Scholarly Article Reviews

C&T 598

English Fever Reflection Park Reflection

The Korean mothers in the education fevercan be definedas a wellheeled super-

parent whose primary mission in life is to do too much for her children, (pg. 51).
This passage immediately prompted a connection with American tendencies and
thus a better understanding of the English fever that Park is conveying. Through
this comparison, I could contemplate the effects of such parental expectations. As I
have seen parents over-commit their children in America: music lessons, multiple
sports, various clubs, and other extracurricular, I have witnessed the negative and
imbalanced consequences. From my previous observations, children can easily lose a
sense of independence, as well as individuality through a rigorous, unforgiving
schedule. In addition, they tend to become disinterested, losing curiosity for what
they could have been passionate about if pursued in moderation. Park emphasized in
his conclusion the dangerous consequences of English fever and the often extreme
and unrealistic expectations of Korean parents. The danger he speaks of becomes
tangible through the chosen passage, for I can relate the high expectations of an
American soccer mom to Korean over-development, which is amplified through
intense English fever.
The question then, is, what is the gap of success between English-immersed students
who study abroad and those who follow the regular measure of English education in
Korea? What is the extent of this intrusion on egalitarian access to education, and
how does it affect society? Is it still ordained illegal for elementary students to study
abroad, and, if so, is there further action to monitor this practice? Finally, what are
specifically some of the emotional, linguistic, developmental, and academic
difficulties that stem from English fever and what can we do to remedy these?

Taking the TESOL Practicum Abroad Cho and Peter Reflection

For example, faculty supervisors must remind preservice teachers that simply being
a native speaker of English does not grant them special authority as teachers of
Englishwhat is considered the norm in US classrooms is not universal; that attitudes
and behaviors are culturally formed and differ based on culture, language.[is]
necessary knowledge for teaching in an interconnected and changing world (Cho
and Peter p. 19)
This passage emphasizes a vital piece of English education the language is under a
constant flux, as are the methods by which the language is taught. It is a profession
that cannot be mastered without an eagerness to both observe and partake,
absorbing the differences in culture, language, nationality, gender, race, ethnicity,
and class with careful attention. Awareness of different environments,
backgrounds, and other factors contributing to the perception and abilities of the
student can be implemented into methods of teaching. The ideology of native
English-speaking teachers as superior, then, can be put into perspective. If a teacher
has been perpetually immersed in and therefore proficient in English, it can be much
more difficult to adapt to the needs of the students who have dissimilar experiences
with the English language. Therefore, NESTs must not assume the role of superiority
simply because of their given understanding of the English language. This assumption
can be detrimental to the education of the students, for NESTs could be prone to null
curriculum, unaware of essential steps to learning English as a second language.
Therefore, in my position as a native English speaker intent on teaching English as a
second language, self-reflection and an increased awareness of others positions is
not only valuable, but necessary. With the students success as my primary purpose,
I must work to welcome the change that teaching and the English language involves,
as well as diligently attempt to see through non-native English speakers eyes,
forming a humbled mindset in order to guide my students more thoughtfully and
effectively.

Questions include: how can pre-service teachers become more frequently exposed
and familiar with discourses normally marginalized and silenced in America? In
addition, how can teachers take this exposure and best eliminate the internalized
ideology of native speakerism in the classroom to increase accessibility of the
English language?

TESOL Quarterly Canagarajah Reflection

This orientation also encourages us to look at how language resources are mobile,
traveling with or without people to come into contact with other languages and
communities, generating new grammars and meanings. It is not that there are no
norms; norms evolve in practiceIn this sense, meaning and form are constantly
reconstructed in situated interactions from the diverse resources people bring to
communication. (Canagarajah, S. (2016) p. 14)

This excerpt reminded me of the strategies of EFL I have so far witnessed

at Kyunghwa Girls High School. One lesson that we have observed informs students
of musical genres and expressions, enforcing critical thinking through the assignment
of written opinions of music examined. Through the process, I found it interesting to
note the variety of expressions, terms, or vocabulary allowed to express said
opinions. While standard reactions to music were displayed to the students, they
were encouraged to share their own expressions and describe the music in their own
words. In this manner, I can see the reality of the evolution of
TESOL. Canagarajah states that with languages, there are no norms; norms evolve in
practice.

The American tendency to ask how are you? is similar to the Korean custom of
asking have you eaten? when greeting a friend or acquaintance. They both display
social etiquette, and teachers must be aware of these differences in terms of their
students intended outcomes. If a student is planning to correspond with another
English-speaking country, then have you eaten? can easily be miscommunicated,
and how are you should be explained. However, in an English conversation within
a cultural context, the Korean expression of have you eaten? is sufficient, and this
can be expressed within a classroom, as well.

These ideas correspond with Canagarajahs idea of TESOL as a community

ofdifferent cultures, pedagogical domains, and theoretical orientations[drawing]
from diversity to serve English language learners effectivelyin relevance to the
changing demands and needs of communication.

Seeing this idea materialized in an EFL classroom is fascinating, and infers several
questions. One is, how can the English language maintain a standard of
communication if it is drawing on diversity for instruction? How can cultural norms
be accepted and included in curriculum without confusion to the general usage of
the English language, especially in the areas of common English idioms and
expressions?

Teachers Attitudes Toward Korean English Ahn - Reflection

The study concluded that all participants tended to favour Inner Circle English
rather than their own English. However, the extent to which they valued their own
English variety was found to be different, reporting that Malaysian participants
showed the most positive attitudes towards their own pronunciation, followed by
the South Korean while the Japanese participants had the most negative attitudes
toward their Japanese accented English (Ahn, 7)
This struck me as relevant in the classroom here at Kyunghwa, for I have witnessed
many students hesitant to speak for fear of bad English or incorrect pronunciation
in comparison to mine. I have also witnessed on many occasions, students who are
seemingly content with their difference in pronunciation. Even after I say a phrase or
word, sometimes, they repeat it as their own, or, as the Ahn in the article speaks to,
Korean English. It is interesting to see the mixed feelings towards Korean English
displayed in the school. I am sure that this is largely based on personality or level of
desire to master English, but I still want to further explore what shapes a students
perspective on correct or satisfactory English. Furthermore, this article incites
questions regarding the difference in cultural views towards Inner Circle English.

Why is it that Malaysian participants are more acceptant of their own version of
English? Why is Japan more insistent on native pronunciation? These questions are
not ones I expect to truly be answered but contemplated regarding the ultimate
matter of, is there a satisfactory in between? And how do we best meet the wide
range of students: those who are hesitant for fear of bad English and those who
are acceptant of often unrecognizable pronunciation?

English as an International Language Canagarajah - Reflection

However, students are already engaging with diverse Englishes and multilingualism
in social media sites. They are exposed to them in world music and popular culture.
They are therefore adopting creative strategies to interpret diverse language
resources and, sometimes, to communicate with air through multilingual codes in
these sites. More importantly, students are learning new negotiation strategies by
trial and error. They are learning how to navigate the norms or expectations of their
interlocutors with their own resources and agendas to achieve their interests. They
are also teaching each other new tricks, strategies, and resources for translingual
communication. It is in this sense that I nd that teachers have a lot to learn from
their students. (Canagarajah, p. 12)

I find this aspect of Canagarajahs article relevant to what I have observed thus far at
Kyunghwa Girls High School, especially in his note emphasizing their creative
strategies to interpret diverse language resources. Students who are eager to learn
English and interested in acquiring language and culture norms in general have
reported their concurrent interest in dramas, sitcoms, and music presented through
the English language. As a result, they are more familiar with not only a wider range
of English vocabulary, but the context and flexibility of it. Additionally, through
Konglish, a younger generation has formed a way in which to relate their own culture
to the English language, thus helping with identification. Creativity in both aspects
furthers interest and motivation in the English language and leads to new
negotiation strategies, which I have become aware of at Kyunghwa, as well.

Canagarajah prioritizes the negotiation strategies of students, by trial and error. I

have certainly witnessed this effort in the classroom, becoming aware of how
students are collaboratively working to produce correct results. If they do not
succeed at first, they reevaluate the issue and offer multiple opinions in order to find
a solution. In this way, failure is not recognized, but merely seen as a small roadblock
on the way to the desired answer. I believe this collaboration in language acquisition
is something that teachers can learn from their students and consequently
something that they should encourage and develop in the classroom.

What are some classroom activities that can efficiently encourage creative
collaboration and negotiation in the classroom? How can we reinforce creative
language acquisition through outside resources such as popular culture, social
media, and technology?

Non-native Teachers Yoo - Reflection

A local variety of language can develop when the language is used intranationally;
an increasing number of Koreans and Chinese are indeed learning English, but it is
not the case that an increasing number of Koreans and Chinese are using English as a
communication tool between themselves. Instead, English often serves as a
gatekeeping mechanism to control access to higher social status in these countries.
In Korea, English is a powerful symbolic resource mediating relations of class,
privilege, and legitimacy, and it is used as a basic criterion for hiring and promotion
in the white-collar job market (Park 2010: 193). One corollary of this lionization of
English as a symbolic resource is the general social atmosphere of stigmatizing those
who use various forms of incorrect English, including Konglish (Park 2010: 201).
Evidently, it would be difficult to imagine how a local variety of English would
emerge in a place where any form of English different from good English is labeled
as incorrect. Unless English stops being used as the gatekeeper to higher social
status and starts being used as a communication tool locally, it is naive to believe
that a local variety may one day become established with its own independent
identity in Korea or in any other Asian Expanding Circle country (Yoo, p. 3)

Although I have been immersed in Korean society for a brief amount of time, much
of what I have seen witnesses to Yoos argument of English acquisition as access to
higher social status. Yesterday, some students from the high school interviewed us
KU students and had us answer five questions on the CSAT. This was an eye-opener
for me, for it revealed why Korean students focus diligently on the written and
grammatical aspects of English and often filter out the conversational, fluent, side of
it. On the test, questions of multiple paragraphs were presented with strangely
worded answers. In order to answer these questions, students would have to be
aware of unique phrases such as an end in and of themselves, as well as hold the
ability to read at a rapid pace.

This test points to the idea of English proficiency serving as a purpose to enter more
prestigious colleges, rather than one for international communication. While I have
met some students who desire to travel abroad or use their English internationally,
many simply study it to do well on exams, and their usage of it is limited beyond
that.

Q: How could Korean and Chinese English shift to serve as a general tool of useful
communication, rather than existing as motivation for higher social status?

TESOL Quarterly Byean - Reflection

"Opposed to a one-size-ts-all pedagogy, the direction should be from the students

to the curriculum, and this change will make possible autonomous learning in which
the students actively participate in lessons. That is, lessons which are designed with
topics concerning the students interests and community, and delivered in a
problem-posing approach, can promote dialogue among them, leading them to feel
the ownership of class. This dialogical approach can also enhance their critical eye on
social and political issues occurring in their communities" (Byean, p. 10)

I have seen this policy implemented by Greg in the classroom. He has included
relevant topics in the class, regarding political issues, community realities, and
cultural differences. By doing so, he has not only allowed but required students to
form an opinion on many real-world issues. Their presentations proved their depth
of knowledge regarding present concerns that could easily affect their futures he
made sure that this was done by guiding them through research. Even though the
material was complicated, he allowed them the time and resources to communicate
it all through English. This in and of itself was invaluable, for the act of using a second
language to discuss heavy topics is necessary in an international, connected future.

I have also noticed the subtle ways in which Greg incorporates topics and issues
regarding the students community and culture. He seems to capitalize on values and
ethics, explaining the meaning of commercialized, encouraging uplifting messages
in class, pointing to their intelligence and individual personality traits, etc. I have
seen how this approach works incredibly well for the girls, and how it is plausible in
the classroom, furthermore. This dialogical approach is certainly not unachievable
and therefore should be introduced to EFL classrooms, especially in an effort to
defeat the one-size-fits-all-pedagogy

How can a teacher be effective in his or her efforts to reconstitute English

pedagogy? How can these efforts be more widely spread?

Testing in Korea Choi Reflection

"The Korean version of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (KSAT) has greater washback
effects on the Korean education than any other test. The English section of the KSAT
has such a significant influence on EFL education that virtually all the exams
developed at middle and high schools employ almost identical test methods. The
most serious problem is that the KSAT does not include speaking and writing
components, thus leading to very little, if any, teaching of speaking and writing at
high school. It has been an open secret that students as well as teachers do not
bother to deal with productive skills in high school classrooms, especially in grade 12,
where cramming is the accepted regimen for helping students prepare for the KSAT
even though this undesirable way of teaching EFL seriously violates the National
Curriculum prescribed by the Ministry of Education, which mandates a
communicative integrated skills approach. Many responsible stakeholders, not only
educators but parents and students as well, contend that it is high time that drastic
measures be taken to incorporate speaking and writing skills in the KSAT or college
entrance exam." (Choi, p. 4)

This article was not news to me, for I have seen proof of it firsthand at Kyunghwa.
When I first arrived, I was disappointed to discover that we would not be instructing
the third graders. I often wonder how our experience would differ if we could. I
would love to see how they interact in the classroom and outside of it, as a matter of
fact, for I have sadly not received the chance to get to know many of them. I also am
curious to how they maintain their conversational English when they are not
participating in a conversation class. I can only assume that if not used, it quickly
fades and they lose much of their spoken English habits as a result of their major
focus on a written English test.

If conversational English was included on the KSAT, I believe that their cramming
would lessen and their knowledge of the material expand in their desire to truly
acquire the English language. As Choi mentions, smart students will develop
strategies for test taking and therefore learn how to skip over the material to answer
a question faster. Even if a written/comprehension part of the test is relevant and
reliable, it can still be skimmed and conquered, offering no thought to actual English
usage.

My questions are: What are the preventers of including conversational English in the
KSAT? How can the test development process be altered in order to produce more
reliable English passages that better cater to true comprehension of the English
language?