Invited Panel @ KOTESOL 2022
ELT Professionals for a Better World: Lives of Leadership and Service
In this panel discussion, five esteemed female leaders in ELT, all nearing the end of their formal careers in education, will reflect on their respective paths. They’ll share stories of their growth as educators and leaders; look back on the decisions, motivations, and inspirations that shaped them; consider their own impact, including how their life’s work has contributed to improving the world; and offer thoughts, insights, and suggestions for future generations of leaders seeking to make their own mark in education – and on the world.
Time: Saturday (April 30) 2:00 p.m. KST. (50 min., Synchronous)
The Panelists
From left: Joo-Kyung Park, Yilin Sun, Ilene Winokur, Kyungsook Yeum, & Sterling Plata
(Moderated by Lindsay Herron)
Biosketches
Joo-Kyung Park
Joo-Kyung Park, PhD, is a professor in the Department of English Language at Honam University, Gwangju, South Korea. Having served as chair of the English Department, managing director of the Foreign Language Center, director of the International Culture Center, and as director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at Honam, she had developed and run numerous programs on ELT and intercultural communication for Honam students, local school children, teachers, and the whole community including migrant women. She was also a radio show host at Gwangju Foreign Language Network (GFN) and at Far-East Broadcasting Company (FEBC), a local Christian radio station. She is on the board of directors of GFN and the Gwangju International Center (GIC), and teaches English Bible at her church.
Dr. Park is a former president of Korea TESOL (1996–1997) and former president of the Applied Linguistics Association of Korea (ALAK; 2015–2016). She has also served as the journal editor-in-chief for Korea TESOL and Global English Teachers’ Association, and as an editorial board member of numerous Korean and overseas journals. She is a founding member of AsiaTEFL, the Asia-wide TEFL/TESL association, where she has served in numerous executive positions over the years, and is currently incoming president for the association. Her research interests include teacher education, speech/pronunciation, critical pedagogy, World Englishes, and intercultural communication.
_______________
Yilin Sun
Yilin Sun, PhD, is a tenured professor who directed Faculty Development Programs at Seattle Colleges in the US (2018–2021) before her recent retirement. She is a former president of TESOL International Association (2014–2015) and the founding president of MAAL (Macau Assn. for Applied Linguistics). Dr. Sun has extensive experience in teacher education, leadership, and professional development. She has authored and coauthored books, book chapters, and journal articles. She is also serving as chief editor of the series Foreign Language Teacher Education and Development: Selected Works of Renowned TESOL Experts, published by Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press.
In 2014, KOTESOL invited Dr. Sun to write an article on leadership entitled "Demystifying the Myths About Leadership" for The English Connection, 18(1/2). In 2021, The English Language Specialist Program of the U.S. Department of State recognized Dr. Sun as one of thirty specialists who have made a lasting impact on the field of TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) since 1991. Over the years, Dr. Sun has given numerous keynote/plenary and featured presentations at international professional conferences.
_______________
Ilene Winokur
Ilene Winokur, EdD, has lived in Kuwait since 1984 and is currently a professional development specialist supporting teachers globally, including refugee teachers. She has been active in learning innovation for over 25 years and is passionate about narratives related to belonging. Prior to retiring in 2019, she was a teacher and administrator at the primary and pre-college levels. Dr. Winokur's work has focused on supporting multilingual learners and increasing their success in English-based curricula. As a teacher, she earned her teaching certification in ESL to increase her toolbox of strategies to ensure her students felt included, valued, and seen. As a leader, she has supported members of her team and her colleagues to learn techniques such as scaffolding and tiered questioning that support language acquisition. She is an advocate for instilling a sense of belonging in students while supporting their acquisition of an additional language.
Dr. Winokur hosts the Journeys to Belonging podcast and blogs about her personal journey to belonging in Buffalo, New York, where she grew up, and Yarmouk, Kuwait, where she has lived since 1984. Both focus on the importance of feeling a sense of belonging, the subject of her new book, Journey to Belonging: Pathways to Well-Being.
_______________
Kyungsook Yeum
Kyungsook Yeum, PhD, is the director of the SMU TESOL program and on the faculty of Sookmyung Women’s University, Seoul, Korea. “TESOL Beyond” is an image she created for further innovation within the Sookmyung TESOL institution where she has served for over 20 years. This term embraces the aspiration to move “beyond disciplinary boundaries,” “beyond sociocultural distinctions.” and “beyond national borders” in the ELT profession.
Dr. Yeum’s understanding of the TESOL profession became more robust with her service on the TESOL Board of Directors, TESOL International Association, USA (2015–2018). Her leadership was honed through her work as the national president of Korea TESOL, and as vice president of the Korea Association of Teachers of English (KATE) and of the Applied Linguistics Association of Korea (ALAK) among others. Dr. Yeum has an MA in TESOL from the University of Maryland. Her first PhD is in English literature, and she is a University of Macquarie doctoral candidate in applied linguistics. Her concentrations are cross-cultural leadership, teacher education, and program evaluation.
_______________
Sterling Plata
Sterling M. Plata, PhD, is an associate professor in the College of Education at De La Salle University in the Philippines. Her mission as an assessment reform advocate started during her certification as a Language Testing and Assessment Specialist in 2017. Her mentors in SEAMEO RELC (Singapore) opened her eyes to the significance of the role of assessment in student learning rather than just gatekeeping. Since then, Dr. Plata has set goals to train more than 10,000 teachers on improving classroom assessment. She has also published research articles that analyzed national assessment reform policies.
In 2018, Dr. Plata discovered the role of growth mindset interventions in student motivation. She trains growth mindset advocates and champions through webinars and masterclasses. She also dedicates a session to growth mindset in her undergraduate and graduate classes. Since 2019, Dr. Plata has been advocating for integrating the 17 Sustainable Development Goals in ELT through service-learning. Finally, the pandemic has allowed her to share her story as a burnout survivor. Sterling Plata has been giving teachers mini-retreats on well-being strategies during national and international conferences. These are just some of her contributions to the field of ELT.
Return to Conference Speakers page.
