Recently, the faculty of English Education decided to modify the major curriculum as the format of the National Teachers Employment Test changed. The Test now requires more proficiency in English speaking and writing. In the curriculum meeting, I proposed to develop an English Education Debate course. In the course, students could practice English speaking on the topics of education and English education and prepare for the interview test, which is a part of the National Teachers Employment Test. I had searched the curricula of English Education majors in other universities and found only few offering such a course. However, I soon discovered that there was no textbook for such a course. Thus, I wrote this book.
This book includes such various education and English education issues as school regulations and system, teacher quality and assessment, student problem and discipline, studying abroad, sex education, English immersion education, academic integrity, and more. I attempted to encompass the issues which future teachers should meditate on and establish their own philosophy of before they stand in a classroom as teachers. I really wish future teachers to have opportunities to discuss those issues thoroughly, and ultimately construct their own ideas for better education in the future.
A chapter consists of several sections:
Warm-up is to introduce the topic. The instructor and students will talk about the topic rather generally and broadly in this section.
Chitchat with Classmates is for students to discuss the topic on the basis of their personal experiences. While students share their stories with several classmates, they will be able to refine their stories with more manifest expressions and appropriate sentences.
Read This is an essay related to the topic. It is a simple reading but still works as a trigger for further discussion.
Useful Expressions includes handful English expressions that are often used in English discussion and debate.
Let’s Talk about It offers more profound questions about the topic. The questions are to assist students in thinking more analytically, specifically, and critically. Some of them are even ideological and philosophical.
Debate offers some debatable issues. In this section, students will practice thinking and speaking multi-dimensionally.
Wrap-up is for students to write a final essay contextualizing their ideas on the topic discussed throughout the chapter. Students will chose one of the issues, and analyse and critique it in an academic essay form. It will be the climax and conclusion of the chapter.
In addition, with my students, I have developed an Internet cafe, http://cafe.naver.com/EnglishEduDebate, where hundreds of newspaper articles are posted. In the cafe, like this book, there are fourteen sections, and each section includes more than twenty articles related to the issues that the book deals with. These articles will help student expand their ideas and thought about the issues and enrich their discussion of each chapter.
Writing this text, I am deeply indebted to Daae Jung, Yeonmin Kim, Michelle N. Mariano, and Noreen Ann C. Lindo. They read the draft of this book and gave me invaluable advice for revision. I also thank Susie U who gave me emotional and physical support and the students, especially Yuseon Tae, Sojeong Han, Heehyun Hwang, and Jiyun Lee, who studied with me with the draft of this book and gave me advice to make this better. Above all, I thank my God who gave me wisdom to write this text.
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