Ch'emyon - Ariel Vasquez

The speaker introduces the concept of Ch'emyon, which is a Korean concept referring to honor and social respect within a community. Understanding and respecting Ch'emyon is important for creating a learning environment that values cultural expectations, increasing student confidence and participation. Non-Korean teachers in Korea should be aware of Ch'emyon to improve teaching effectiveness and promote cross-cultural communication. Respecting local cultures and avoiding stereotypes is crucial in creating an inclusive and respectful learning environment. Hello everyone! I'm Ariel Vasquez, a senior student in an English Applied Linguistics Program Major in English as a Foreign Language Teaching at ICC. And I'm going to talk about Ch'emyon in the TEFL / TESL classroom. Have you ever heard of Ch'emyon? Well, if you don't know what it is, I'll explain it now. Ch'emyon is a Korean concept that refers to “honor,” that is, a person's prestige, reputation, and social respect within his or her community. It is a highly valued quality in Korean culture and it is related to how a person presents him/herself to others and how he/she is perceived by them. In the TEFL/TESL classroom, understanding and respecting Ch'emyon is crucial to creating a learning environment that values students' cultural expectations, increasing their confidence and participation. It is important to recognize that Ch'emyon enables teachers to create a supportive environment that increases learner confidence and participation, as James H. Robinson points out in emphasizing the importance of EFL teachers understanding their learners' culture, especially in Korean and American contexts. After reading about this topic, I better understood that understanding Ch'emyon is essential for non-Korean teachers teaching English in Korea. Because this knowledge enables them to create a learning environment that respects and accommodates students' cultural expectations, thus improving teaching effectiveness and promoting more meaningful cross-cultural communication. This topic makes me reflect on how crucial it is to respect local cultures in the educational environment, avoiding stereotypes and adopting a broad perspective when assessing students' behavior. As these actions are fundamental to create a more inclusive and respectful learning environment. I hope you found this reflection interesting and useful. Remember that every day is an opportunity to learn something new. Thanks for listening, see you next time.