Sookmyung Hosts 2025 Fall “TESOL DAY”…Event Outlines the Future of English Education in the AI Era
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- Writer 커뮤니케이션팀
- 보도일자 2025-11-13
Sookmyung Women’s University held its “2025 Fall TESOL DAY” event on November 8 (Sat) at the Samsung Convention Center in the university’s Centennial Hall.
TESOL DAY serves as an introduction to Sookmyung’s public TESOL program, and this year’s event featured a special appearance by Yoo Sung-kwon, CEO of ePublic Korea, an educational media company collaborating with the TESOL program. More than 150 participants—including alumni and prospective students—attended.
The event opened with welcome remarks from Sookmyung University President Moon Si-yeun, who delivered a keynote address titled “Future of English Education: TESOL, Technology, and the Classroom.” President Moon discussed the shifts and direction of English education in the AI era, noting, “AI is undoubtedly a powerful tool, but the heart of education must always remain human,” and adding, “We will support teachers so that they grow not merely as consumers of technology, but as creative innovators who lead change.”
In the main keynote, Prof. Nam-jun Kang, head of Sookmyung TESOL, presented “Beyond Tradition: Rethinking TESOL for Today’s Educators,” sharing insights on the role of AI in education and practical classroom applications. Alumnae Yang Kyung-hwa and Kim Ji-yeon also offered firsthand reflections from their teaching careers.
“Before taking TESOL, I focused on whether I was teaching well, but now I ask whether students are truly learning,” Yang said. Kim noted, “It was a learning experience that shook the foundations of my previous confidence as a teacher,” adding that she intends “to continue learning endlessly, just like a student.”
During the admissions briefing for the 2026 spring semester, Prof. David Norton introduced several programs, including SMU-TESOL (International English Teacher Certification), YL-TESOL (International Young Learner English Teacher Certification), and PL-TESOL (Play-Based English Education Specialist). He highlighted Sookmyung TESOL’s strengths, such as hands-on practicum and volunteer opportunities with children, as well as post-graduation mentoring and employment networking.
This year’s admission briefing drew more than twice the usual number of attendees, reflecting strong interest, with active consultations taking place on site. Sookmyung TESOL will recruit students for the 2026 spring semester in two rounds: Round 1: November 10–17 and Round 2: December 15–22.