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Dr. Cho
C&T 491
1 July 2019
Final Reflection
Going into this program I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I had only met the other KU
student teachers briefly, and while I knew the basics schedule of the practicum, I did not know
many details. While I was looking forward to the practicum, I was quite nervous considering my
lack of teaching experience. Luckily, since we all live together, I quickly grew close with the
other KU students. And from the first day the students were so welcoming which has made it
easier to transition into a busy schedule. My time at Kyunghwa has been unforgettable and
extremely rewarding. I have learned so much about English foreign language (EFL) teaching and
about myself. Though the past six weeks have been very busy and a bit overwhelming, the
students and my peers made the heavy workload well worth it.
Beginning the program I was not too worried about culture shock since I have been to
Korea last year and have studied the culture. However, on this program, I realized I did not know
much about Korean high school life. While I knew academics were important to East Asian
culture, I did not know the extent of it. I was very surprised to hear that most students go to one
or more private academies after school, and most get very few hours of sleep. Students are up
until late hours of the morning studying at the dorm. I have learned that at Kyunghwa teachers
teach to the college entrance exams. While American high schools are also guilty of teaching to
the test, it seems worse in Korean high school since college admittance is so competitive and
college entrance exams are highly valued. Choi states, “standardized testing influences and even
controls not only individual learning styles and future careers, but also teaching paradigms and
educational systems” (39). Both Korean culture and college competitiveness play a role in the
students’ long hours of studying and have a large impact on what teachers are allowed to teach in
the classroom.
Though I knew English was important for Korean students to learn for purposes of
international communication, I didn’t realize how important it was for Korean college entrance
exams. Students are forced to learn for purposes of a test, rather than for their own personal
reasons. Therefore it was important for us to give the students motivation in the classroom, and
make them realize that English is important for reasons other than exams. We focused on more
real-world uses of English that focused on communication. We also focused on motivating the
students and bring energy and enthusiasm to the classroom. When teaching we had to flexible.
Since Greg teaches 24 classes a week, each class has a distinct personality and what works in one
class may not work for another. As Guilloteaux states, “no single motivational strategy can
always motivate every learner in any situation, because of the dynamic character of the
classroom context (4). I learned that we had to be flexible when teaching and had to be prepared
to make changes to the lesson depending on the class’reaction. This was especially important
when teaching quieter classes or high energy classes. No matter the class we had to focus on
getting the students motivated and engaged, while also properly pacing our lesson for the allotted
50 minutes.
Since teachers often teach to the test, I have noticed in Greg’s classroom that students
may be very talented at English grammar but may still struggle with speaking skills. There is
little correlation between students’ written/grammar ability and the students’ speaking skills.
With my time in Korea I have realized that students are forced to memorize vocabulary and
grammar rules in their English class in order to prepare for college entrance exams. Because of
this, Jaylen and I tried to focus mainly on verbal communication skills when teaching in Greg’s
classroom. These skills are more helpful when having to communicate with other English
speakers, and it was a nice break from their other English classes taught by Korean teachers.
Despite the long hours of studying, the students were always so enthusiastic and happy to
talk to us. Their positive attitudes are what motivated to make the best lesson possible for the
classroom. Even on our first day, the students didn’t know us at all but were all so welcoming
from the beginning. During this program, I have realized the workload and preparation needed to
be a successful teacher. However, because of the Kyunghwa students, I have learned how
rewarding it is to be a teacher. I have learned so much about Korean culture, Korean high school
life, and about teaching from the girls at Kyunghwa. It was so much fun to teach them about my
experience growing up in the US and to learn from them about their experiences growing up in
Korea. Though I have experienced some xenophobic opinions from Koreans, usually older
people, while studying in Seoul last year, I loved that the students were so welcoming to all of
us. No matter our age, race, or gender they were always so happy to talk to us. This made me
realize that Korea is quickly changing as people, especially the younger generation, is more open
After my experience on the TESOL program, I feel much more knowledgeable about
EFL teaching. Now that I’ve had some experience in an EFL classroom, I can make a more
informed decision on my future career path. I would love to return to Korea and try teaching for
at least a couple years. From there, I may go back to graduate school or pursue another career.
But I loved my time on this TESOL practicum and since it was only six weeks, I would love to
teach for a longer period of time in the future. This program made me realize how much work
teachers put into the classroom. I’ve also discovered how rewarding it is to teach and form
Choi, I. (2008). The impact of EFL testing on EFL education in Korea. Language Testing,25(1),
39-62.