A Cultural Education Exchange

Administrators from the Gyeongii Provincial Office of Education in Korea are taking classes at the College of Continuing and Professional Education as part of a cultural education exchange program, which we call TIE (Training for International Educators), from Sept. 3-13.

These administrators work at various universities in South Korea. They will conclude their studies here Sept. 12 and be awarded certificates on Sept. 13 at 10 a.m. at KSU Center.

English as a Second Language is one of nearly 50 professional certificate programs we offer. The program is designed to help students acquire speaking, vocabulary and writing skills via interactive games, practice lessons and quizzes.

On Sept. 3, the Korean administrators were welcomed to KSU Center by Lyn Cohen, Languages program manager. She was accompanied by Nancy DeLisle-Brown and Morgan Attaway, ESL instructors who compiled a custom curriculum for the visitors. Each group of 10 students is spending 90 minutes with each instructor for a total of three hours of daily instruction.

“The curriculum was developed thematically so that it could be adopted to their ability level as needed,” Lyn said. “The majority of topics deal with American culture and aspects of everyday life in the United States — from idiomatic expressions used in business and social settings to Southern traditions and cuisine. Topics on technology, the environment and transportation were also covered.”

On Sept. 3, Cohen, ESL instructors and Sumi Moon, KSU’s Korean liaison, introduced the group to Owl Country! They dined at the award-winning University Commons and toured the main campus and KSU Center.

A welcome reception was also held in their honor. Guest speakers were Barbara Calhoun, dean of the College; Ho Jin Yoon, representative of HiContents and the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education; Dr. Louis J. Erste, Charter Schools Division Director of the Georgia Department of Education; and Dr. Lance R. Askildson, Chief International Officer, Executive Director of KSU’s Institute for Global Initiatives and associate professor in the Department of English.

Additional activities during the group’s visit to the state included the Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola museum and an Atlanta Braves game. Next week, they will visit Harvard University and spend time in New York City.