Welcome to my TESOL Portfolio page! This site is a platform to present and share all the things I did while studying TESOL at the Monterey Institute of International Studies. 

Education & Experience:
I'm currently a candidate for MA degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). In 2010, I obtained my first MA degree in Public Administration (MPA), specializing in International Management at the Monterey Institute of International Studies. Before pursuing my second masters program, I worked as a Consultant for the World Bank at the Poverty Reduction and Economic Management (PREM) department. Recently, I worked as an English Teacher to young learners at Education First (EF) in Pebble Beach, CA (Stevenson School), as well as at the Peace Resource Center in Seaside, California to adult ESL learners. Currently, I work as an Academic Coordinator/Supervisor to ESL teachers at the Peace Resource Center. I also work as an ESL Instructor at the Monterey Institute of International Studies, Intensive English Program (Yokohama Program).

Goals, Motivations, & Passions:
My lifetime goal is to be an inspiration to many people. I hope to use my education and experiences to help empower the lives of people through promoting the value of education, sustainable growth, and development. I am enthusiastic and open to teaching all ages and all levels. I have two passions in life. First, I am passionate about teaching languages (English, Korean, and Spanish). Second, I truly enjoy doing research. Doing research to me is like diamond cutting. It could be extremely difficult and it involves a lot of process. However, once it is "well-polished," the value goes up. I hope that someday, my research will be a valuable contribution to our society.

As a teacher and a researcher, I am always curious about how languages are learned and how our identities and societies are affected through languages. Furthermore, as a speaker of 5 languages, I am a strong advocate of multilingualism and heritage language maintenance.

My View of Learning & Learners:
Based on my experience, students learn the best when they are engaged, productive, and reflective. I feel confident that my students are learning when I see them (1) engaging in tasks; (2) producing outcomes (e.g., rehearsing or applying what they have learned); and (3) reflecting on what they have learned and whether they have achieved their goals. In addition, students should be constantly given a chance to “digest” and “reflect” what they are learning. This will not only increase learning awareness (e.g., be more sensitive to grammar mistakes), but it will also enhance their learner attitude (e.g., their motivation and self-efficacy will increase; as a result, their learner autonomy will also increase [“owning” their learning]). 

When teachers make their intentions, motivations, strengths, and limitations known to their students, and when teachers listen and acknowledge students' motivations, strengths, and needs, I believe that learning becomes more effective. 

My View of Teaching: 
"I am not a teacher, but an awakener." - Robert Frost

Teaching is not an act of transmitting knowledge to students. I have learned that "a change in knowledge does not equal to a change in behavior" (Levinger, personal communication). To me, teaching, goal-setting, and reflecting should be done simultaneously. When things get busy, it is easy to forget to reflect on our own teaching. When that happens, we lose touch with the students. We become unaware of our students' goals and needs. We become insensitive to students' learning styles. As a result, students lose interest and they become disengaged--classroom management falls apart. As a teacher, I always remind myself not to become a blind teacher. I may have a really awesome curriculum or a teaching method, but if my students cannot connect with me, then there is a huge problem. Teachers should never turn off their wireless router. In fact, teachers should have a strong wifi connection with the students. To do so, we need to constantly refresh and reflect. 

Teaching Methods, Activities, and Curriculum:

Different types of curriculum, teaching methods, and activities I value and seek to implement in my classroom:

• Communicative language teaching
• Learner-centered teaching
• Cooperative learning
• Reflective teaching
• Humor and games
• Using authentic materials
• Using technology in classroom (including social media network) 
• Content-based instruction (focus on meaning, motivation, and development of language, learning strategies, and academic skills [Crandall, 2012])
• Task-based instruction (promote interaction and negotiation of meaning)
• Project-based instruction/activities (integrate language and content learning)
• Other activities: Critical thinking, jigsaw readings, journal entries, writing assignments, peer evaluation, oral presentations. 
• Overall, teachers always should understand and consider students' needs and learning styles when designing a curriculum and choosing activities.

My Language/Education Research Interests: 
Heritage language acquisition & maintenance; learning motivation; bilingual education; second language acquisition; education policies related to racial equity; impact of national/state language and education policies on minority students' academic performance; sociolinguistics; parental role in children's education; ensuring social relevance in language classrooms; effective ESL teaching methods & practices. 

Multicultural & Multilingual Background: 
I am a South Korean, who grew up in the Philippines, attending a Chinese school, and have traveled to many Latin American countries. Because of this background, I am able to speak five languages fluently.  

Please visit: https://sites.google.com/site/halasunportfolio/

Feel free to email me: harah.sun@gmail.com