KOR 655

Sumire Matsuyama

Statement of Teaching Philosophy My philosophy of teaching Korean language comes mainly from my own personal experience as a student when I learned Korean. My curiosity about the unique Korean culture has made me fly over to learn Korean and still it is giving me a passion for leaning. Such an experience has guided me to attentively consider how I teach students optimally in the classroom as well as to monitor the progress of students whom I taught until today. My beliefs center around the following ideas: the teacher should (1) understand the purpose for which students learn the language, (2) create a student-centered learning environment, (3) motivate the students by incorporating culture into language teaching, and (4) take full advantage of the students first language. To understand the purpose for which students learn the language In order to design any lesson, teachers must first understand what students wish to accomplish with the target language rather than the content because learning purpose should be basis of the curriculum. The main idea behind the practice is that learning is most meaningful when topics are relevant to the students needs and interests and when students themselves are actively engaged in creating, understanding, and connecting to knowledge. To create a student-centered learning environment Student centered teaching lies at the core of any effective classroom. In student-centered teaching, teachers cannot simply lecture and let students take a passive role. They must design activities that let students take initiative and discover meaningful information for their own knowledge. For language learning students, especially, the brain cannot simply receive information; it must also process the information so that it can be stored and recalled. Besides, students will have a higher motivation to learn when they have a real stake in their own learning. To motivate students by incorporating culture into language teaching Motivation is a key factor in language learning. Due to the popularity of Korean pop culture recently, more non-heritage students get interested in Korean culture as well as the

KOR 655

Sumire Matsuyama

language. Also, the language cannot be detached from its culture, especially in the case of Korean. Therefore, using authentic materials such as the script for Korean drama, lyrics of pop music are sometimes effective to motivate students. To take full advantage of the students first language Even thought students must be exposed to the target language as much as possible in the language classroom, it would be helpful in teaching and learning if the teacher knows the learners first language. In case there are any similarities found between the two languages, teachers should let the students explore, experiment, and discover on there own rather than giving detailed instructions by the teacher.