Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Ebrown]

This is probably a question for the linguistics people out there. I'm an undergrad and I'm graduating next semester, and because my school's undergrad linguistics department has gone to hell, I've got to take a grad level class to get my degree. The two courses offered next semester both look interesting, but I was wondering if either of them would help me more during my TESOL adventures (not necessarily just in Korea).

Here are the classes:

480 Sociolinguistics
The study of language structure and use involving socially-informed pragmatics, ethnography of communication, sociolinguistic variation and dialectology, and issues of bilingualism.

487 Computer Assisted Language Learning
3 OR 4 hours. An introduction to computer assisted language learning (CALL): the use of computer technology in second language reading and research. The effectiveness of CALL technology is assessed based on SLA theory and research studies.

My first thought is that the CALL course would probably be beneficial over an academic class since I'll be gaining a technical skill, but I'd like a little advice based on all your experiences.

Of course, it probably doesn't matter which class I take in the end, but if the CALL will stand out on a resume I'll jump on it.

[MattAwesome]

the classes you take wont mean anything on your resume. only thing that most people find relevant is your degree type and your GPA. unless you have no work experience, there is no reason to put a class on your resume.
if you havnt taken a linguistics class, you should. it's just interesting. the CALL class looks easy and should be interesting. if they are worth the same amount of credit, take the CALL. however, if you are just making countless powerpoints, i would skip it.

[Jammer113]

As a beginning ESL teacher, especially in Korea, the CALL course is going to be infinitely more useful. Your biggest problem is that you're going to have a small 'bag of tricks' from which you can construct an engaging, yet useful lesson. Over time, you watch and learn and find more and more ways to engage students, but it's really hard when you start.

Considering that most Korean classrooms have at least an internet-connected computer with a big-screen TV, and many have things such as touch screen TVs and such, a CALL class can give you a lot of effective ways to use that equipment.

The Sociolinguistics class will help you have a better grasp of problems relating to the ESL industry and teaching in general, although it looks to me by the description to be more focused on English language.. I doubt they're going to go in-depth about dialectical differences between Jeolla-do and Seoul and the social implications of that. (Koreans have a much different concept of "foreign" than Americans do, so what you learn may not apply so much over here.)

Further, I'm sure they're talking about bilingualism among immigrants to a country rather than students who study abroad in order to become bilingual in English, as they do in Korea. It might be more useful to have a basic understanding of those issues if you were in a European country such as France, which faces those issues daily.

[classydame]

If they aren't at the same time, sign up for both of them and take the first week or two of classes. After that, drop whichever one seems less interesting.