KOTESOL REVIEW # 1

I hope to describe a few of the seminars I went to. I wanted to do this last year, but lost enthusiasm; here's hoping I don't this time.

I almost missed the first presentation as I had trouble with registration. Luckily, I had a small receipt from the bank machine showing that I had transferred money to the treasurer's account. Part of the problem is that the Korean software only accepts Korean length names. We found 'Bria' on a page of unknown depositors on the date listed on my receipt. Anyway, I had to enter my name into a word processor and my card was printed on the spot. It wasn't a big deal, but I waited more than half an hour to get it straightened out. I entered my name and university, but if it happens next time, I will be entering my name and "presenter" to get access to the behind-the-scenes areas.

Anyway, I did make it in in time to see Raymond Wong's presentation on having student make presentations in listening class. He clearly had put a lot of work into his class and his presentation and the information he gave us will allow me to plug it into next semester's classes without great adjustments.

Briefly, he prepared information on eight or so videos and the students (working in teams or pairs) could choose the video they liked. The students needed to find Japanese definitions (his is a Japanese university) for a word list he created. Then, he provided them with a videoscript and they made two pages of questions. Teams that chose the same videos peer-reviewed the question pages, then they were provided to other students.

Mr (Doctor?) Wong used TV programs and burned them to DVDs but I think Youtube would work just as well. He also used documentaries, rather than TV shows.

I found it very interesting and also found the person I sat next to interesting. She was wearing a nametag saying "Chris Backe" and I had thought that person was a he. Anyway, she was, in fact, Mr Backe's "guest" - part of how the registration worked. I later met the man himself.

Oh, Chris and his guest were interesting in their own rights as well. I later had lunch with them and JoeSeoulMan.

Joe taught us a new term for something I admit I had long done but hadn't known such a term existed. Spousal Money Laundering is something a man married to a Korean particularly might do. As many such men are put on an 'allowance' from wives who control finances, one way to get a little more pocket money is to go out to lunch with a group, collect cash from that group, then pay by credit card. Suddenly, one has a surplus of cash.