EL Fellow Program
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This project has been cancelled
Country South Korea
City Gyeonggi Province
Host Institution Gyeonggi-do Institute for Foreign Language Education (GIFLE)
Project Description
During the current EL Fellow Program, Post has focused primarily on teacher training workshops, classroom management and demonstration as well as curriculum and material development. Post has determined that within existing English language teacher training programs, methodology courses are overly theoretical, with little attention paid to practical application. Also, these existing methodology courses are taught and administered by Korean professors, with foreign teachers of English specializing in teaching English proficiency. In meeting with teachers nationwide, Post has concluded that teachers are interested in learning to know how to put methodologies into practice. However, the current system makes it very difficult for outside ideas to be considered or incorporated into existing programs.
Project Objectives
To improve the awareness of the value of teaching and learning English beyond attaining high test scores; improve the understanding of the United States among teachers, school administrators, government officials, the media, and students; increase the effectiveness of English language learning among teachers by providing opportunities to discuss and practice teaching methods and techniques, while also improving their English fluency.
Time Frame
August 2007 - arrival and orientation
September 2007 - coordinate materials and curriculum development; conduct weekly, short-term in-service training programs at Gyeonggi-do Institute for Foreign Language Education (GIFLE). October 2007 - monitor and provide feedback of in-service programs through classroom observation; begin student-focused programs and activities at universities, high schools and American Corners
November 2007 - continue teacher and student-focused programs and activities at high schools and American Corners; conduct weekly, short-term in-service training programs at GIFLE
December 2007 - monitor and provide feedback of in-service programs through classroom observation
January 2008 - conduct four-week pre-service training programs at GIFLE
February 2008 - conduct four-week pre-service training programs at GIFLE
March 2008 - conduct weekly, short-term in-service training programs at GIFLE; perform workshops with students and professors at education universities
April 2008 - conduct weekly, short-term in-service training programs at GIFLE; perform workshops with students and professors at education universities located outside of Gyeonggi Province
May 2008 - conduct weekly, short-term in-service training programs at GIFLE; carry out co-teaching workshops for Korean and native speaker English teachers located outside of Gyeonggi Province June 2008 - provide feedback on workshops; assist in developing new programs for the next EL Fellow
About the Host Institution
Gyeonggi Province is located in the central western part of Korea. It surrounds the metropolis of Seoul and city of Incheon, borders Hwanghae Province in the north, Gangwon Province in the east, South-Chungcheong Province in the south, and the Yellow Sea in the west. Overall population in the province exceeds one million. As the logistical hub of Northeast Asia, Gyeonggi Province has an open business environment and supports foreign investors. It even boasts an industrial complex designated exclusively for foreign companies. To add, the province is at the forefront of developments in transportation and IT technology, and recognizes that English has become crucial for local residents to connect with the outside world. In 1995, Gyeonggi Province established the Gyeonggi-do Institute for Foreign Language Education (GIFLE), with the following goals: to increase Korea's competitiveness by improving foreign language skills; to expand international partnerships through teacher exchange programs; to modify current thinking and methods of foreign language education. As the only teacher training center in Korea which focuses on training teachers of foreign languages, GIFLE aims to inspire Korean foreign language teachers to become enthusiastic about learning and teaching English by enhancing effective communication skills, multicultural awareness, and language teaching abilities. Similarly, the provincial government strongly supports globalization trends and the development of English language programs and services. Within Gyeonggi Province, there are 25 municipal education offices and five education training centers. Countrywide, it is the leading region in promoting and enhancing better education for its residents. One of the 2007 goals of Gyeonggi Province is the development of human resources to meet the challenges of globalization. As a result, the province is developing an additional English village and numerous other English language-focused projects. In addition, the Korean government has set a goal to post a native speaker of English to all middle schools by the year 2008 and made it mandatory to learn English from grade 1 of elementary school.
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