Final reflection

I started my career as an English teacher in Seoul as soon as I graduated, even I never expected to be an EFL teacher.  I am thinking about what I am doing here so far?

I became a new Canadian (people called me) by family immigration. I worked for communication design industry several year in Toronto however I desired something different life.
I decided to come back to Seoul.

I used to work with 80 L1 teachers at the large private school, it was very interesting, co-operative teachers had all different background and cultures as well.  I opened my eyes and ears to see the world.

STG gave me new concept of EFL teaching,
I gave up my EFL career after 2years of  teaching adult class in Gangnam, because I had no idea what to do with them?
I was exhausted that time, I needed little time to off.

All theories, concept, methodology, design lesson plan, and second language acquisition were really interesting during this course. I think STG more focus on linguistic approach of learning.

I am a L2 English teacher, second language acquisition is one of my interest. Bill Johnston mentioned about EFL teachers' professionalism. I am strongly agree with him. I recommend all EFL teachers to take TESOL, it will give them more ideas how to teach language!! 

STG was really practical, I started to reflect myself as an EFL teacher.
How was my micro teaching1, 2, and 3?

I watched again and again seriously, even I found L2 errors by myself.
Self-reflection was a real mirror of  my current ability of teaching. I was very surprised to see myself in videos. They are important data of my progress.

I would like to keep study MA Tesol program to develop myself as a language teacher. TESOL course guide me what's right, effective, and right way to teach L2 learners.

I will keep reflecting myself as much as I can!!!

ICC reflection (pragmatics competence)

https://plus.google.com/u/0/114368196878862781895/posts
note: Kyle upload my teaching video on his google+

Reflection about ICC final micro teaching for the preview & presentation stage.

(Note: I amended my lesson plan here, this reflection is different what I did in ICC class.)
Concept of the lesson: I would like to teach novice low students what is another meaning of spoken language?  Real goal of TL is meaningful communication. Sometime indirect TL communication makes misunderstandable. For this lesson, how the usage of back channel cues related Korean cultural norms give the listener different impression or interactivity during their conversation.

Preview
 I'm starting question with where are you going this Christmas holidays? This is TD question to elicit 2 listening about the vacation. Students talked about their vacation plans before we started actual listening parts. It was quite short minute to ask each other.
*change little bit this part: Show them pictures related holidays activity like hiking, skiing, shopping, visiting family and ect. Talk to your partner about your plan where are you going this holidays. After this pair work, student will listen two listening.

Presentation
Contextualized
a) listening part 1: Ss will be listening conversation they are just reading, no intonation, no back channel cues like great, interesting, oh, yes, ect. Two people are just reading like a book.
b) listening part2: Ss will be listening conversation they are listening the conversation they are speaking with back channel cues, and intonation.

Student will feel and hear big differences between those two conversation. This is my objective of this listening activity. Student will be learning how much they are transferring Korean cultural norms to L2 languages from the 2 listening examples.  Background channel cues and intonations are  examples of my lesson. English has intonations, gesture, face expression, and use many face muscles as much as they can.  People here use L1 actor as examples, they have many face expression when they speak in a movie. S

Isolation
Student activity: Student will be checking the exercise sheet. How  was speaker's rate of speech, stress, intonation, tone of voices, fade in & out, breathing, background channel cues, and etc. Those compounds makes the language more natural and sound like a real conversation.
* change: Student will be completed the worksheet in a small group. They will compare how does the sound different and why does the sound different.
Student will be completed where do I insert background cues activity in a small group.

Any thoughts related Morn's framework? (How student understand culture using Morans' frame.)
1. knowing about: listening 2 conversation Big C
2. how: Listening activity (worksheet), Ss will know using background channel cues are more interactive.
3. Why: Why do we evaluate our voice? Small C
4. Oneself: Do Ss understand this lesson, checking their worksheet.
Do they take this L1 norm or refuse?----- personal option
What's C1 and C2 difference? or common?--------- same function and one reason (communication), difference
 Why does it happen? -------------- transfer own cultural norm, belief, and old habit to new culture which is L2.
5. My own question ----------- To acquire more deeply L2, do we change our own thought to TL culture  as well? It maybe very hard to change.

Teaching Pronunciation reflection

I practiced this lesson with Sally last week. Teaching pronunciation was quite challenge for me, even I have my own problems to be corrected. I'm still thinking about pronunciation issue. Who's pronunciation is correct? Who's pronunciation is the most standard?
Pronunciation is the most interesting subject related a critical period of learning L2.

Jason Lee also talked about a critical period issue in SLA class, but I disagree with him some of part.
By his research from age 17-age27 period of learning English is not much difference, I don't think so.

I think 0-5years, under10 years, under 15years, under 20years, under 25years, under 30 years all age groups are different. I experienced who's arrived 1year earlier and 1year later showed a big language learning progress difference.

I'm teaching age8 and age11 elementary kids, I think these kids pronunciation will be better than adult learner someday. I had a presentation about a critical period of age 3-age7. I had a great lesson about critical period of language learning. I'm strongly agree with Norm Chomsky's hypothesis which is LAD (Language Acquisition Device).  The case of Genie gives me more a clear answer of why childhood is a critical period for language learning.  His Hypothesis claims that the first years of childhood are the best time to acquire a language.

I'm thinking about Korea in  here what we are doing. Korea is not an English nation, of course Korean is the first language. How can we teach kids pronunciation in here. The reality of English environment is so limited, lack of teachers, books, classes related to economical matter.
Kids have only few hours classes with L1 for a week. To hire more certify English teachers are impossible in public schools at this time. I think if kids practice pronunciation at least 1hour everyday, they will be mimicking more naturally.

I'm playing with Sally how to practice pronunciation using the flash cards, it was very interesting time with her. I didn't know how to correct pronunciation. She and I practiced together, I hope Sally can speak more naturally. I really want to know how to teach  and  how to correct pronunciation. It sounds like a big secret for L2 learners.  I found it how !!!!

Sally never tried this method, I gave her a straw to practice L & R sound. I think this way is the best to correct problematic sound of r and l.
I also tried with her small paper which is how much times paper blew out when we pronounce pet and bet.

Now Sally only needs to practice, I will see how can she correct her pronunciation with me.

L2 learner's pronunciation can be corrected or not. I don't yet.
I spent many hours to be correct it, but it didn't work well.

In my past experience pronunciation is really important matter. Speaking is really output, we are generally considering output as the first impression. The first impression gave the interviewer a big decision.

I'm drafting  about my module2 paper related pronunciation issue.

ICC activity teaching reflection #2

Student profile: She is a 11 years old student at elementary school. She has previous English education with L1 teachers about 4years+.  I think her English level is novice low / intermediate level of all of area. I think her input level is pretty good, she understand articles. I am working with her about 6months, I am trying to develop her inter language level. 

Objective: I teach her ICC concept using Crossing Cultures in the Language Classroom activities. 

To prove of 6months English learning with me, she is showing some of output progress using activities. 

-Student centred lesson

-Constructive T-talk 

-Student / T-talk ratio (5: 5 or 7:3)

-TLC

-TBL

Difficulties (problems) of teaching: I originally planned only writing lesson plan to submit the class, I was not sue how Sally understood the concept. It was challenge a bit, but she produced some of output related ICC concept. 

-No classroom environment

-One student based lesson

Benefits: Not too much competition with other students. 

One student centred lesson

Lesson: Part1-Societal Roles: Being a friend means....

              Part2- Old Woman and Young lady

Mini Lesson plan: Using TDBU methodology, hand gestures, teaching using visuals, and eliciting by questions.

PartA:
Who's your best friend?
Why do you believe she/he is your best friend?
What do you mean being a best friend to you?
What's your reaction when she/he rejected your requests?
Short quiz

PartB:
What can you see from the pictures?
How do you see them?
How do you reflect your thought to the images?
What do you really believe in your mind is what you see.
Do you still see it?
Why you can't see them anymore?

Lesson analyze
Part1

0:23: I started to ask who is your best friend? This is TDBU to elicit Sally questions about Societal Roles Being a friend.

1:41: She keep say took things. I was not sure what did she mean, but I didn't interrupt her, I would like to hear more about her own produces. I used hand gestures to elicit more answers about being a good friend.
She produced some of own sentences, it was very interesting, I never try with her anything out of course books. I was thinking how I made conversations with her. It is good topic(ICC concept) to discuss with her.
I usually ask her like how was school?, What event did you have at school?, How was L1 English class at school?

3:39: I explained her vocabulary marital problems using examples of what's marital means. I never tried her high level of vocabularies. I believe that she extended her abilities of her inter languages.

4:47: Here is again, I explained her what's ability mean using some of examples.

5:39: It was wait time. It was hard to wait until she answered. I normally interrupted to answer, but I waited this time.

7:32: We discussed what do you mean  Being a friend? What's limitation/obligations of being a best friend?
I elicit to Sally being a best friend mean. What's societal roles of friendship? Sally believed being a friend mean that she gave her help as much as she can. She said "took thing". I guess this mean treat each other as much as they can. She really mean being a friend is too thing.

Korean students believed culturally friendship has no limitation, they believed the best friend is sometime closer than family.
Close friends means really accepting for examples homework, money, and personal matter.
I think this is big differences compare with other culture.
By Korean culture being a friend mean really offering, acceptance, no obligation, sharing, less private rules between each other.
I also ask her when the best friend rejected her requests, how she response about it?
What's responsibilities/obligations being a friend?

I just closed part one without conclusion, it is my mistake.

I would do this
I think being a good friend means ___________________________________.
So student can develop her critical thinking skills using TL.

Part2
It was so interesting test she saw an old woman like an eagle. Sally found the young lady in the picture, the second one she disagreed.
I used TDBU to think her what pictures are.

10:45: I explained Sally why #2 picture is an old lady.

11:03: It is very interesting! She saw an old woman.
After she realized the old woman, she couldn't see an eagle anymore.

12:05: In picture#3, she realized what's images like?

12:37 I started to explain what's culture? I think this is too hard to explain using these pictures.
I changed idea not focused on culture, I said what you believe is what you  see.

I really would like to tell her was the thing is a lens.
To make other lesson plan for adult learner, I would like to do
1. Show them 3 different pictures
2. Discuss in a group or a pair.
3. Talk about what they saw from the pictures.
4. Start thinking how do you interpret the objects or conditions around them.
5. What do you think about Korean Culture?
6. Describe Korean Culture is like___________________________________________.

Any thought from Sally's lesson. (Evaluation)
Reading: I applied methodology of reading questions. Less T talk, more S talk.
Vocabularies: Gave her advanced level lesson, I never tried with her. (It was ok at this time.)
Lesson Plan: Need more structures
Inter language level
(input)
Her input level is much better than this summer.
I applied linguistic approach of teaching. (out of traditional style even her parents still want to do it)
No Korean translation based vocabulary lesson
Stop reading articles loudly.
(output)
No error correction when she speaks.
Not grammar focused writing.
With mistakes, read only by herself to fix.
She has no hestitation to speak anymore.

reading / vocabulary reflection (ICC activity#1)

She is Sally who is 11 years. I gave her reading task which is same article as I used for micro teaching #2.
I am thinking about this week's subject vocabularies. Sally has difficulties about vocabularies most of time.

0:36 It was warm-up, I usually ask her "how was your school?" I usually scheduled with her after school when I am off from my work. It is her free time after school, and my free time, too. I found that I was different (speaking speed, tone of voice, and teaching style) from early morning class. In the morning class, I had to control many kids in the class, however I focused only one student made me more come down little bit. She was described how was her school life that day. I usually ask her about L1 English class at the elementary school. She said that public school English is very fun, she had Halloween candy from L1 English teacher.

0:51 We started to discuss about the picture. It is a preview stage. I asked to her
T: What can you see from the pictures?
S: Um... hamburger...
T: Do you like Mc Donald Hamburger?
The article is related ICC concept. what's culture? It may be hard to understand for Sally, but I tired to give her this reading. Reading is still hard subject for her. When I started to teach her reading the first time, I gave her dictionary to find meanings. We spent so much time and effort to find difficult vocabularies. The lesson was not communicative, it was focused on finding definitions. It was really problematic both of us.
After learning how to teach reading, I stopped to search vocabularies from dictionary.

2:00-5:00 We directly discussed about the questions. I kept in my mind to make student centered lesson. I tried to give her chances to speak as much as I can. 

During this minutes, it was really Sally's turn. I think this lesson is much more better than before. 

I was a sole-talker, she was listening while I was talking.  The reason why I talked much was I was not sure she understood or not. I was just wondering I can I know that how much she got reading comprehension input. It was no way to proof!!!! 

Now I got it how I know how much she understood the article. I can check from how she was answering my questions. I think it is students output. Sally produced speaking as output of language learning. 

Output is a proof of learning of TL.  

I BELIEVE SALLY PRODUCE SOMETHING TODAY.

5:46 I explaned her about what's culture? Hamburger or Holy cow is methophor of culture. My next question is how she understand the concept of lesson. I talked much as usual because I was not sure she knew the concept or not. I repeat again again..... to make sure she got it. 

I am thinking Harmer's activity #6 how she is learning vacabularies even unfamiliar topic or subject. She doesn't know the real meaning of culture. 

Drawing word map/circle brings her more opportunity to extend her vocabularies. 

I will get it more about how to teach vocabulary week 11, I will give her more activity related vocabularies.

I hope that her vocabulary activity should be work!!

microteaching reflection (ICC concept lesson)

I was less nervous than last time. To be honest, I didn't like to watch my video, but I had to watch!!!!

I think the ratio of T-talk to S-talk was almost 45% of students and 55% of me, I reminded let me talk slow and less at this time, it was one of my objectives.  

0:9-0:12: I start to speak too slow and boring. The beginning was not interested, even my speaking was not powerful and not clear.  I think boring beginning do not get much attention from students.

0:33 I used gestures to explain what questions are. My students level was novice low 20 years fresh men, I don't think gestures are not necessary to explain them. I originally planned TDBU concept to explain what's culture, but my teaching seemed to miss some of pieces.

0:00-1:19 I didn't give to students chances to speak. 

1:30 Here was my C.I start! I think it's late a little bit.

2:19 T-S Here is again, I spoke to Jason too slowly, he is 20 years old University student, I think I forgot student profile. 

I think my view is very narrow. I only looked the centre of the students. Like Mina, Megan, Kyle, Janson, Ish, and Tom. I didn't see the two sides corner student who were Andrew and Jason D. Students take turn was not fair. Two side students Andrew and Jason never had chances to speak. 

I think Q1 and Q2 conversation were pretty good. T-S-S-S.

We discussed about the topic and thought, students had chances to express their thought or idea. 

4:28 Tom had a wrong answer, I don't like the way to get answer from Tom. It's like to ask YES/NO!

It's really like to get their agreement to confirm my right answer. This way is too passive. I think this way is little bit dangerous, students have own right to think, but I interrupted too much! 

I think this is not teaching.

It means that I am telling to them my thought is always right. I should think other way to get right answer. 

6:23 I explain too much about my idea and then get agreement from students. 

Q3-Q4 were not really discussed  in the class. I think I lost somewhere in the middle of the class. 

I felt 10min was long for me. Why? I think the structure of the plan was not correct. 

The topic of the article was culture difference concept, but student didn't get the concept of the article.

Students were ready to listen and discuss the reading in the class, I think real class and students would be little bit different. My teaching style was not interesting, I think it is just standard and formal teaching.  I was communicative between students and I. I saw I was too busy in my last video, but I was not too busy and rush in #2 micro teaching. Even I didn't understand what I was doing in #1 micro teaching.  I was more comfortable than #1. I usually speak too fast Korean, too. 

I think that I am transferring L1 speech habit to English teaching either. I think that I speak too slow and unnatural way at that time. I don't like #2 micro teaching. 

I planned WB from my lesson plan stage. I was not planned MIC techniques in my lesson plan script, but it was reflected while I was teaching.  I am not talking very active, some people talk very interesting way, as an EFL teacher it is very important skills. It's boring and boring again!!!! 

I forgot to give them feedback like oh really, good, correct and ect. It is very important to encourage students to speak.  My teaching style is like a toeic, OMG!!!  I don't like toeic or toefl.

I really would like to be a language teacher~

My teaching was not interactive with students generally, I think I should develop C.Is. 

I think I still  need more practice to teach more naturally. 

teaching reflection

It was one of my morning classes today. Morning students usually don't have attention about the lesson.
They are novice low level, I needed to explain very detail about the story.
Today's lesson was to learn about what is the fair? Students see the pictures to understand related vocabularies. I tried to explain less, and let them tried it.

Tom advised that I am speaking too fast, I was slow down today.
I am still teaching too much to them. I didn't realized during the class.
I think that I repeated too much same sentences or words today's class.  I see myself from the video, I am not speaking naturally like normal conversation. Students didn't have chances to speak in the class.
How can I lead them to speak? They don't know anything about the target language.

At least I make conversation like
T: Where are rides? Addy, can you ask to Bell the Q?
S1: Bell, where are rides?
S2: Here....

or Students come to the front to point out the meaning of the pictures, and then let them draw lines by themselves.
I missed so many things today.
I didn't have model questions, I just did questions and answers as well. Too bad!!!

I got some ideas from our class presentation last two weeks, I applied the techniques in my class.
I was modeling how to match the right pictures and vocabularies, they understood what's going on the lesson. I wanted to see how they understand the meanings, they choose the right pictures.

Students are learning English using exact visuals or course book.
I don't like to teach by the discourses, but this way is much better easier than other way.
I tried to avoid traditional way of learning a bit. It is very hard to get out of the old habit.

Students never learn about the fair, but they got it! Elementary kids know the meaning of the words, my students get the meanings from the pictures.

I was quite disappointed to watch from today' video, I need to improve my pronunciation, my speaking was not clear!! I will try students centred lesson next time.
I found some errors in my speaking, I should speak more carefully in the classroom.
I think that I need lots of practice of  teaching,speaking, and need to develop student centred lesson plan as well.