TESOL학과

학과개요

The TESOL MA program was founded in 1999 as the first TESOL master’s program in Korea. The program supports its goal of providing an educational setting equal to or surpassing that of overseas TESOL programs in three main ways. Firstly, students are fully immersed in English in all aspects of the program and beyond. Secondly, the program offers a wide variety of course choices, thus allowing students to develop a specific area of expertise within the areas of TESOL. Finally, students are given opportunities to build practical and theoretical knowledge as both are extensively integrated into theoretical knowledge in every course.

학과 인재상 및 교육목표

TESOL is a very broad field. In the MA program we are proud of the diversity our students represent. This is diversity in origin as well as diversity in experience and future plans. Following this general idea of diversity the Sookmyung TESOL MA program accepts applications from people of diverse backgrounds provided they hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited university. Of course we are also looking for students who have a genuine interest in learning about some aspect of TESOL. This is most typically an interest which has arisen out of classroom experience as a student and/or teacher, but it does not need to be so. It is also important to note that not all our students are current teachers. Within TESOL there are other areas that fit, such as people who work in the publishing industry, as materials designers, and researchers to name a few. We are happy to accept and nurture people of diverse backgrounds and aspirations.
  The main merit of the program varies according to people's goals and aspirations in studying with us. For some the main merit will be the international aspect of the program. We are international in our faculty, student body, as well as our approach to language and standards. Our goal is to provide a program that develop students who can compete on an international stage, and our graduates have done just that. For others the main merit is the fact that the program is conducted entirely in English, which means the students really get to develop their skills in unparalleled ways. Another positive difference is that we bring an international point of view on the Korean context. This does not mean devaluing the context or dictating solutions but letting the students an our experience interact with the local context with all its own intricate attributes. For us in the program, we feel the diversity of our course offerings is something that truly sets us apart from virtually all other programs of this type anywhere in the world. The main purpose of this diversity to provide a program that centres on the students. In this program the students are responsible for creating their own experience. They do this by choosing from the wide range of options we provide. They choose their own classes and even the types of projects they would like to pursue in those classes. They also get to choose how they would like to culminate their experience in the program. All this results is a program that caters uniquely to student needs and goals.

입학 전 준비(학과에 적합한 학생)

The TESOL MA program has created a highly effective mix of many different aspects with an overall emphasis on the integration of practice and theory in an immersion-like setting. Since our students have a wide variety of backgrounds and interests, our TESOL program provides a carefully constructed list of electives from which students can create a highly personalized experience. Students are encouraged to develop a speciality in any one of our fie areas.

재학 중 전공 교육과정

Basic Program Overview

The Sookmyung TESOL MA Program is a night school program designed around working teachers. Classes are offered in the evenings during the week from 6:20 to 9:00. There are no weekend classes.

We accept new students for both the fall and spring semesters. Our semesters are 16 weeks long and follow the regular Korean university schedule. Classes for the spring semester begin on March 1 and in the fall semester on September 1. Application periods fall fours months before semester begin (end of November for the spring and end of May for fall). Those interested in applying need to be sure they contact us early.

The program takes five semesters to complete. Students need to take a total of 30 credits. Twenty-four of these are in elective courses and a further six in a final semester thesis or practicum. This basically means that MA students take two courses per semester.

The Sookmyung TESOL MA distinguishes itself through its student-centered approach. Students are responsible for choosing what the will do in the program. In the MA elective period, students choose two courses among a wide set of offerings per semester. This variety of choice enables MA students to take the courses that they feel benefit them the most.

In the Sookmyung TESOL MA there are no prerequisites among elective courses. Students are free to take any elective course on offer. Students take courses together regardless of experience in the MA or what other courses they may have taken. We believe that this kind of setting provides many opportunities for students of diverse backgrounds, interests and degrees of experience in the MA to learn from each other. Students are also often able to choose the types of projects they will to pursue and write up in the elective courses they take. This enables students to develop either a more theoretically-based project or one which is centered on more practical applications of concepts.

As a Content-based program with a dual focus on the development of content knowledge as well as academic skills, TESOL MA students are expected to develop and further enhance academic skills and particularly in English. We provide students opportunities to use English in new ways that challenges them and also results in improvement. Students definitely leave the program different from when they entered.

졸업 후 진로분야

This is the hardest question for us to answer because it really does not depend on us at all. The kinds of jobs one can get after graduation really depends on their credentials and experience in addition to the current social situation. Certainly non-Korean nationals have somewhat different prospects within Korea than those with Korean nationality. Of course the MA serves to increase one's credentials and renders one eligible for jobs at a new level. There is also the eligibility to study further which also comes wit successfully completing the MA. In the end, one's future is really up to the individual, but as a widely recognised program of excellence, the Sookmyung TESOL MA can play an important role in helping one achieve their goals both personal and professional.

진로 설계 로드맵

취업성공사례

Hyun-Jeong, Nam

1.Please briefly introduce yourself (Name, Year of graduation, Job position (specifically), etc.)
My name is Hyun-Jeong Nam. I joined the TESOL program in 2000 and earned my M.A. degree in2003. Then I was awarded my Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics at the Trinity College, University of Dublin in 2009. Since 2000, I have been teaching university students English at several major universities in South Korea. The practicum course for Sookmyung MA TESOL students, in particular, gave me opportunities to individually interact with pre- and in-service English teachers. Currently I am working as an assistant professor at Dept. of English language and English literature at Dong-A university. My research has focused on the lexicon in second language acquisition as well as second language pedagogy.

2. Which course in Sookmyung TESOL was the most useful for you?
Although all of the courses were interesting and useful, I found the class “Developing Bilingualism”most inspiring. It gave me opportunities to study my own learning process as a bilingual and to find the better way to teach my students English language.

3. How did you get over a difficulty while you were a MA student?
Since I was teaching at several universities, it was difficult for me to focus on my own study. Time management was the most challenging. I always rushed to Sookmyung university right after finishing my own classes. I remember I stayed up all night preparing for my own class and TESOL courses I w as taking. However, it provided good opportunities for me as a teacher to self-reflect on my own teaching and to apply the notion of how language works to my own teaching. I would like to tell any of you who might struggle to juggle teaching and learning at the same time that not only your theoretical background in TESOL but also your hands-on approach derived from a wealth of firsthand teaching experience will benefit your future.

4. Could you tell me the pros and cons of your job?
I believe that teaching is also learning. I love interactions with my students and I learn a lot from the interactions to be a better teacher. However, being a professor at a university is harder than you might think it is. Every year it feels like more responsibilities fall on my shoulders. More seriously, it is getting difficult for universities to survive in Korea, and fewer job opportunities are available for tenure-track positions.

5. Do you have anything else to share with students?
I hope you enjoy the time with your classmates and professors. Sometimes the discussions with them became very heated but I still miss all the discussions. I had with my friends and professors about the theories. I am sure you will miss it soon after you leave the course.

전공특별활동

In the Sookmyung TESOL MA we provide many different opportunities for self development and professional development. Obviously such development occurs within the classroom and the different things students will be expected to do as MA students and at an acceptable level. Within the program we offer many other opportunities for professional development that are either part of the course work, special events, or voluntary projects.

Student Symposium
We culminate every semester with a student symposium. Essentially, this is a poster presentation festival in which each student presents the work she or he has done from one class. It provides an excellent opportunity for students to get a feel for the collective work of the TESOL MA community. Students also have a chance to present their research in a simple, creative way and in an informal setting. Although this may seem like a simple thing it is an important step in helping MA students develop as professionals in their field. During the symposium show the students get to show others what they have done and that should be a very empowering experience. The attached file has some basic guidelines for the symposium poster sessions and the design of the poster.

Student Union
In the MA an important organisation is that of the Student Union. The Student Union is comprised of a president and vice-president, both of whom are current MA students. It plans, organises, and helps run all official departmental events. The two positions in the Student Union are both voluntary but come with certain benefits, chief among them is the opportunity to get the see the working of the program from the inside.

Assistanceships
In the program there are several assistanceships available. Essentially, these are jobs but are not very well paid compared to what our students can make in the open market. Students do these jobs in order to get experience and develop themselves in new and often unexpected ways. The different jobs vary in their focus, pay, and specific responsibilities, but all of them help students develop new skills that can help them later on in their careers.

The Final Thesis/Practicum Semester
The final semester is where the students in the program really get to develop skills that they have been improving over the previous four semesters. It is the culmination of the program and pushes students to their limits, but in different ways. The Sookmyung TESOL MA offers students the rare opportunity to decide between two equally engaging options. While there is some overlap on the skills learned through the process of doing the practicum or the thesis, there are also some major differences. Students need to consider carefully what it is they want to learn and how they will move forward in their career path.

Issues in EFL
Each semester the students of the Sookmyung TESOL MA publish a journal, Issues in EFL, which includes student research as well as other pertinent issues to the Sookmyung TESOL community. It is a student-run, student-generated enterprise which provides students with a multitude of different real-world types of activities. Essentially, working on Issues in EFL allows students to see the research and writing process from the other side and this can be a very helpful step in one's professional development.

A student's experience in the MA and what they learn and how they develop as a professional teacher and researcher really comes down to the investment that student is willing to make. You only get out of the program in accordance with what you put into it. We have designed the Sookmyung TESOL so that there are many different opportunities for professional development. It is up to the students themselves to take advantage of those opportunities.

전공 특색을 고려한 TIP

In the Sookmyung TESOL MA there are no prerequisites among elective courses. Students are free to take any elective course on offer. Students take courses together regardless of experience in the MA or what other courses they may have taken. We believe that this kind of setting provides many opportunities for students of diverse backgrounds, interests and degrees of experience in the MA to learn from each other. Students are also often able to choose the types of projects they will to pursue and write up in the elective courses they take. This enables students to develop either a more theoretically-based project or one which is centered on more practical applications of concepts.
As a Content-based program with a dual focus on the development of content knowledge as well as academic skills, TESOL MA students are expected to develop and further enhance academic skills and particularly in English. We provide students opportunities to use English in new ways that challenges them and also results in improvement. Students definitely leave the program different from when they entered.

학과사무실 전화 및 홈페이지 주소

TESOL MA Office

• tesolma@sookmyung.ac.kr
• 02)2077-7760
• http://www.tesolma.com/index.html
• Sookmyung Women's University / Graduate School of TESOL / Sunheon Building 610