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| Graduates of Sookmyung Women's University TESOL program introduce their company to graduating students during a job fair held on the school's campus in Seoul last year. / Courtesy of Sookmyung Women's University |
TESOL adopts online software, including Google Classroom
By Chung Hyun-chae
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| Dr. Yeum Kyung-sook, director of Sookmyung Women's University TESOL |
Dr. Yeum Kyung-sook, director of Sookmyung Women's University TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages), said technology is the key to cultivating English teachers.
"Students in the digital age are familiar with up-to-date technology," Yeum told The Korea Times in an interview at her office on Aug. 26. "As it is not enough for today's English teachers to just practice their language skills, Sookmyung TESOL is working to provide classes where they can enhance their digital literacy."
She said students are required to use Google Classroom, Google Drive and sometimes Black Board, online classroom software that provides users with platforms for communication and sharing content, in the school's five programs.
"We have designed specific programs rather than providing general education," said Yeum who is a board member of the TESOL International Association.
The programs are: Sookmyung Women's University TESOL (SMU-TESOL), the most sought-after TESOL program for local students; TESOL Certificate for Young Learners (YL-TESOL), which is for teachers of young learners ages four to 12; Play and Learn TESOL (PL-TESOL), which trains teachers who will teach young children ages three to eight; TESOL Certificate for International Teachers (STG Program) for non-Korean students; and SM-ELTeach, a compact program blended with online and offline classes.
In particular, SM-ELTeach is where the latest technology is applied.
"This program is for those who are too busy or who live far away," Yeum said. "The important thing is that our online classes are live, which means students are able to do teamwork and interact with their professors during class."
She added that the school has chosen Black Board, which she believes is the most effective software among telecommunications applications. It provides video chat so that students can easily gather for group or pair work in one space without having to get in and out of chat rooms. The other programs use live online classes as well.
"Live and interactive face-to-face online classes are important because teachers can improve social interaction skills that are essential in interacting effectively with their students in the classroom," Yeum said.
"Although a teacher with great teaching skills is prepared before entering the classroom, he or she will face a number of unexpected situations due to students' reactions and group chemistry."
She believes that training students with a variety of courses enhances future learning outcomes.
Yeum was elected to the board of directors at the TESOL International Association in March. She is the first Korean to become a board member.
"I can see innovations and breakthroughs in TESOL education throughout the world, and I want to share Korea's success with other countries during my three-year term," she said.
Yeum also served as chair of the Pan-Asia TESOL Conference in 2010 and as president of Korea TESOL (KOTESOL) in 2004-2005.
Practical learning
Sookmyung's TESOL programs focus on practical learning.
"A classroom is no longer a place where students merely learn from professors; instead, they should have more opportunities to discuss the ideas they have studied with materials their professors uploaded on Google Classroom or Drive before coming to class," Yeum said.
"English teachers trained like this will be able to create a flipped classroom where students learn by themselves while being highly self-motivated."
Another feature that sets Sookmyung TESOL apart from other programs is the "Alumni Video Teaching Competition" the school launched last year.
The school's graduates can participate in the competition by sending a video of their teaching.
"We regard it as a kind of lifetime warranty for our graduates in that our professors give feedback about their teaching skills," Yeum said. "It is also helpful for us to observe the actual learning environment so that we can develop theories in a comprehensive and coordinated way."
Sookmyung has worked with about 30 foreign universities in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, including New York University, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Hawaii at Manoa. TESOL certificates and the credits earned through Sookmyung's programs are transferable to those cooperating universities' master's degree programs, which allows SMU-TESOL graduates to complete all the requirements of the master's programs in less time than usually required.
20th anniversary
Sookmyung launched the TESOL certificate program for the first time in the country in 1997.
"With our slogan TESOL Beyond, we will keep trying to lead TESOL education not only in Korea but also in the world," Yeum said.
The school has also started new projects.
One is the International Video Teaching Competition which was launched earlier this year. English teachers from other countries can take part in the competition.
"I expect that we could learn from other countries' learning environments, and teaching methods from the competition," Yeum said. "We will showcase the winners along with the award-winning videos of our first teaching competition at the event next year."
The school has also run the Storytelling Project to collect stories of its graduates who are working in various fields. It plans to share the cases during the event.
