Today we will take a bit of time to reflect on the course so far,
we will decide how to celebrate the end of the course this week,
and I will share a few ideas I have for the next course.
As for the first task, I have certainly learned a lot. This is the first time I have taught essay writing to ESL (English as Second Language) students. I hope you have also learned a lot. Today, I shall hand back the essays you wrote seven weeks ago. You are welcome to give any feedback you like: criticisms, comments, suggestions and complaints!
For the second, I am open to suggestions. We could celebrate with a pizza party (NOOO…!!!), or a quiet coffee down town. We could go to watch the DVD of Whale Rider (perhaps in the big DVD viewing room at Beethoven tea house…?), or you could shower me with praises and expensive gifts. Or, you could just pat me on the back and say: “Bye.”
And finally, my latest idea to make the next course even more amazingly excitifying for you is to introduce themes on which I will be writing essays, and on which you will also be invited, or challenged, to write. You will still be welcome to write an essay on whatever you prefer; however, I will be offering information on topics that I hope are new to you, interesting, and thought-provoking.
One example is World Fair Trade Day 2009. I want to relate this amazingly exciting international trend to our local scene here in Korea. How can we make Korea a part of this fantastic new phenomenon? We need a process essay. But wait: should Koreans even start to be concerned with poor people in other countries? We need at least two argument essays, one for and one against. But then again, just what IS fair trade? We need an explanation essay too!
We will cover many other themes that don’t often make the mainstream news, but should, as they affect us here in Gwangju, too.
We will be brainstorming more in class, and then I will be shutting up and letting you develop your ideas in class time, and then you will find it much easier to complete your writing for homework later that day or night.
Other themes we could cover:
* Monsanto, terminator seed technology, and genetically altered rice,
* alternative education and Gwangju, or at least Korea,
* May 18 in Gwangju, reviews of movies that deal with this topic, and,
* the new park proposal for the down town area around the old provincial hall.
We can also do fun themes, such as
* have an in-class taste-test of various brands of ice-cream available in Gwangju, and write about our favourites, as reviews, or personal opinion columns, (a good theme for the heat of summer which will soon be upon us!),
* have an essay writing competition about which is the best genre of movie, and,
* let’s critique (or discuss in some depth) the TV show, movie, and everything related to Sex and the City.
… Well, those are my ideas for themes, anyway. What are yours?
