Fun in Thailand

By: Jeanne Martinelli

Hey, "English teacher!" Guess what???
There's more to teaching than just the daily classroom grind and hope of getting through another lesson.
Yeah!
There's TESOL, Teachers of English as a Second or Other Language!
And there was just a super stimulating and challenging "First Pan-Asian Conference" in Bangkok, this past January 5-7, 1977.
Organized by KOTESOL (Korea TESOL), JALT (Japanese Association of Language Teachers), and ThaiTESOL (Thailand TESOL), as well as IATEFL (International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language).
Approximately 40 participants from Korea as well as 100's of other English teachers from Thailand, Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and other Asian countries, joined together at this First Pan-Asian Conference on "New Perspectives on Teaching and Learning in Asia."
"Are we moving toward an Asian methodology?" Marc Helgelsen, of Miyagi Women's College in Sendai, Japan, and author of popular textbooks, such as English Firsthand, raised this important question along with "What kind of teaching is appropriate for your students? What doesn't work?" He asserted that, "There is no such thing as a single Asian culture. What do we as English teachers and students throughout the region have in common?"
"To teach means to learn. We are learning our students. The extent to which you are open to learning your students matches how successful you can be in the classroom," Diane Larsen-Freeman, of the School for International Training, Brattleboro, Vermont, USA, told the cross-cultural crowd. She suggested that no one can "teach English", and so we must ask, "What can I give students that will help them become independent learners?" She said we must direct students and give them tools; help free them from the fear of making mistakes.
There was conversation and debate about the idea of communicative (vs./and) grammar. There was applause for the new teacher development movement, where teachers are increasingly learning to trust themselves and share ideas with others. "We all share similar problems, and each individual teacher is uniquely endowed," Alan Maley of England emphasized, in regards to encouraging teachers, nonnative and native speakers of English alike, to work together and share strengths and insights. Madeleine du Vivier, IATEFL chair, reminded us that success depends on what the teacher and the students bring into the learning situation. "What is authentic in one context might need to be modified to be considered appropriate in another," she said, echoing sentiments expressed by opening ceremony speaker, linguist Henry Widdowson.
Speaking of the opening ceremony... definitely one of the highlights of this tremendous conference's three days of workshops and sessions on writing, computers, methodology, business English (English for specific purposes), young learners, culture, teacher development, video, curriculum, oral conversation, and material development, to mention some, was the presence of H.R.H. (Her Royal Highness) Princess Galyani Vadhana Krom Luang Naradhiwas Rajanajarindra, the King's sister, at the opening ceremony, on January 5. Her Royal Highness's presence signified the importance of this event and was a thrill to both Thai and foreigners alike.
The world is changing quickly. And the English teaching and learning community is expanding and growing as well. What actual "Englishes" will be coming out of the Asian Rim countries and how these "Englishes" will reflect the culture of these communities is the concern of all of us in the "English" teaching field, whether native speakers or not. As expatriates, here for the long run, or a shorter period, why don't we make the most of our English teaching/learning experiences, and familiarize ourselves as much as possible with the issues in this exciting arena of Asian English?
The Pusan KOTESOL chapter will be off to an exciting new year with its upcoming March meeting, and possible mini-conference. Please, get involved. Membership will tap you into the broader Korean, Asian, and international English teaching field. Why not help yourself and others (students, co-teachers, and colleagues) as much as possible?
Reap the rewards of investing time and energy into KOTESOL, to get back even more.
For more information contact Young Hwang (502-9316),
Mike Duffy (248-4080),
and Jeanne Martinelli (513-3964, pgr: 012-784-8644).
Meetings are the fourth Saturdays of the month at 3 p.m. at ESS in Nampodong.
What do you want to see? Experience?
Learn?
Say?
Come.
Tell us.
Share.
Contact.
Now.
Mark your calendar, plan ahead.
The next KOTESOL conference will be October 3-5, 1997 in Kyongju,
and the second Pan-Asian Conference will be in Korea (yea!) October 8-10, 1999.
See ya there!
Plan a paper!
Carry out research!
Present!
Enjoy!