TESOL at Queensland
University of Technology:
The Program and School Visits
Introduction
A Dream Came True
When I became a
husband and a father of two, I started to think that studying abroad would be
just a dream. I never wanted to be an irresponsible man who could abandon his
family and leave his job in order to satisfy his personal desire. Things have
changed when I learned that the Ministry of Education was going to subsidize
English teachers to study in Australia for five weeks. I felt the door to
complete my “unfinished business” finally opened and I tried so hard to be
admitted. I was jealous of my colleagues who pursued their master’s degree in
the United Kingdom but not until I was with the other amazing English teachers
from Taiwan to study TESOL in Brisbane, Australia.
Two Wonderful Roommates
The honeymoon
period was undoubtedly enjoyable during the first days of my stay in Brisbane.
I had two wonderful roommates. We shared a quite small room but their
friendliness created a warm atmosphere inside. We would go to school together,
shop together and cook our own food together. Just like any kind of adventure,
our beginning was never easy. We had to learn how to get economical during our
stay in Brisbane. It was all shared effort and through that we managed to save
up to seven dollars every day. We got on a free ferry and inter-campus shuttle
after a few days of trial and error.
The Beauty of Brisbane
For many times,
I missed home. However, the beauty of Brisbane has caused me some distractions as
its breathtaking tourist spots around the city would entice me to move around.
With the variety of gourmet food I could try at the Sunday Riverside markets
and South Bank markets on Saturday night, I felt like roaming around Taiwan's
night market. Other captivating sights can be seen at the Gallery of Modern
Art, the State Library of Queensland, the Queensland Art Gallery, and the
Queensland Museum in South Bank. Even I who was not so enthusiastic about art
could not easily get my eyes away from what they had inside. By taking a trip
on the City Cat ferry, that could carry commuters and visitors up and down the
Brisbane River, which winds its way through the City and suburbs, my classmates
and I would just add more convenience.
The Orientation
The most
important part of my trip to Brisbane started in 3 days. In that training
program, participants were expected to gain a new perspective and some
innovative skills on English teaching. The first week was more like an
orientation. We applied for our ID card, got the username and password, and
learned to use it to have access to the library of the Queensland University of
Technology or QUT. Moreover, they shared a brief introduction to
Australia—their culture, family life, land territory, and about the
aboriginals. Classes were conducted in a more student-centered way, mainly with
group discussion and even some hands-on activities wherein participants of this
program must actively engage in sharing their ideas with the group in English.
I thought of it as a great opportunity for us to refine our communication
skills. By the end of the whole program, we had to submit our project report.
They introduced us the basics of the Independent Study that all participants
should apply in deciding on a specific topic related to an actual problem
encountered in the classroom and they gave us a tour of the library to know how
we could efficiently make use of it while working on our report. The project
was the reflection of what we learned and they hoped our new ideas and
developed or improved skills would benefit students in Taiwan.
