Experiences of Teaching in English at a South Korean University SHENZIHE

Teaching in English at a South Korean university has been a unique journey filled with challenges and rewards.

When I first arrived at the South Korean university, the student population had distinct characteristics. Their proficiency in English varied widely. Some students could communicate and understand complex academic content relatively fluently, while others only had basic English listening and speaking skills. This required me to fully consider the diversity of students in course design and adopt a stratified teaching method. For example, when explaining professional knowledge, for students with a weak foundation, I would use more pictures, examples, and simple and straightforward language to aid understanding; for students with a higher level of English, I would guide them to conduct in-depth academic discussions and case analyses.

In terms of the classroom atmosphere, South Korean students are usually rather reserved and respectful of teachers. In the classroom discussion session, initially they were not very active in speaking, but through some incentive measures such as group competitions and reward mechanisms, their enthusiasm was gradually aroused. I would divide the students into groups and assign some controversial or open-ended topics for them to discuss within the group first, and then each group would select a representative to speak. Such an approach not only increased the students' participation but also cultivated their teamwork ability and critical thinking.

Regarding the choice of teaching content, I combined South Korea's local culture with international cutting-edge knowledge. On the one hand, I introduced English materials related to South Korean society, economy, and culture, enabling students to use English to interpret and analyze things around them, enhancing their learning interest and sense of substitution; on the other hand, I introduced the latest international academic research results and industry trends, broadening the students' international horizons. For instance, in a business English course, I would take South Korean multinational enterprises as examples, analyze the English application strategies in their international business expansion, and at the same time compare successful cases from other countries, allowing students to learn different business concepts and English practical skills.

Cultural differences are also an important factor that cannot be ignored in the teaching process. South Korea has unique cultural etiquette and educational traditions, which are quite different from Western cultures. I needed to respect these differences and subtly integrate them into teaching. For example, in classroom interactions, I would follow South Korean etiquette norms and express respect and encouragement in an appropriate manner; at the same time, I would also introduce some Western educational concepts and classroom cultures to the students, promoting cultural exchange and integration.

Collaboration with local South Korean teachers is also a highlight. They have an in-depth understanding of South Korean students' learning habits and the education system. During the cooperation process, we learned from each other and complemented each other's strengths. We jointly carried out teaching and research activities and discussed how to better optimize the English curriculum and improve teaching quality. We also jointly compiled some teaching materials and teaching resources that combined South Korea's national conditions and international English teaching standards, and these resources have achieved good results in actual teaching.

This experience of teaching in English at a South Korean university has made me deeply aware of the charm and challenges of cross-cultural education. It has not only enhanced my teaching ability and cross-cultural communication ability but also opened a window of English learning to the world for the students, promoting knowledge sharing and spiritual communication among different cultural backgrounds.