22students to integrate their knowledge of vocabulary,grammar, and syntax (Shrum and Glisan, 2004). Inaddition, group discussion can help pupils develop theircritical thinking skills and understand the content of goodand bad writing.Emphasize the Issue of PlagiarismShowing samples of plagiarized writing is important. It mustbe pointed out to East Asian EFL students that those types ofcompositions are not acceptable and can lead to a low score.The professor has the responsibility to explain what plagiarizedwriting is. He or she can show a sample, side-by-sidewith the actual source, highlighting the sentences stolenwithout proper citation. (Google.com is a good way to trackplagiarized text.) Simultaneously, professors must acknowledgethe cultural conflict with East Asian EFL learners, whobelieve that copying, conserving, and reproducing knowledgethrough memorization and imitation, without citingthe source, is ethical (Hyland, 2003). Of equal importance, awriting teacher must stress that if a student were to study incollege in a native English-speaking nation, plagiarismwould not be tolerated and could lead to expulsion.Rubrics and PortfoliosStudent writing development can be fostered through theuse of rubrics for assessment purposes and for skilldevelopment. Rubrics can be applied to rate accuracy ofspelling, punctuation, capitalization, grammar, andsentence construction. They can also be used to measureother criteria, including fluency for details, exampleorganization, paragraph construction (e.g. the use of topicsentences, detail sentences, and concluding sentences).Rather than getting a letter or numerical grade, students getwww.KoreaTESOL.org

qualitative(andquantitative) feedbackabout their strengths,weaknesses, and areas thatneed improvement. Inaddition, rubrics can definequality and providelearners with criteria thatmust be met for their work(Olson, 2007). One type ofrubric an instructor mayuse is an analytic rubric,which can break down acomposition with detailedinformation about areas ofstrength and improvementwith separate scores. Aholistic rubric could also beapplied, with oneimpression mark thatconsiders how a paper’smechanics, ideas, voice,and other criteria work inharmony for an overalleffect (Olson, 2007).To complement rubrics, portfolios can be used. When usingportfolios, a student’s writing assignments and accompanyingrubric scores are placed in folders. Looking through thiscollection, students can work with their teachers and tracktheir progress. The portfolio serves as a collection ofevidence highlighting a learner’s growth during a term. Theportfolio can offer additional angles in measuring strengths,weaknesses, and areas of improvement (Shrum and Glisan,2004). A collection of rubrics and their accompanyingassignments are used together to assess how much progresshas been made. They provide empowerment and awarenessof how students can reach their course goals in writing. Thegoal of using the writing portfolio is to provide evidence ofthe progress a student has made, and to show what stepshave been taken toward writing development across writingassignments.Use of Student-Teacher ConferencesRubrics and portfolios can complement student-teacherconferences. The instructor can point out room forimprovement. He or she must not simply make correctionsfor pupils. In fact, there is little support that learners whoreceive error corrections make fewer errors (Shrum andGlisan, 2004). Instead, writing accuracy is increased whenthe instructor gives the location of the grammar errors butrequires that students identify and fix these. Thus, grammarand content feedback can have a positive effect.Use of Peer EditingOne method for helping students with their writing is peerediting. Students work in groups and exchange theirwritings then rate and asses a classmate’s composition. Peerraters provide advice on form and format, give constructivecriticism, clarify the context, and increase accuracy (Shrumand Glisan, 2004). The teacher provides the structure forthe peer-editing process by organizing groups, clearly establishingroles, and arranging papers to be rated by someoneoutside of the peer group (Shrum and Glisan, 2004).Students can also work together to revise a poorly writtencomposition or create a group essay or paragraph. Throughcollaboration pupils can integrate their knowledge ofgrammar, vocabulary, syntax, and proper essay orparagraph cultivation (Shrum and Glisan 2000).ConclusionThe path for Korean and other East Asian EFL learners todevelop their English writing skills in universities is longand arduous. There are always going to be issues withfluency and accuracy that will trouble both professors andstudents alike. It is up to the instructor to establish themethods and strategies that will help each learner developtheir English writing skillsReferencesHyland, K. (2003). Second language writing. New York:Cambridge Language Education.Olson, C.B. (2010). The reading/writing connection:Strategies for teaching and learning in the secondaryclassroom (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.Shrum, J. I., & Glisan, E W. (2009). Teacher’s handbook:Contextualized language instruction (4th ed.). Boston,MA:Heinle.Robert M. Kim is currentlyteaching at Kyonggi University(Suwon Campus). He has anMS TESOL degree from HofstraUniversity and extensive EFLand ESL teaching experiencein Korea and the United Statesrespectively.Email: iamrmk@AOL.com.Summer 2011 Volume 15, Issue 2 23

KoreaTESOL.orgBryan Stoakley introduces what KOTESOL’s new website can do for youMuch of KOTESOL's Internet-based exposure has gonethrough a considerable amount of change and new implementation.We have upgraded our systems and website fromscratch so that we may better serve our membership, attendees,and organizational partners. This drastic step wasrequired on several tiers and the end result(s) will make ourorganization a better networked and informed group!However, before explaining some of these changes we havesome explanations and requests for you. First, when weupgraded the website to a new version we determined themost beneficial step/improvement for the membershipdatabase (member contact information) was to have everymember re-insert there contact information regardless ofmembership status. We request(ed) this because of two coreproblems: a) members’ data was extremely outdated as fewmembers update(d), and b) the upgrade to the new site wasmet with data tables not transferring due to versions notmelding and new data being requested. We recognized thiswould be an inconvenience to reregister, and have had someconstructive feedback on difficulties some members havehad, and with this useful feedback we are continuallyimproving and simplifying the registration process for members!Please (re) register now if you have not yet.Now, on to read about some of the additions and changesmade to the site and how you might be able to contribute.Website UpgradesThe Korea TESOL website was developed with the intent tomeld new and improving technologies which will enablemany new features, such as access to multiple languages.For example, it is our intent to be in better contact with youabout conferences, events, publication releases, and importantnotices while limiting frequent Emails and eliminatingspam. In order to facilitate this, we aim to keep in contactvia social media outlets (i.e., Facebook, Twitter, andLinkedIn), as well as through more traditional means ofEmail. If you have any announcements you want on theofficial sites, email the Social Media Director, Mike Peacock,at socialmedia@koreatesol.org or the Publicity Chair, JureMajnaric, at Publicity@koreatesol.org. Email notices havealso undergone an html upgrade, of which you may havenoticed in recent Emails from us. In addition to thesenotices, we may also be able to message you about otherannouncements straight to your KoreaTESOL user ID. Weare working on a program that will allow you a choice onhow to accept announcements (via Email or User ID).The ForumThe website is now streamlined so that only “official”documentation will be held on the website proper, while allother pertinent documentation (i.e., chapter newsletters,member news, and current/new publications such asProceedings and/or The Korea TESOL Journal) will befound on the official KOTESOL Forum. The Forum is only(site wide) accessible by members of KOTESOL and access24will be granted upon associated email addresses. The Forumis going to be the source for much content through Chapters,Special Interest Groups, Korea Teacher Training, NationalCouncil, and other key benefits for members. The Forum(sure, original name, I know, so send me something better atwebmaster@koreatesol.org and we will change it!) has greatpotential to be something of benefit to members andorganizational partners. It is envisioned that the forum willbe a place where members can find discussions on just aboutanything relating to living, working, or what-not in SouthKorea, yet hopefully a copious amount about teaching willbe found here.It is also hoped that we can offer the membership a freeplace to upload resumes and for employers to post jobadvertisements. Furthermore, member news will also befound here as discussions can be held on topics published(newspapers, journals, et cetera) by KOTESOL membersthemselves, or otherwise. Obviously, those of us whofrequent other boards recognize that some moderating isneeded, so before all boards are opened we need individualsto help the Web Services Committee moderate The Forum.The more depth we have “on staff” the larger we can growthe forum and permit more benefits to members through it.Please, email me at if you are interested in being a moderator!Video ContentAs made mention on the bottom left corner of the website,we have official Vimeo and YouTube channels. You can visitthese channels at http://www.vimeo.com/kotesol andhttp://www.youtube.com/user/KoreaTESOL. From herewe can, and will, post any videos relating to interests inKOTESOL. We know there is a lot content out there, soplease send your videos (or links to) tovideo@koreatesol.org. The Video Director, Justin McKibbon,will be in contact with you in regards to the content.www.KoreaTESOL.org

Payment Capabilities and “The Store”Another feature we are striving to offer our membership isthe ability to allow payment to be made via such additionalpayment services as Paypal, Google Checkout, and creditcards. The former two options are being worked out aslocation is an issue, while the latter will be enacted when weare confident on the security of the option taken. From thisfeature we will be able to offer online purchases of not onlytangible goods, but access to such content as live and/orrecorded webinars.Improving Teaching via Web ServicesCombining the technologies mentioned above, the WebServices Committee also has the ability to offer webinars forour members. These webinars, which will cater to a widerangingaudience, can be synchronous or asynchronous. Ifthe format is synchronous we also have the capability toallow members to “sit in” as a non-participating audiencemember, or if requested, we can supply interaction betweenaudience member(s) and presenter(s). The possibilities arenearly endless as the technology grows by leaps and bounds!A Ph.D (candidate) known as“Stoakley” by friends,colleagues, students, andboth local and internationallaw enforcement agencies,the author has been “webmastering”for KOTESOLsince 2007 in one position or another, and is a facilitatorin the MCALL SIG.Contact him by phone: 010-6564-5425 or atwww.stoakley.org.Finally, there are many new features for this website, manyof which will be progressively enabled or apparent– staytuned! Should you have any questions or concerns, you mayreach me at webmaster@koreatesol.org.TEC Submission GuidelinesThe English Connection (TEC) is KOTESOL's quarterly news magazine, featuringscholarly articles as well as teaching tips and articles on working and living inKorea. The English Connection is currently provided for free to KOTESOLmembers.The English Connection welcomes unpublished articles in the followingcategories:Feature articles: These should be 2000-3500 words on topics of interest tolanguage teachers in Korea. Please send your photos or artwork as well.Guest columns: Contributions should be around 800 or 1600 words and shouldbe on practical subjects for language teachers in Korea. Art and photos are alsostrongly encouraged.Topics of interest include but are not limited to: classroom experiences, culturalissues, CALL, language learning, professional development, or general teachingtips.Manuscripts should be sent to tecsubmissions@gmail.comNews items should be sent to koreakotesolnews@gmail.comPlease send your thoughts and suggestions for TEC to tecfeedback@gmail.comSummer 2011 Volume 15, Issue 2 25

Team Teaching in Elementary SchoolsSean Donnelly shares his experiences with his Korean co-teacherWhat follows is a short examination of team teaching in aKorean public school based on my own experiences,struggles, and successes. I have been teaching in Korea forover four years but only 6 months of this time have I beenpartnered with a co-teacher. Although team teaching doeshave its pitfalls and critics in the ESL world, there are thosewho have enjoyed success when involved in such a setup. Itseems that a successful team teaching experience is notbeyond our reach, but to get to the promised land ofenjoyable team teaching there are several key steps whichmay need to be followed in order to make it an effectiveteaching and learning experience.There are various models of team teaching from which tochoose from, and sometimes the one you end up with in yourclassroom might be out of your hands. During my firstsemester at my current school I was paired with a Koreanteacher who had been teaching at the school for a few years.Therefore, I felt obliged to follow her lead in choosing themethod as I presumed this was school policy. It was thetraditional model where we both taught the same group ofstudents and had an equal amount of teaching time. Thereason I feel this model failed to work for us is due to a lackof communication and limited planning time betweenco-teachers. On several occasions one teacher was not awareof what the other had planned until 5 minutes before classstarted. It was not until the second or third time of teachingthe lesson again that either one of us felt comfortable withthe lesson as whole, goals that were to be met, or even thestructure of the lesson.both new teachers are new to the school). In the new format,I teach the students twice a week with almost full control ofplanning and execution of lessons. The third lesson islikewise except the Korean teacher is in the driver’s seat.Before finalizing plans, we meet to discuss anyimprovements that could be made or any pitfalls whichalready may be included yet unseen by the teacher incontrol. I have found that in using this method I do not feelI am stepping on anyone’s toes (or they are stepping onmine), I am not blasting through activities for the sake of theco-teacher getting her full 20 minutes and there is a betterflow to the lessons as the theme is maintained throughoutthe lesson with relevant activities that build on each other.I would advise any team teachers that if your currentmethod is not proving successful, experimentation might beuseful. If you are bound by school policy to follow a specificmethod which you feel is flawed, I would saycommunication and respect for the other’s teachingphilosophy are paramount. I failed to see the warning lightsin my first semester, but with some consideration andadjustment I am pleased with how things have beenprogressing this semester.We should have taken the time to meet on a regular basis tomap out specifically what we hoped the students wouldachieve by the end of the lesson. Various factors inhibitedsuch occasions from frequently occurring due to differingschedules. A severe lack of motivation for team teachingfrom both parties added to its failure as neither of us had anyreal experience with this approach and, in secret at least,neither of us were convinced of its effectiveness before weeven entered the classroom together for the first time.I felt obliged to follow her lead in choosing themethod as I presumed this was school policy.We failed to meet before the semester started to discuss ourteaching philosophies and styles. It would have helped toknow what we both valued in teaching, and even if our stylesdiffered entirely, we could have incorporated these stylesinto the classroom with ease and careful planning, and withrespect for the other’s ideas.Thankfully, my second semester has been more agreeableand effective due to a complete shift in focus on what teamteaching can be about. I have two new co-teachers thissemester, one for each grade I teach. With the previoussemester’s experiences in mind, I decided to take the lead onhow this semester would go (this was helped by the fact thatSean Donnelly has beenteaching English since2005. He earned his MA inTESOL the same year andhas a keen interest in thedifferent learning styles oflanguage learners. Hearrived in Korea in 2007 and has had some veryrewarding experiences in the classroom. Seancurrently works at Doseong Elementary Schoolteaching grades 4 and 6.26www.KoreaTESOL.org

Managing Your Elementary School ClassroomMatthew Stone offers tips for managing young learnersI’ve never been put in jail before, but I imagine it’s similar tostepping into a public school classroom for the first time: thesense of entrapment, the nervous sweating, the multipleeyes prodding for weaknesses. I heard in a movie once thatyou’re supposed to beat up the biggest guy on your first dayof prison and everyone else will leave you alone. In an EFLclassroom, however, I recommend you try the steps listedbelow.Step 4: Give Them RewardsWhile it’s true that the students will try hard just to be thebest class on the chart, I think they also need some sort ofreward. This doesn’t mean you’re going to take the best classout for a steak dinner, but I think it’s fine if the best classgets a little candy and a certificate at the end of the semester.You might disagree with me, but I’ve found that mere praisealone doesn’t always sell the system on day one.Step 1: Draw Up Your Battle PlanYou need to plant the seeds of expectation from the momentyou step into the classroom. Have your reward/consequencesystem at least partially formed, your progress chart drawnup, and your rules ready to be listed. Be prepared! Youwouldn’t just completely wing your lesson, so don’t wingyour classroom management.Step 2: Reward MarkersOn day one of the semester, the first thing I do when I walkin to the classroom is pick up the marker and draw a ‘happyface’ with four empty slots beside it. Then I draw a ‘sad face’with four empty slots beside that. I turn to the class and givethe following instruction: “When I say ‘pay’, you say ‘attention’and clap three times. Ready…Pay!” If the students get itnice and loud on the first try, they get their first happy face.If they don’t, we’ll practice it again until they do.Step 5: Be Firm!Please, please, please be firm. You don’t have to come upwith a million rules; just the one’s you feel are needed toproperly manage the class. Don’t bother with rules that youcan’t possibly enforce (no speaking Korean, ever!) or rulesthat are already enforced by their homeroom teachers (nocell phones). Do include rules about raising your hands,talking in turn and being quiet when prompted by theteacher. Model these rules. Pretend you’re the student andhave them give you thumbs up/down as you act them out.Go through the correct ways to properly line up and to getthe teacher’s attention. You’ll save yourself more than a fewheadaches later on. Give some leeway on the first day or two,but after that, if the class breaks a rule give them a sad face.You’ll find that the first one or two sad faces will scare themenough that you rarely make it to four. But just in case, beready with an appropriate punishment- I suggest linewriting. Don’t feel bad for giving them consequences. Afterall, you explained the rules, didn’t you?ConclusionNow, I have to be honest. Following these steps alone won'tensure that you class will run one hundred percent smoothlyall the time. I encourage you to build on the things I've said;to always be tweaking your management system and lookingfor new methods to try out in the classroom. This is merely astarting point from which you can construct the system thatworks for you. Make sure the rules are well known to yourstudents and, perhaps more importantly, to yourself. Befirm on your consequences for poor behavior, but make sureyou’re reinforcing the good behavior. Good luck. Managingthirty kids at once isn't easy, but it's almost always possible.Step 3: Show Them Their ProgressIn my classes, I always have a progress board. This is usuallya simple piece of white cardboard, with a line for each classin the grade I’m teaching (ex. 3-1, 3-2, 3-2…). This can gohorizontally, vertically, diagonally, or which ever way youwant. Just make sure it’s easy for the students tounderstand, and make sure they can see it at all times. If theclass gets four happy faces, they get one more sticker on theboard that day. They get four sad faces and I’ll rip a stickerright off. Anything less than four happy faces results in nosticker for that day and an explanation on how they can dobetter next time.Matthew Stone has beenteaching English for 4 years,mostly in Seoul. He has alsoworked with special needschildren in his native Canada.He currently works in anelementary school in Seoul.He plans to go home this fallto continue his studies ineducation.Summer 2011 Volume 15, Issue 2 27

KOTESOL’s Quarterly Online NewsletterFeaturiing chapter,, SIIG,, and member newswww.KoreaTESOL.org/TECNewsNew Online Options1. No Word Count Limits for Contributors2. Insert Images, Video Links, Hyperlinks, and URL’sTo make a submission, please contactEzekiel Mentillo or Curtis Desjardins atKoreakotesolnews@gmail.com.

Expat LifeESL forums guru Ttompatz provides a guide to E2 visa changesIn this column I want to touch briefly on a few issues that arecommon threads of discussion on the various ESL forums onthe Internet. One of the big ones at the moment surroundsthe requirements for “national” criminal background checks(CBC) and apostilled copies of your degree.In late 2010, Korean immigration announced that as ofJanuary, 2011 they would no longer accept originals of yourdegree for E2 application purposes and they now require a“national” CBC rather than a local or state check. For new E2applications this change was little more than a minor inconvenienceand a slightly longer delay in arranging the paperworkto come to Korea. For those who already came in underthe old rules it has caused a bit of an uproar due to thedifficulty in obtaining the required documentation while inKorea.In January of this year the Korean Immigration Servicedelayed the onset of the requirement for those who werealready in Korea and working on valid E2 visas. Currently,since the relaxation of the onset of the changes, you areallowed one change of status (extension, renewal, transfer)after January, 2011 and before December, 2011 without theneed to supply new documentation. For those of you whoqualify for this you will be required to sign a form statingthat you are aware of the requirement to submit them andagree that you will submit them the next time you make achange in your status. This means that most of you have justabout 6 months to take care of getting your documentationin order.One big thing I would like to say aboutthe Korean Immigration Service(http://www.immigration.go.kr/) is that theyare NOT your enemy. When you havequestions or potential problems with yourstatus of sojourn in Korea they should be oneof your first stops.Another change designed to smooth out the paperwork forE2 holders is the easing of the requirements for a transfer ofsponsorship from one employer to the next at the end ofyour contract. Under the new rules you can change jobs onthe completion of your contract with just a simple transferrather than the need to make a new visa application and avisa run to obtain a new visa. Transfers can be completedany time during the last week of your old contract and upuntil the expiry of your ARC. Transfers attempted more than1 week before the end of your contract still require thepermission of your sponsor (letter of release) before thetransfer is approved.Other good news from immigration was the elimination ofthe requirement for re-entry permits for registered (youhave an ARC) foreigners. Now, all registered foreigners arefree to leave and return without the need for a re-entrypermit for as long as your ARC remains valid. In the case ofF5 holders, you are allowed a maximum of 2 years out of thecountry without re-entry.One big thing I would like to say about the KoreanImmigration Service (http://www.immigration.go.kr/) isthat they are NOT your enemy. When you have questions orpotential problems with your status of sojourn in Korea theyshould be one of your first stops. They will try to help youwithin the limits of the law to keep your status in Korea.They are not there to try to catch you in some obscure ruleand deport you or cause you problems.Another great resource that you should keep in mind is theSeoul Global Center (http://global.seoul.go.kr/). They canoften assist with many of the daily frustrations that you mayencounter as well as provide a wealth of information onmost topics that you may have questions about. You can alsocall them at 02-2075-4130. They are located on the 3rd floorof the Seoul Press Center (just to the north of Seoul CityHall), 124 Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul.You can certainly have a fun and productive year or 10 inKorea. Make the best use of your time and enjoy yoursojourn period. In the next column I will try to address someof the issues about getting around in Korea and maybe someof the off-the-path things to see and do while you are here.Best of luck to you all during your time here in the land ofthe morning calm.Many of you who frequentany of the ESL forums on theinternet will probablyrecognize him by hispen-name, “Ttompatz”. Hehas been in the ESL game forsome 16 years, most of whichwere spent in Asia and almosta decade of which has beenspent here in Korea. As well as working as a teacherhe has also spent many years working as a volunteerat one of the foreigner help centers here in Korea aswell as posting on the more common internet ESLforums. Contact him at ttompatz@yahoo.com.Summer 2011 Volume 15, Issue 2 29

Report Cards from the EdgeJason BurnettReport Cards from the Edge is intended to be a fun and interactive comic strip.We encourage readers to submit caption ideas and use the comics in class.Send your captions to tecfeedback@gmail.com to compete for inclusion in the fall issue.tecfeedback@gmail.comFall Issue PreviewInternational Conference Preview Pull-out SectionKorea-UAE ComparisonNew Advice ColumnNew Expat Life ColumnAnd many new exciting articlesLook for it online at www.KoreaTESOL.com/TEC30Photo by: David Hasenick (www.pbase.com/dbh)www.KoreaTESOL.org