KOTESOL: Who and What We Are

(소개)

Korea TESOL: Korea Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (KOTESOL) is a professional organization for teachers of English. Our main goals are to assist members in their self-development and to improve ELT in Korea. KOTESOL allows teachers to connect with others in the ELT community and find teaching resources in Korea and abroad through KOTESOL publications, conferences and symposia, and chapter meetings and workshops.

Our name in Korean is 대한영어교육학회 [Daehan Yeongeo Gyoyuk Hakhoe]; we are Korea's largest multicultural association of English teaching professionals.

History

Korea TESOL was established in October 1992, when the Association of English Teachers in Korea (AETK) agreed to join with the Korea Association of Teachers of English (KATE). [Note: Another organization has since adopted the name "KATE."] As stated in our Constitution and Bylaws, “Korea TESOL is a not-for-profit organization established to promote scholarship, disseminate information, and facilitate cross-cultural understanding among persons concerned with the teaching and learning of English in Korea. In pursuing these goals, KOTESOL shall cooperate in appropriate ways with other groups having similar concerns.”

KOTESOL is an independent national affiliate of a growing international movement of teachers.

Korea TESOL is proud to be the exclusive affiliate of the TESOL International Association for Korea. TESOL International is an international education association of over 12,000 members with headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia, USA.

Korea TESOL is also a proud associate of the International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language (IATEFL), based in the United Kingdom with a global membership of over 4,000 teachers.

KOTESOL is a founding member of the Pan-Asian Consortium (PAC), which includes the Japan Association for Language Teaching (JALT), Thailand TESOL (ThaiTESOL), ETA-ROC (English Teachers Association of the Republic of China/Taiwan), Far East English Language Teachers Association (FEELTA, Russia), and most recently, the Philippines Association for Language Teaching, Inc. (PALT).

Membership

All English teachers, regardless of teaching situation or nationality, are invited to join KOTESOL.

The membership of KOTESOL includes teachers at private language schools; at elementary, middle, and high schools; at colleges/universities;, and in corporate training centers; as well as teachers-in-training, administrators, researchers, materials writers, curriculum developers, and other interested persons.

Approximately 25% of the members are Korean. KOTESOL chapters are located in the following areas: Busan-Gyeongnam, Daegu-Gyeongbuk, Daejeon-Chungcheong, Gangwon, Gwangju-Jeonnam, Jeonju-North Jeolla, Seoul, Suwon-Gyeonggi, and Yongin-Gyeonggi.

Members of KOTESOL hail from all points of Korea and the globe, thus providing KOTESOL members the benefits of a multi-cultural membership.

Anti-discrimination Policy

Korea TESOL is a welcoming, inclusive organization that embraces and values diversity. We support professional development and learning opportunities for all and strive to eliminate discrimination of any kind. KOTESOL represents community, professionalism, and respect. We believe in communication across difference, and we stand together in a shared spirit of lifelong learning and mutual support.

We stand with TESOL International, IATEFL, JALT, TESOL France, and countless other international ELT organizations in advocating equity, and we have adopted TESOL International's Position Statement Against Discrimination of Nonnative Speakers of English in the Field of TESOL. See our National Council Policy Statement at https://koreatesol.org/content/other-documents

Please note: KOTESOL does not vet, qualify, or comment on schools or other organizations, visa status and requirements, or intercede with employers.

Membership Benefits

Annual membership in KOTESOL is 50,000 won (for Korea-based members). Benefits include:

1. The opportunity to attend any regular meeting of any chapter.
2. A member's discount to all KOTESOL events.
3. The national quarterly publication The English Connection, keeping you up-to-date with current issues in EFL and ELT.
4. The Korea TESOL Journal, KOTESOL (Conference) Proceedings, and other scholarly and professional publications.
5. Opportunities to present at conferences, publish in our journals, and apply for grants and awards.
6. Invitations to members-only social events and other opportunities to build a network of important professional and cross-cultural contacts.
7. Access to the latest in quality teaching resources and related materials.
8. Professional recognition as a member of the leading multi-cultural ELT organization in Korea.
9. Membership in Special Interest Groups (SIGs); e.g., Multimedia & CALL, Research, Reflective Practice, Christian Teachers, and Social Justice.
10. Opportunities to take online courses as a discount and earn a co-branded KOTESOL-Bridge TEFL certification (exclusive to KOTESOL members).

A full list of benefits is available here.

KOTESOL:  Teachers Helping Teachers.

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