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[서울=DIP통신] 김정태 기자 = 서강대학교 SLP인 해운대SLP영어학당에서 현직 교사로 근무하고 있는 리사 그레이엄(Lisa Graham)은 “영어유치원 7세 학생이 캐나다 2학년 학생 수준에 깜짝 놀랐다”고 말했다.

캐나다에서 교육대학을 졸업 후 한국의 서강대 SLP인 강남SLP영어학당에서 처음 교편을 잡은 리사 그레이엄 원어민 교사는 처음 한국에 도착했을 때, 학생들이 제한된 영어 실력을 가지고 있을 것이라 판단했다.

하지만 리사 그레이엄의 판단은 금방 틀렸다는 것을 확인했다.

리사 그레이엄은 “제가 맡은 첫 번째 반은 1년 반동안 강남SLP 영어유치부에서 영어를 공부했던 학생들이었다”며 “캐나다에서 지도했던 2학년 학생들이 막 접하기 시작했던 책을 읽고 있었다”고 놀라워했다.

더욱 놀랐던 것은 7세반 학생들은 영어뿐만 아니라 미국에서의 삶에 대해서도 배우고 있었기 때문.

그래서 해운대SLP 원어민교사인 리사 그레이엄은 한국 교육에 있어서 큰 자부심을 갖고 있다.

“SLP어학원에서의 교육은 자부심을 느낀다. 교육자로서 가르침을 직업으로 생각하지 않고 경험으로 생각한다.”

리사 그레이엄은 “가르침은 아이들을 지도하는 것뿐만 아니라 자신에 대해 알아가는 과정이자 개인적인 발견에 대한 것이다”면서 “아이들에게는 한국에 대한 많은 것을 배우고 감동받아 결국 아이들과 교사들 모두가 학습을 통한 혜택을 받는다”고 강조했다.

이런 혜택은 한국과 북미 지역의 기념일을 축하하면서 재미있는 활동도 하고, 추석의 경우는 아이들과 선생님들 모두가 전통적인 옷차림으로 함께 해 교육, 문화, 습관 등 양쪽 문화를 모두 공부하고 습득할 수 있는 좋은 기회를 갖게 된다는 것.

또한 리사 그레이엄은 SLP어학원에서는 초급 수준의 아이들을 위한 내용에서부터 고급 수준의 아이들을 위한 내셔널지오그래픽과 과학수업 등을 포함시켜, 다양한 교육을 하고 있다고 설명했다.

강남SLP영어학당에 이어 해운대SLP영어학당에서 근무하고 있는 리사 그레이엄은 현재 영어유치부 6세 반을 담당하고 있다.

6세반을 맡으면서 리사 그레이엄은 “서강대SLP의 체계적이고 시스템적인 교육 프로그램은 현지 교육 이상의 영어교육이다”면서 “이런 교육프로그램으로 매주 학생들의 영어실력이 향상되는 것을 보면서 교육자로서의 저의 직업을 더 가치있게 만들어 준다”고 말했다.

[서강대SLP 해운대SLP영어학당 리사 그레이엄 원어민 교사 인터뷰 원문]

Hello, my name is Lisa Graham and I have been working for SLP since August, 2006. I taught in Kangnam for two years and I then transferred to Haeundae SLP in January 2009. I have taught a variety of ages and levels at SLP and have loved every moment. I have made so many memories while living in Korea and working at SLP.

Before coming to Korea I graduated from teacher’s college in 2004 and that allowed me to be prepared for my journey to Korea. When I first arrived, I thought the children I would be teaching would have limited English skills, but I was quickly proven wrong. My first class was brilliant. They had been studying for one and a half years before I became their teacher. They were seven years old and they were reading books that my students in second grade back in Canada were just being introduced to. I remember thinking, “Wow, this place is awesome.” As I got to know the curriculum, I realized how organized and comprehensible it was. My students have learned so many things- not just about English, but about life in North America as well. I have so many fond memories of all of my students and I still miss them very much.

SLP is a fantastic institute that has kept me coming back year after year. I take pride in my job every day of the week. I do not look at teaching as a job, but as an experience. To me teaching is not just about educating students, but also about self-learning and personal discovery. My students continue to teach me many things about Korea. In our classes both students and teachers benefit by learning together. We arrange celebrations for Korean and North American holidays in which we do really fun activities together. During Chusok, the children and the teachers dress up in traditional clothing, play games and we celebrate together. It is an amazing pleasure to be able to see the interaction between two distinct, yet rich cultures.

At SLP there are many resources we are provided with to enhance the learning experience. The curriculums we offer cover a wide range of topics- everything from classroom objects for beginners to National Geographic and science for the more advanced students. Our classrooms are also equipped with internet access, and all of the books we use are available online. This allows for a more interactive learning approach, and helps the students become more engaged in the learning process. Educational games are key to our teaching strategy in an effort to heighten our student’s motivation and enthusiasm towards learning English.

My current kindergarten students are six years old and have been studying English for almost two years. Watching their English skills improve each week is so rewarding and makes the job worth much more worthwhile. We do a lot of studying in class, but we encourage the students through fun activities. We sing topic-related songs, do creative writing assignments and play a variety of interesting games each day.

The friends that I have- made both Korean and foreign- have added even more joy to my experience. All of the teachers at SLP benefit from sharing teaching ideas and thoughts. We work together very well so we can enhance the experience of learning English for our students. We also learn a lot from each other because we come from many different professional, cultural and educational backgrounds. This gives the students an opportunity to interact with many different English speakers.

I have been working for SLP for a long time, but it doesn’t feel that way. My time has gone by so quickly in Korea because of the wonderful work environment and dedicated staff that I associate with every day. I am always looking forward to seeing my students both grow as individuals and develop their English language abilities. This experience has enabled me to develop both personally and professionally, all while being rewarded with the understanding that my students are growing through the educational initiatives being put forth by SLP and its staff of dedicated teachers.

ihunter@dipts.com
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