Exploring the possibilities for their methods in my teaching setting.

  Shin and Crookes were exploring the possibilties for EFL critical pedagogy in Korea through their two cases of study. They examined Korean learning culture in classroom in the earlier study. Their stduy drags two remarkable points from my mind.

  First,  the classes they experimented were designed to make the students involved in the dialogue and the topic within their interest. It was not only based on the curriculum or textbook but on their interest. Before they started the lessonclass, they checked students' abilities through the dialogue and collected their opinion and interest from the students. This means a lot to me as an English teacher in elementary school. I'm supposed to follow the textbook and tryng not to miss anything in the textbook. When I miss some in the textbook, I feel sorry for the student and failing responsibility. It is not the class designed  by my will but accepted  through the rule which the publisher think the best. It doesn't include my students' own concept. I think as teaching English in elementary school is basic, students have to drill the expression and imitate soem skill from teachers. I realize I could apply come critical methods in my class. All well-organized lessons are not good for all students. Shin and Crookes said,  " it is true that the textbook tends to become the curriculum but individaul teachers do have a certain measure of freedom of action". It is a good point for every teacher, especially for me. I'm sure that accumulation of knowledge is not important, but encouraging the students is important like "education is not the filling of a pile but the lighting of a fire".

  Second, although their study makes me look back my lesson and my pedagogy, I still wonder if they thought their methods could succed in every kinds of classes.  While they focused on speaking part, they didn't try other parts of foreign language teaching. The study had not enough time to cover the English class. In addition, in the the fact that it was applied to high level of students who were able to speak English like in high leveled high school, it is not common method. One of the class was held  after school as extra curriculum. It's exagerating to say that through the course, students became confident and fluent. If we're only doing culture theme in English class, we'll have limited contents. Even more, I think teacher just sit by and watch while advanced students  are doing thier work. In this concept, teachers have to pick a good way among various options to teach English. It is very difficult in elementary school.

  Their study is helpful to encourage teachers adopt the critical approach in English educaion. However it doesn't satisfy me entirely excluding other parts of FLT(Foreigh English Teaching) and lower leveled students. I think their approach is not fully adoptable in my teaching setting. One thing I can do in my classroom is to add students' interest and their aim in their studying English.